Checkpoint 8 · Grammar in Use

Direct and Reported Speech

How to punctuate direct speech, how to change it into reported speech (tenses, pronouns, time words, questions and commands), useful reporting verbs, and why writers use each, with practice and answers.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 8 › Checkpoint 8 English (Cambridge Lower Secondary 0861)

1. Direct speech and reported speech

Direct speech gives the exact words in inverted commas: Laila said, "I am tired." Reported speech (also called indirect speech) tells us what was said without the exact words: Laila said (that) she was tired.

Key words

Reporting verb: the verb that introduces speech (said, told, asked, explained).
Inverted commas / speech marks: " " around the exact words spoken.
Backshift: moving the tense one step back in reported speech.

2. Punctuating direct speech

Put the exact words inside inverted commas: "We need more chairs," said the caretaker.
Start the spoken words with a capital letter: She shouted, "Run!"
Put the comma, full stop, question mark or exclamation mark inside the closing inverted commas: "Is it ready?" he asked.
If the speech comes first and the sentence continues, end the speech with a comma, not a full stop: "I'm coming," she said.
If the reporting clause interrupts one sentence, continue with a small letter: "If you hurry," said Dad, "you might catch it."
Start a new line for each new speaker.

3. From direct to reported: four steps

Four steps: remove the inverted commas → change the pronouns → move the tense one step back (backshift) if the reporting verb is past → change time and place words.

Direct speech	Reported speech
present simple: "I live in Giza."	past simple: he said he lived in Giza
present continuous: "I am waiting."	past continuous: she said she was waiting
present perfect: "I have finished."	past perfect: he said he had finished
past simple: "I saw the film."	past perfect: she said she had seen the film
will: "I will call."	would: he said he would call
can: "I can swim."	could: she said she could swim
may: "It may rain."	might: he said it might rain
must: "I must go."	had to: she said she had to go

Time / place words: direct	Reported
now	then
today / tonight	that day / that night
yesterday	the day before / the previous day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
last week / next week	the previous week / the following week
ago	before
here / this / these	there / that / those

Pronouns change to fit the new speaker: Mona said, "I lost my keys." → Mona said that she had lost her keys.

4. Statements, questions, commands and requests

say / tell: say has no person after it (She said that...), tell needs one (She told me that...).
Yes/no questions: use if or whether + statement word order: "Are you ready?" → He asked if I was ready.
Wh- questions: keep the question word, use statement order: "Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived.
Commands: told + person + (not) to + V1: "Don't touch it!" → He told us not to touch it.
Requests and advice: asked / advised + person + to + V1: "Please wait." → She asked me to wait.
No backshift for facts that are still true or general truths: The teacher said that light travels faster than sound.
No backshift when the reporting verb is in the present: "I'm tired." → She says she is tired.

5. Reporting verbs that show attitude

Instead of said every time, choose a verb that shows how or why something was said. This improves your vocabulary mark and tells the reader more.

Word / phrase	Meaning / use
explained	gave a reason: He explained that the bus had broken down.
admitted	agreed something bad was true: She admitted that she had forgotten.
warned	told of danger: The guide warned us not to go near the edge.
promised	said they would definitely do it: He promised to call.
suggested	offered an idea: She suggested meeting at the library.
insisted	said firmly: He insisted that he was right.
complained	said they were unhappy: Residents complained that the road was dangerous.
denied	said it was not true: The player denied breaking the window.
claimed	said something that may not be true: The company claimed that the product was safe.
replied	answered: She replied that she would think about it.

6. Common mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
He said me that he was late.	He told me that he was late.	say takes no person. Use tell + person.
She asked where was the station.	She asked where the station was.	Reported questions use statement word order.
He asked did I want tea.	He asked if I wanted tea.	Yes/no questions use if / whether, not did.
The teacher told to sit down.	The teacher told us to sit down.	told needs a person.
She said that she will come tomorrow.	She said that she would come the next day.	Backshift will → would and change the time word.
He said, "I am hungry".	He said, "I am hungry."	Punctuation goes inside the inverted commas.

7. How Checkpoint asks about speech

In reading, you may be asked why a writer uses direct speech, or why a news report includes quotations. Useful answers:

Direct speech makes a moment vivid and lets us hear the speaker's own voice, which shows their personality, feelings or accent.
In news reports, quotations from witnesses or experts make the report more believable and reliable, and bring a human reaction to the facts.
Reported speech summarises what someone said quickly, keeps the focus on events and avoids long dialogue.
A writer may mix both: reported speech for less important talk and direct speech for the key moment.

Exam-style example. Firefighters reached the building within minutes. "I've never seen smoke like it," said one neighbour. "We just grabbed the children and ran."

Question: Why has the writer included the neighbour's words in direct speech? Answer: To make the report more real and believable with an eyewitness account, and to show the fear and urgency of the moment in the neighbour's own words.

In your writing, use direct speech in stories to show character (keep it short and punctuate it correctly), and use one or two quotations plus reported speech in news reports and recounts: The head teacher said that the event had been a great success. "I am so proud of our students," she added.

تحويل الكلام لـ reported speech

شيل علامات التنصيص، وغيّر الضمير، ورجّع الزمن خطوة لورا: am → was، will → would، have done → had done.
said من غير شخص بعدها، لكن told لازم بعدها شخص: told me.
في السؤال: asked if أو asked where + ترتيب جملة عادية (where the station was) مش ترتيب سؤال.

8. Practice

Report: "I am leaving tomorrow," said Sami.
Show answer
Sami said (that) he was leaving the next day.
Report: "Have you finished your project?" the teacher asked me.
Show answer
The teacher asked me if/whether I had finished my project.
Report: "Don't run in the corridor!" the guard told the boys.
Show answer
The guard told the boys not to run in the corridor.
Report: "Where did you buy that bag?" asked Mona.
Show answer
Mona asked where I had bought that bag.
Report: "We can't open the museum today," the manager said.
Show answer
The manager said (that) they couldn't open the museum that day.
Report: "Please close the window," my mother said to me.
Show answer
My mother asked me to close the window.
Change to direct speech: Youssef told his sister that he would help her with her homework.
Show answer
"I will help you with your homework," Youssef told his sister.
Correct the punctuation: "where are you going" asked Dad.
Show answer
"Where are you going?" asked Dad.
Choose a better reporting verb than said: The doctor said that we should not swim after eating.
Show answer
The doctor advised us not to swim after eating. (warned also works.)
Why does a news report about a school prize include the words: "I couldn't believe it when they called my name!" said 13-year-old Malak.?
Show answer
The quotation gives the winner's real reaction in her own words, which makes the report more personal and believable and shows her surprise and excitement.

Remember

Direct = exact words in inverted commas, punctuation inside. Reported = no inverted commas, pronouns change, tense one step back, time words change. say something, tell someone.

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