Direct and Indirect Speech (Grade 10 NSC Matric English FAL): Revision Notes
Direct and Indirect Speech
When we want to tell someone what another person said, we can use two different methods: direct speech or indirect speech. Understanding how to convert between these two forms is an essential skill for writing and comprehension.
What is direct speech?
Direct speech shows the precise words that a person actually said. When you use direct speech, you are quoting someone word-for-word.
Key features of direct speech:
- Uses quotation marks (" ") around the spoken words
- Shows the exact words without any changes
- Includes all punctuation marks (commas, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks) inside the quotation marks
- The verb (like "said" or "asked") comes before or after the quotation marks
Example: Nosipho said, "My family will be going to a soccer match next Saturday."
In this example, we know exactly what Nosipho said because her precise words appear in quotation marks.
Direct speech is like pressing the "record" button on someone's words. You capture everything exactly as they said it, including their tone (shown through punctuation) and their exact choice of words. This is why quotation marks are essential—they tell the reader "these are the actual words that were spoken."
What is indirect (reported) speech?
Indirect speech (also called reported speech) tells what a person said using different words. You are reporting the message without quoting the exact words.
Key features of indirect speech:
- Does not use quotation marks
- Changes the original words while keeping the same meaning
- The verb tenses shift backwards in time (this is called backshifting)
- Often uses the word 'that' to connect the reporting verb to what was said
- Pronouns, time words, and place words change to match the reporter's perspective
Example: Nosipho said that her family would be going to a soccer match the following Saturday.
Notice how the meaning stays the same, but the way we express it changes significantly.
Think of indirect speech as being like a news reporter. Instead of playing a recording of what someone said, the reporter paraphrases the message in their own words while maintaining the original meaning. The focus shifts from the exact words to the content of the message.
Converting direct speech to indirect speech
When you change direct speech into indirect speech, you need to make several important adjustments. Let's look at each type of change carefully.
Removing quotation marks
The first and most obvious change is that you remove all quotation marks. The reported words become part of your sentence.
Example:
- Direct: Sipho asked, "Are you coming to the party?"
- Indirect: Sipho asked whether I was coming to the party.
Notice that questions in indirect speech use words like 'whether' or 'if' instead of keeping the question format.
Verb tense changes (backshifting)
Backshifting means moving the verb tense one step back in time. This happens because you are reporting something that was said in the past.
Here is a complete guide to tense changes:
| Direct Speech Tense | Indirect Speech Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| is/am → was | Present simple → Past simple | "I am sick." → He said (that) he was sick. |
| are → were | Present simple → Past simple | "They are happy." → She said (that) they were happy. |
| will → would | Future simple → Conditional | "She will help." → He said (that) she would help. |
| can → could | Present modal → Past modal | "I can swim." → She said (that) she could swim. |
| must → had to | Present modal → Past obligation | "You must study." → He said (that) I had to study. |
| have/has → had | Present perfect → Past perfect | "I have finished." → She said (that) she had finished. |
Remember: The tense moves backwards because you are now speaking about something that happened in the past. This is called backshifting—imagine taking one step backward in time with each verb. This is the most common area where students make mistakes, so always double-check that you've changed every verb in the sentence.
Pronoun changes
Pronouns are words like I, you, we, they, my, his, her. These need to change to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech.
Common pronoun changes:
- I → he/she (depending on who was speaking)
- we → they
- us → them
- my → his/her
Example: "I love my school." → She said that she loved her school.
The pronoun changes from 'I' to 'she' because we are now talking about what the speaker said, not speaking as the original person.
Think of pronoun changes like switching camera perspectives in a movie. In direct speech, we're seeing through the speaker's eyes (using 'I' and 'my'). In indirect speech, we're watching the speaker from outside (using 'he/she' and 'his/her'). The viewpoint shifts from first-person to third-person.
Time and place changes
Words that refer to time and place must adjust to the reporter's perspective. This is because you are reporting something that happened at a different time.
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| now | then | "I am happy now." → He said he was happy then. |
| today | that day | "We will meet today." → She said they would meet that day. |
| tomorrow | the next day | "I'll see you tomorrow." → He said he would see me the next day. |
| yesterday | the previous day | "I saw her yesterday." → He said he had seen her the previous day. |
| last week | the week before | "We visited last week." → She said they had visited the week before. |
Why do these change? When you report speech later, 'today' becomes 'that day' because it is no longer the same day. Similarly, 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day' because you are looking back at what was said.
Punctuation changes in reported speech
When converting to indirect speech, certain punctuation marks are removed:
- No exclamation marks (unless you are quoting someone directly within the report)
- No question marks (questions become statements using 'whether' or 'if')
- No commas inside quotation marks (because there are no quotation marks)
Example:
- Direct: "We've won the competition!" they shouted.
- Indirect: They shouted that they had won the competition.
The exclamation mark disappears because you are reporting the excitement through the verb 'shouted' rather than through punctuation.
Step-by-step conversion process
Follow these steps when converting direct speech to indirect speech:
- Remove the quotation marks
- Add the word 'that' after the reporting verb (said, told, asked)
- Change the verb tense (backshift to the past)
- Change pronouns to match the new perspective
- Adjust time and place words to reflect when you are reporting
- Remove exclamation marks and question marks
Memory tip: Use the acronym "RATCHP" to remember the conversion steps:
- Remove quotation marks
- Add 'that'
- Tense backshift
- Change pronouns
- Handle time/place words
- Punctuation changes
Worked examples
Let's practise converting direct speech to indirect speech with detailed explanations.
Worked Example 1:
Direct Speech: "I can't give my baby a good life here," the young lady said.
Reported Speech: The young lady said that she couldn't give her baby a good life there.
Changes made:
- Removed quotation marks
- Added 'that' after 'said'
- Changed 'can't' to 'couldn't' (backshifting)
- Changed 'I' to 'she' (pronoun change)
- Changed 'my' to 'her' (pronoun change)
- Changed 'here' to 'there' (place change)
Worked Example 2:
Direct Speech: Graça Machel said, "It is something you give a young girl that can never be taken away."
Reported Speech: Graça Machel said that it was something you gave a young girl that could never be taken away.
Changes made:
- Removed quotation marks
- Added 'that' after 'said'
- Changed 'is' to 'was' (backshifting)
- Changed 'give' to 'gave' (backshifting)
- Changed 'can' to 'could' (backshifting)
Worked Example 3:
Direct Speech: He wanted to say, "I will never forget you or your parents."
Reported Speech: He wanted to say that he would never forget him or his parents.
Changes made:
- Removed quotation marks
- Added 'that' after 'wanted to say'
- Changed 'will' to 'would' (backshifting)
- Changed 'I' to 'he' (pronoun change)
- Changed 'you' to 'him' (pronoun change)
- Changed 'your' to 'his' (pronoun change)
Worked Example 4:
Direct Speech: Yesterday Robert Phipps said, "Mary, your eyes are the windows to your soul."
Reported Speech: The previous day, Robert Phipps told Mary that her eyes were the windows to her soul.
Changes made:
- Removed quotation marks
- Changed 'Yesterday' to 'The previous day' (time change)
- Changed 'said' to 'told' (because he was speaking to Mary directly)
- Added 'that' after 'told Mary'
- Changed 'are' to 'were' (backshifting)
- Changed 'your' to 'her' (pronoun change—twice)
Exam tips
Critical exam strategies:
- Always check your tense changes carefully. The most common mistake is forgetting to backshift all the verbs in the sentence.
- Don't forget to change ALL pronouns. Students often change 'I' to 'he/she' but forget to change 'my' to 'his/her'.
- Questions need special attention. Use 'whether' or 'if' when reporting questions, and remove the question mark.
- Time words are easy to forget. Make a mental note to check for words like 'now', 'today', 'tomorrow', and 'yesterday'.
- The word 'that' is your friend. While sometimes optional, using 'that' after reporting verbs helps make your indirect speech clearer.
- Read your indirect speech aloud. It should sound natural and make sense as a complete sentence.
Key Points to Remember:
- Direct speech uses quotation marks and shows the exact words someone said.
- Indirect speech reports what someone said without quotation marks and requires several changes.
- Backshifting moves verb tenses one step back in time: present becomes past, past becomes past perfect.
- All pronouns must change to match the reporter's perspective (I → he/she, my → his/her, we → they).
- Time and place words shift to reflect the reporting moment (now → then, today → that day, here → there).
- Remove exclamation marks and question marks in reported speech; use words like 'whether' or 'if' for questions.