Checkpoint 6 · Grammar in Use

Direct and Reported Speech

How to punctuate direct speech, the four steps to change it into reported speech, reporting questions and commands, and when to use each one in your writing.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 › Checkpoint 6 English (Cambridge Primary 0058)

1. Two ways to tell what someone said

Direct speech gives the speaker's exact words inside inverted commas. Reported speech (also called indirect speech) tells us what someone said without their exact words and without inverted commas. Reported speech is very useful in news reports, recounts and stories.

Direct: Hana said, “I am tired.”
Reported: Hana said (that) she was tired.

2. Punctuating direct speech

Put the spoken words inside inverted commas: “ ”.
Start the speech with a capital letter.
Put the comma, full stop, question mark or exclamation mark inside the closing inverted commas.
If the speaker comes first, put a comma before the opening inverted commas.
Start a new line every time a new person speaks.

Pattern	Example
Speaker first	Omar said, “The bus is late.”
Speech first	“The bus is late,” said Omar.
Question	“Where is the bus?” asked Omar.
Exclamation	“Look out!” shouted Omar.
Speech split in two	“The bus is late,” said Omar, “so we will walk.”

Small but important

After the closing inverted commas, the next word is usually small: “Help!” she cried. ✓ not “Help!” She cried. ✗ (unless it is a name: “Help!” Mona cried.)

3. Four steps to change direct speech into reported speech

Remove the inverted commas. You can add that (it is optional).
Change the pronouns to fit who is speaking: I → he/she, we → they, my → his/her, our → their.
Move the tense one step back if the reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked).
Change time and place words if needed.

Direct speech	Reported speech
present simple: “I play chess.”	past simple: He said he played chess.
present progressive: “I am reading.”	past progressive: She said she was reading.
present perfect: “I have finished.”	past perfect: He said he had finished.
past simple: “I saw a fox.”	past perfect: She said she had seen a fox.
will: “I will help.”	would: He said he would help.
can: “I can swim.”	could: She said she could swim.
must: “I must go.”	had to: He said he had to go.

Direct	Reported
today	that day
tonight	that night
yesterday	the day before / the previous day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
now	then
here	there
this / these	that / those

Worked example

“I will finish this drawing tomorrow,” said Malak. → remove the inverted commas → I becomes she → will becomes would → this becomes that, tomorrow becomes the next day: Malak said (that) she would finish that drawing the next day.

4. Reporting questions and commands

Yes/no question: “Are you ready?” he asked. → He asked if (whether) I was ready.
Wh- question: “Where do you live?” she asked. → She asked where I lived. (no question mark, normal word order)
Command: “Sit down,” the teacher said. → The teacher told us to sit down.
Negative command: “Don't run!” Mum said. → Mum told us not to run.

Said or told?

told needs a person after it: She told me that... ✓. said does not: She said that... ✓. So She said me... ✗ and She told that... ✗.

No backshift needed

If the reporting verb is in the present (says, tells), the tense does not change: Ali says, “I am hungry.” → Ali says he is hungry. The tense also usually stays the same for facts that are always true: She said the Nile flows north.

5. Use different reporting verbs

Instead of said every time, choose a verb that shows how something was said. This also helps your Vocabulary and language mark.

Verb	Shows that the speaker...
whispered / muttered	spoke quietly
shouted / yelled / screamed	spoke very loudly, maybe in fear or anger
explained	made something clear
replied / answered	was answering a question
admitted	said something true but difficult
promised	said they would definitely do something
warned	told someone about a danger
suggested	gave an idea
insisted	would not change their mind
complained	was unhappy about something
announced	told many people some news

6. Common mistakes

Watch out for these

Keeping the inverted commas: He said that “he was tired.” ✗ → He said that he was tired. ✓
Forgetting the pronoun: Sara said that I was hungry ✗ (when Sara meant herself) → Sara said that she was hungry ✓
Question word order: She asked where did I live? ✗ → She asked where I lived. ✓
He told that he was late ✗ → He said that he was late / He told me that he was late ✓
Punctuation outside: “Stop”, she said ✗ → “Stop,” she said ✓

7. How Checkpoint asks about it

Reading questions in this style

Why does the writer use direct speech here? → to show the character's feelings or personality, to make the scene lively and real, or to move the story on through dialogue.
In a news report: Why does the writer include the words of a witness? → to make the report believable and give a real person's view.
What does the verb “whispered” tell you about the character? → they were scared, secretive or did not want to be heard.
Questions on punctuation can ask why inverted commas are used: they show the exact words someone spoke.

In your writing: in stories, a few lines of well-punctuated dialogue bring characters to life, but too much speech slows the story. In news reports, mix one direct quote from a witness with reported speech:

“I heard a loud crash and ran outside,” said shop owner Karim Fathy. (direct)
Police said that nobody had been hurt. (reported)

نصيحة سريعة

في الكلام المنقول: شيل علامات التنصيص، غيّر الضمائر، ارجع بالزمن خطوة لورا، وغيّر كلمات الزمان والمكان.
told لازم بعدها شخص (told me / told us)، لكن said لأ.
السؤال المنقول بيبقى زي الجملة العادية: من غير علامة استفهام ومن غير do/did.

8. Practice

Report it: “I am going to the market,” said Mum.
Show answer
Mum said (that) she was going to the market.
Report it: “We have finished the project,” the boys said.
Show answer
The boys said (that) they had finished the project.
Report it: “Will you help me tomorrow?” Ali asked his brother.
Show answer
Ali asked his brother if (whether) he would help him the next day.
Report it: “Don't touch the oven!” Grandma told us.
Show answer
Grandma told us not to touch the oven.
Change to direct speech: The coach said that the match had been cancelled.
Show answer
The coach said, “The match has been cancelled.”
Add the missing punctuation: where are my keys asked Dad
Show answer
“Where are my keys?” asked Dad.
Report it: “What time does the film start?” Nada asked.
Show answer
Nada asked what time the film started.
Report it: “I can't find my homework,” said Youssef.
Show answer
Youssef said (that) he couldn't find his homework.
Correct the mistake: The teacher said us to open our books.
Show answer
The teacher told us to open our books.
Choose a better reporting verb for a frightened character: “Is someone there?” she ______.
Show answer
whispered (or stammered), which shows she is scared and speaking quietly.

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Grammar and Punctuation

Grammar in Use

Reading Skills

Writing: Non-fiction

Writing: Fiction