📖 Introduction
Imagine your friend tells you,
“I won the spelling competition!”
You could repeat the exact words by saying:
My friend said, “I won the spelling competition.”
Or you could tell someone else:
My friend said that she had won the spelling competition.
Both sentences share the same message, but they are written differently. The first uses direct speech, while the second uses reported speech.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to recognise both forms and change one into the other correctly.
🎯 What You’ll Learn
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- explain the difference between direct and reported speech.
- identify direct and reported speech.
- change direct speech into reported speech.
- use punctuation correctly in direct speech.
💡 Let’s Explore
What Is Direct Speech?
Direct speech repeats the exact words spoken by a person.
The spoken words are placed inside quotation marks (” “).
Examples
- Emma said, “I enjoy reading adventure stories.”
- Dad asked, “Have you finished your homework?”
- The coach shouted, “Well done!”
Notice that quotation marks are used because the speaker’s exact words are being reported.
What Is Reported Speech?
Reported speech tells us what someone said without using their exact words.
Quotation marks are not used.
Examples
- Emma said that she enjoyed reading adventure stories.
- Dad asked whether I had finished my homework.
- The coach congratulated the team.
Reported speech often begins with verbs such as:
- said
- told
- asked
- explained
- replied
- reminded
Direct Speech and Reported Speech Compared
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| Liam said, “I am tired.” | Liam said that he was tired. |
| Maya said, “I will help you.” | Maya said that she would help me. |
| Noah asked, “Where is my book?” | Noah asked where his book was. |
Rules for Changing Direct Speech to Reported Speech
1. Remove the Quotation Marks
Direct Speech:
Ella said, “I am happy.”
Reported Speech:
Ella said that she was happy.
2. Change the Pronoun if Necessary
Direct Speech:
Ben said, “I lost my keys.”
Reported Speech:
Ben said that he had lost his keys.
3. Change the Verb Tense When Appropriate
Sometimes the verb changes to show that the words were spoken earlier.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| am | was |
| is | was |
| are | were |
| have | had |
| will | would |
| can | could |
Example
Direct Speech:
Mia said, “I can swim.”
Reported Speech:
Mia said that she could swim.
4. Change Time Words When Necessary
Sometimes words showing time also change.
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the previous day |
| now | then |
| here | there |
Example
Direct Speech:
Alex said, “I will visit tomorrow.”
Reported Speech:
Alex said that he would visit the next day.
🌟 Example
Direct Speech
The teacher said, “Please submit your projects on Friday.”
Reported Speech
The teacher told the learners to submit their projects on Friday.
Notice that the exact words are no longer inside quotation marks.
🌍 Real-Life Example
After a science fair, a reporter interviewed one of the winners.
The learner said, “Our team worked together every afternoon.”
When writing the newspaper article, the reporter used reported speech:
The learner said that their team had worked together every afternoon.
Using reported speech helped the reporter explain the interview in a natural way.
💡 Tips for Using Direct and Reported Speech
✔ Use quotation marks for direct speech.
✔ Do not use quotation marks in reported speech.
✔ Change pronouns when necessary.
✔ Change verb tenses if the reporting happens after the original speech.
✔ Read the sentence carefully to make sure the meaning stays the same.
✨ Quick Tips
💬 Direct speech uses the speaker’s exact words.
📝 Reported speech tells what someone said without quoting them exactly.
📖 Direct speech uses quotation marks (” “).
🔄 Reported speech may require changes to pronouns, verbs and time expressions.
🌟 Both forms help us report conversations clearly.
🎯 Let’s Practise!
A. Choose the Correct Answer
1. Which sentence is written in direct speech?
A. Maya said that she enjoyed painting.
B. Noah told his father that he had finished his homework.
C. Emma said, “I love reading mystery books.”
D. Liam explained that the lesson was interesting.
2. Which sentence is written in reported speech?
A. The coach shouted, “Run faster!”
B. Sophia asked, “Can I help you?”
C. Oliver said that he would arrive early.
D. Ava replied, “Thank you very much.”
3. Which is the correct reported form of this sentence?
Ella said, “I will visit my grandmother tomorrow.”
A. Ella said that she will visit her grandmother tomorrow.
B. Ella said that she would visit her grandmother the next day.
C. Ella said, “She would visit her grandmother tomorrow.”
D. Ella said that I would visit my grandmother yesterday.
B. True or False
4. Direct speech uses quotation marks.
5. Reported speech always keeps the speaker’s exact words inside quotation marks.
C. Short Answer
6. What is the difference between direct speech and reported speech?
7. Change these sentences into reported speech.
a. Noah said, “I can solve this puzzle.”
b. Emma said, “We are preparing for the concert.”
8. Change these sentences into direct speech.
a. The teacher said that the class should remain quiet.
b. Ava explained that she had forgotten her notebook.
Answers: 1 C 2 C 3 B 4 True 5 False