Direct and Indirect Speech with Examples
In this starter pack tutorial for beginners, learners will be able to learn “Direct and Indirect Speech”. What is “Direct and Indirect Speech”?. How to change statements from direct to indirect speech?. What are the examples of direct and indirect speech?.
This lesson will teach students to report the words of a speaker in 2 ways;
1. By saying his actual words
2. By reporting of what has been spoken without using the actual words
I. Objectives: At the end of this lesson student will:
1. Identify direct and indirect speech
2. Change statements from direct to indirect speech
3. Create examples of direct and indirect speech
II. Subject Matter: Direct and indirect speech
Materials: 1. Practice exercises worksheets
2. Activity sheets
III. Procedure:
A. Pre- Activity/ Warm-up
1. Drill: Key Vocabulary
Direct Indirect Speech
Reported Verb
2. Review
Give the past form of the following words.
is are will shall
say can tell ask
B. Lesson Proper
1. Motivation
Start the lesson by asking “How do you report the words of the speaker?
We may report the words of a speaker in two ways:
2. Presentation
On the board write:
a. We may quote his actual words. This is called Direct Speech.
b. We may report what he said without quoting his exact words.
This is called Indirect or Reported Speech.
3. Discussion
Discuss your lesson using the “T Graphic Organizer” like the one below.
Explain that in Direct speech, we use inverted commas to mark off the exact words of the speaker. In Indirect speech we do not.
It will be further noticed that in changing Direct speech into Indirect speech certain changes have been made.
Thus;
1. We have used the conjunction that before the indirect statement.
2. The pronoun I is changed to he. (The pronoun is changed in person.)
3. The verb am is changed to was. (Present tense is changed to past.)
4. The adverb now is changed to then.
Rules for changing Direct speech into Indirect speech.
When the reporting or the principal verb is in the past tense, all present tenses of the Direct are changed into the corresponding past tenses.
Thus:
1. A simple present becomes a simple past.
Direct: He said “I am unwell.”
Indirect: He said (that) he was unwell.
2. A present continuous becomes a past continuous.
Direct: He said, “My master is writing letters.”
Indirect: He said (that) his master was writing letters.
3. A present perfect becomes a past perfect.
Direct: He said, “I have passed the examination.”
Indirect: He said (that) he had passed the examination.
Note:
The ‘shall’ of the future tense is changed into should.
The ‘will’ of the future tense is changed into would or should.
4. Practice Exercises: (Group Activity)
5. Generalization
What is direct speech? Indirect speech?
How do you change direct to indirect speech? And vice versa
6. Fixation of Skills
Directions: Identify the statement by writing D if it is a Direct Speech and ID if the statement is Indirect Speech on the space provided for each sentence.
____1. He said, “Alas! I am undone!
____2. He called upon heaven to witness his resolve never to steal again.
____3. “Are you coming home with me?” he asked.
____4. He said, “How’s your father?”
____5. He asked his father when the next letter would come.
____6. He observed that he had never liked doing that.
____7. John said that he wanted to be a soldier.
____8. “The sun rises in the East,” he said.
IV. Evaluation
Change the statements to Direct or Indirect Speech.
1. “Johnny ate my ice cream!” Crystal said.
____________________________________________
2. Mother says, “I’m cooking your favorite dish”
____________________________________________
3. Julie said that she was late.
____________________________________________
4. She says, “I don’t want to go to school.”
____________________________________________
5. Diana said that she couldn’t sleep the night before.
____________________________________________
6. The maid tells Mrs. Lee, “Sarah is asleep.”
____________________________________________
M.L.____
I.D. ____
V. Assignment
Create a short dialogue using direct and indirect speech.
VI. Enrichment/ Remediation
For slow learners you can review them by giving simple sentences on Direct and Indirect Speech.
VII. Reinforcement
For higher functioning students you can give them more advance exercises or let them write a short conversation using Direct and Indirect Speech!
Practice Exercises/ Group Activity
Group Activity Sheets
Group Activity 1
Change these statements into indirect speech.
1. The Prince said, “It gives me great pleasure to be here this morning.”
2. He said, “I shall go as soon as it is possible.”
3. He said, “I do not wish to see any of you I go away.”
4. My teacher often says to me, “If you don’t work hard, you will fail.”
5. He said, “We are all sinners.”
6. He said, “Let us wait for the award.”
7. The lecturer said, “Alex won the respect of all races and classes by his justice.”
8. He said, “Daughter, take my golden jug.”
9. “Go down to the bazaar. Bring me some oil and a lump of ice,” ordered his master.
10. “Do you really come from China?” said the prince.
Group Activity 2
Change these statements into direct speech.
1. He asked me what I was doing.
2. The stranger inquires where I lived.
3. The policeman inquired when we were going.
4. Ram ordered Arthur to go away.
5. He says he is glad to be here this evening.
6. I said I didn’t believe you.
7. He requested him to wait there till he returned.
8. He said that his master was writing letters.
9. The guard ordered the boy not to throw rubbish there
10. Bob asked why Rita complained so much.
Group Activity 3
Create five direct statements and five indirect statements.
For more readings
- Expressing PREFERENCES: English Lesson
- Comparing Things with “AS” / English Grammar
- Comparative Adjectives – English Grammar Lesson
- Adjectives in English Grammar – Position in a Sentence
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