JASMA

Direct vs. Indirect Speech (Fast, Student-Friendly Definitions)

Direct speech

Direct speech repeats someone’s exact words and uses quotation marks.

• Direct: Maya said, “I’m leaving now.”
• Direct: “Did you finish the project?” Mr. Lee asked.

Indirect speech (reported speech)

Indirect speech reports the idea of what someone saidusually without quotation marksand often requires small grammar changes.

• Indirect: Maya said that she was leaving then.
• Indirect: Mr. Lee asked whether I had finished the project.

Teaching tip: tell students indirect speech is like switching from “playing the audio” to “writing a summary.”
Same meaning, new packaging.

Step 1: Hook the Why (and the Real-World Uses)

Students learn reported speech faster when they understand why it matters. So start with a short, relatable truth:
we report other people’s words all day.

Mini-hook ideas (pick one)

• “Screenshots vs. recap”: A screenshot is direct speech. A recap text is indirect speech.
• “Teacher-to-parent translation”: “He said, ‘I forgot’” vs. “He said that he forgot.”
• “Sports commentator voice”: “She said, ‘We’re ready’” vs. “She said they were ready.”

Quick warm-up (3 minutes)

1. Put two sentences on the board: one direct, one indirect.
2. Ask: “Which one sounds like a quote? Which one sounds like a report?”
3. Have students identify what stays the same (meaning) and what changes (form).

Keep it light: “Direct speech is the karaoke version. Indirect speech is the documentary narrator version.
Both are valid. One just has less glitter.”

Step 2: Lock in Direct Speech Basics (Quotes + Tags)

Before students can convert direct speech, they need to recognize it and punctuate it correctly.
That’s especially true if you’re teaching writing (dialogue) and grammar at the same time.

Teach the core parts

• Quoted words (inside quotation marks)
• Reporting clause/tag (he said, she asked, they shouted)

Model three common patterns

• Tag first: Jordan said, “I need help.”
• Tag last: “I need help,” Jordan said.
• Tag in the middle: “I need,” Jordan said, “a snack and a nap.”

American English punctuation reminder

In standard American English, commas and periods typically go inside quotation marks. Question marks and exclamation points
depend on meaning (if they belong to the quoted words, they stay inside).

Fast practice: “Fix the Quote”

Give students 5–7 incorrectly punctuated dialogue lines. They correct them in pairs, then explain the pattern they used.
Keep one “tricky” example so the class can debate it like a jury (but friendlier).

Step 3: Build Indirect Speech Foundations (No Quotes, Noun Clauses)

Now introduce the big shift: indirect speech usually drops quotation marks and often uses a noun clause.
Students don’t need the term “noun clause” to do the workbut it helps teachers explain the structure.

Teach the basic frame

Reporting verb + (optional that) + reported clause

• “I’m tired,” she said. → She said (that) she was tired.
• “We can win,” they said. → They said (that) they could win.

Teach “that” as a choice

Tell students: in many sentences, that is optional. Leaving it in often improves clarity (especially for developing writers).
Leaving it out is common in conversation.

Meaning check (your best friend)

Students will make fewer errors if you build a habit: after converting, they ask,
“Did the meaning stay the same?” If not, the grammar “looks right” but the message is wrong.

Step 4: Teach the “Shift Toolkit” (Pronouns, Time, Place, Reporting Verbs)

This is the step that makes students feel like they’ve discovered a cheat code (because they kind of have).
Converting to indirect speech is mostly about perspective: who is speaking, when, and where?

A. Reporting verbs (give students options)

Start with said, told, asked. Then expand with verbs that match the intent:
explained, admitted, promised, warned, recommended, suggested.

B. Pronoun shifts (perspective swap)

• “I am ready,” Ana said. → Ana said she was ready.
• “Can you help me?” he asked. → He asked if I could help him.
• “We will go,” they said. → They said they would go.

C. Time and place shifts (context matters)

Give students a small “swap list.” Emphasize that these changes depend on when and where the reporting happens.

• now → then
• today → that day
• tomorrow → the next day / the following day
• yesterday → the previous day / the day before
• here → there
• this → that

Classroom move: “What changed?”

After every conversion example, ask students to name exactly what changed:
reporting verb, pronoun, time word, place word, verb tense. This builds error awareness without shame.

Step 5: Add Tense BackshiftCarefully and on Purpose

Backshift is where many students panic (and where many teachers accidentally teach a rule like it’s a law of physics).
Teach it as a pattern that applies in common situationsespecially when the reporting verb is in the past.

Backshift “starter set” (the most useful changes)

When NOT to backshift (teach this early)

• Reporting verb is present/future: He says he is busy. / She will say she is busy.
• Universal truths or still-true facts: He said that water boils at 212°F (at sea level).
• Clarity and relevance: Sometimes writers keep tense to avoid confusion when the quote still feels current.

Teacher-friendly explanation

Backshift often signals “time has passed” between the original speech and the report. If the report is happening later and the reporting verb is past
(said, told, asked), students usually shift the tense back one step.

Practice routine: “Past or present?”

Before students change any tense, have them underline the reporting verb (said/says/will say). That single underline prevents a shocking
number of tense mistakes.

Step 6: Teach Reported Questions (Statement Word Order)

Reported questions are a common stumbling block because students try to keep question word order.
The key message: reported questions use statement word order.

A. Yes/No questions: use if or whether

• “Are you ready?” → She asked if I was ready.
• “Will you be there?” → He asked whether I would be there.

B. Information (WH-) questions: keep the question word

• “Where do they live?” → Abdul wanted to know where they lived.
• “Why did you say that?” → Pedro asked me why I had said that.

C. Punctuation reality check

If the overall sentence is a statement, it ends with a periodeven if it contains a reported question:
She asked me what I thought of the book.

Mini-lesson trick: “Question → Clause”

Have students rewrite the question as a plain statement first (even if it’s awkward), then plug it into the report:

1. Question: “Are you ready?”
2. Statement form: “You are ready.”
3. Reported: “She asked if I was ready.”

Step 7: Teach Commands, Requests, and Suggestions (Infinitives + Patterns)

This step makes reported speech feel useful (because it is). Students can report what people told them to do,
asked them to do, or recommended they dowithout sounding like a robot reading a transcript.

A. Commands: two common patterns

• Noun clause + should: “Call me.” → Mom said we should call her.
• Infinitive: “Call me.” → Mom told me to call her.

B. Requests for action or permission

• “Will you carry the box for me?” → She asked if I would carry the box for her.
• “Will you carry the box for me?” → She asked me to carry the box for her.
• “Can I make an appointment?” → Durand asked if he could make an appointment.

C. Recommend and suggest (advanced but powerful)

When students are ready, teach a clean pattern:
recommend/suggest that + base verb.

• “You should arrive early.” → Alex recommended that we arrive early.
• “Don’t wait to apply.” → Hai recommended that I not wait to apply.

Practice idea: “Match the intent”

Give students 10 direct-speech lines (command/request/suggestion). They choose the best reporting verb (told/asked/recommended/suggested/warned)
and write the indirect version. The “choose the verb” step boosts meaning, not just mechanics.

Step 8: Practice with Fun, Low-Stakes Routines

Practice is where reported speech becomes automatic. The secret is variety:
students need both controlled practice (to learn the pattern) and authentic practice (to use it with meaning).

Five classroom activities that actually work

1. Quote Sort: Give strips with direct speech and indirect speech. Students sort them, then explain the clues
   (quotation marks, reporting verbs, pronouns, tense).
2. “Mini Reporter” Interviews: In pairs, Student A interviews Student B (3 questions). Student A writes a short “report”
   using indirect speech: “Jordan said that… Jordan explained that… Jordan admitted that…”
3. Telephone, But Make It Academic: One student reads a short direct quote quietly to another student, who reports it to the next person
   in indirect speech. The last student shares what they heard. Debrief: what changed and why?
4. Error Hunt: Show 6–8 indirect speech sentences with common mistakes (wrong pronoun, wrong tense, wrong word order in questions).
   Students correct and label the error type.
5. Text Message Translation: Students convert informal direct quotes into “news report” indirect speech and back again.
   It’s code-switching practice, not punishment.

Differentiation (so everyone can succeed)

• For emerging learners: Provide a conversion chart, sentence frames (“He said that…,” “She asked if…”), and a short word bank.
• For on-level learners: Mix statements + questions + commands in one task.
• For advanced learners: Add reporting verbs that signal tone (complained, insisted, promised) and ask them to justify the verb choice.

Keep the mood supportive. Reported speech can feel like jugglingso let students drop a ball or two while they learn.
Just make sure they pick it up and name which ball it was.

Step 9: Assess + Transfer to Writing (So It Sticks)

A good assessment for direct and indirect speech checks both accuracy and communication.
In other words: “Is it correct?” and “Does it still mean what it meant?”

Fast formative checks

• Exit ticket: Convert 2 sentences: one statement, one question.
• Two-minute conference: Ask a student to explain one change they made (pronoun, tense, time word).
• Mini-quiz: Multiple choice for structure + one short conversion for application.

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

• Mistake: Keeping question word order.
  Fix: “Reported questions use statement order.”
• Mistake: Pronoun confusion (“He said I…” when it should be “he said he…”).
  Fix: Point to the speaker and the reporter. Who is “I” now?
• Mistake: Random tense shifts.
  Fix: Underline reporting verb first; then decide on backshift.
• Mistake: Time/place words left unchanged.
  Fix: Ask, “Is this happening in the same time/place?” If not, swap words.

Transfer task (best for writing classes)

Have students write a short scene with 6 lines of direct dialogue. Then they write a “summary paragraph” of the same scene in indirect speech.
They compare: Which version feels faster? Which feels more vivid? When would you choose each?

Student checklist (printable-style)

• I used quotation marks for direct speech and removed them for indirect speech.
• I chose a reporting verb that matches the meaning (said/asked/told/recommended).
• I adjusted pronouns to match the reporter’s point of view.
• I checked time/place words (now/today/here/this).
• I checked tense backshift only when it made sense.
• I reread to confirm the meaning stayed the same.

Conclusion

Teaching direct and indirect speech doesn’t have to be a grammar marathon. When you teach it in stepsstarting with meaning, building the
shift toolkit, and practicing with real languagestudents stop treating it like a “gotcha rule” and start using it as a communication skill.

And if they still mix up today and that day once in a while? Congratulations: they’re human and learning.
(Also, you just found your next 3-minute warm-up.)

Classroom Experiences: What Usually Works (and What Usually Backfires)

In real classrooms, direct and indirect speech tends to follow a predictable emotional storyline: confidence, confusion, bargaining, and finally,
the “Ohhhhhh” moment. The best lessons lean into that journey instead of fighting it.

One common experience: students do great with statementsthen questions enter the chat like an uninvited group project partner.
You’ll see conversions like, “She asked me what did I do,” because their brains are clinging to the question format.
The fix that consistently helps is the “Question → Clause” routine: rewrite the question as a statement first. It’s simple, repeatable, and it
gives students something to do with their hands (underline, reorder, then report) instead of guessing.

Another classic moment happens with pronouns. A student reads, “I am tired,” and writes, “He said I was tired,” because they’re translating words,
not perspective. What works well is turning perspective into something visible: point to the original speaker, then point to the reporter.
Ask, “Who is I now?” Once students feel that shift physically, the grammar shift follows. Even better: have them label roles on the page:
Speaker vs. Reporter. Suddenly, pronouns stop being mysterious and start being logical.

Tense backshift is where teachers sometimes overcorrect. If students hear “Always shift the tense,” they’ll backshift universal truths and present
realities until the sentences sound like history documentaries: “He said water boiled at 212°F.” That’s when students start thinking English
is trolling them (and honestly, English does have its moments). What works is teaching backshift as a decision:
“If the reporting verb is in the past, you often shiftunless it’s still true or you’re keeping it current for clarity.”
Students can handle that nuance when it’s phrased as a choice with reasons.

The practice activities that consistently land best are the ones with a real purpose: interviews, mini news reports, “who said what” mysteries,
and short story summaries. When students report a classmate’s answer“Jaden said that…”they’re not just doing grammar; they’re communicating.
And because they care about getting the message right, they self-correct more naturally. That’s the quiet magic: meaning creates motivation.

On the flip side, the approaches that backfire tend to be long conversion worksheets with zero context. Students can complete them, but they
don’t internalize the skill. A better experience is short, daily practice: two conversions as a warm-up, a quick “error hunt” once a week, and
a writing transfer task once students are stable. It’s the language version of going to the gym: five minutes consistently beats one massive
weekend workout that makes you sore and resentful.

Finally, here’s the most reassuring classroom truth: students don’t need perfection to succeed. They need a reliable process.
If they can say, “Reporting verb first, then pronouns, then time/place, then tense,” you’ve given them a repeatable strategy they can use
in speaking, writing, and test situations. That’s the winand it’s a bigger win than any single perfectly converted sentence.

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