Direct and indirect speech

Front

What is direct speech?

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Direct speech is when we quote the exact words spoken by someone, usually enclosed in quotation marks.

Front

What is indirect speech?

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Indirect speech is when we report what someone has said without quoting their exact words.

Front

How do you convert direct speech to indirect speech?

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Change the pronouns and verb tenses appropriately, and remove quotation marks.

Front

What is the rule for changing present tense to past tense in indirect speech?

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When converting to indirect speech, present tense verbs usually change to past tense.

Front

Convert this to indirect speech: 'She said, "I am happy."'

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She said that she was happy.

Front

What happens to the question format in indirect speech?

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In indirect speech, questions are usually changed to statements and the question format is removed.

Front

Convert this to indirect speech: 'He asked, "Are you coming?"'

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He asked if I was coming.

Front

What is the rule for changing 'today' in indirect speech?

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'Today' changes to 'that day' in indirect speech.

Front

Convert this to indirect speech: 'They said, "We will play tomorrow."'

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They said that they would play the next day.

Front

What is the difference between 'said' and 'told' in reported speech?

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'Said' is used without an object, while 'told' is used with an object.