Direct and Indirect Speech (Grade 10 NSC Matric English HL): Revision Notes
Direct and Indirect Speech
What is direct and indirect speech?
When we write or report what people say, we can do this in two different ways: directly or indirectly. Understanding the difference between these two forms is essential for good writing and accurate communication.
Direct speech
Direct speech is when you write down the precise words that someone spoke, exactly as they said them. Think of it as quoting someone word-for-word. This form of speech has several key features:
- You must use quotation marks (inverted commas: " ") around the spoken words
- All punctuation marks (full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks) go inside the quotation marks
- The exact words remain unchanged
Example: Direct Speech
Nosipho said, "My family will be going to a soccer match next Saturday."
In this example, we can see exactly what Nosipho said because her words appear in quotation marks.
Indirect (reported) speech
Indirect speech, also called reported speech, is when you tell someone what another person said without using their exact words. You're reporting the message rather than quoting it directly. This form has several important characteristics:
- No quotation marks are used
- The verb tense shifts backwards in time (this is called backshifting)
- The word 'that' is often used to introduce what was said
- Pronouns, time expressions and place expressions change to fit the new context
Example: Indirect Speech
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 has changed significantly.
Key changes from direct to indirect speech
When you convert direct speech into indirect speech, you need to make several important changes. Let's look at each one carefully.
Removing quotation marks
The first and most obvious change is removing the quotation marks. In indirect speech, you're not quoting anyone directly, so you don't need inverted commas.
Example: Removing Quotation Marks
- Direct: Sipho asked, "Are you coming to the party?"
- Indirect: Sipho asked whether I was coming to the party.
Notice how the question becomes a statement about a question, and we use words like "whether" or "if" to introduce it.
Verb tense changes (backshifting)
Backshifting means moving the verb tense one step back into the past. This happens because you're reporting something that was said at an earlier time. Here are the main tense changes you need to know:
| Direct speech tense | Indirect speech tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| is/am → was | "I am sick." → He said (that) he was sick. | |
| are → were | "They are happy." → She said (that) they were happy. | |
| will → would | "She will help." → He said (that) she would help. | |
| can → could | "I can swim." → She said (that) she could swim. | |
| must → had to | "You must study." → He said (that) I had to study. | |
| have/has → had | "I have finished." → She said (that) she had finished. |
Exam Tip: Always check that you've shifted the tense back correctly. This is one of the most common errors students make when converting to indirect speech.
Other important changes
Converting to indirect speech involves more than just changing tenses. You also need to adjust pronouns and time/place expressions to match the new reporting context.
Pronoun changes
When reporting what someone else said, you often need to change the pronouns to show the new perspective. The speaker is no longer "I" but becomes "he" or "she":
- I → he/she
- we → they
- us → them
- my → his/her
Example: Pronoun Changes
Direct: "I love my school."
Indirect: She said that she loved her school.
The person who originally said "I" and "my" is now being talked about as "she" and "her" because we're reporting what they said from our perspective.
Time and place changes
Time and place expressions must be adjusted to reflect that the speech is being reported later, from a different time or place. Here are the key changes:
| 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. |
These changes are necessary because the time reference point has shifted. What was "tomorrow" when someone spoke becomes "the next day" when you report it later.
Punctuation in reported speech
Punctuation changes significantly when you move from direct to indirect speech. Understanding these rules will help you write reported speech correctly.
Key punctuation rules
Critical Punctuation Rules:
- No exclamation marks or question marks are used in reported speech (unless you're including a direct quote within the reported speech)
- No commas appear inside quotation marks because there are no quotation marks at all
Example: Punctuation Changes
- Direct: "We've won the competition!" they shouted.
- Indirect: They shouted that they had won the competition.
Notice how the exclamation mark disappears in the indirect version. The excitement is conveyed through the verb "shouted" rather than through punctuation.
Worked examples
Let's look at some complete examples to see how all these rules work together. Pay close attention to all the changes that occur.
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
- Changed "can't" to "couldn't" (verb 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
- Changed "is" to "was" (verb backshifting)
- Changed "give" to "gave" (verb backshifting)
- Changed "can" to "could" (verb 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
- Changed "will" to "would" (verb backshifting)
- 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 expression change)
- Changed "said" to "told" (reporting verb adjustment for when addressing someone directly)
- Changed "are" to "were" (verb backshifting)
Exam Tips:
- Always remove quotation marks in reported speech
- Remember to backshift the tense (move it one step back in time)
- Check pronoun changes carefully - make sure they match the new perspective
- Don't forget to change time and place expressions
- The word "that" often (but not always) introduces reported speech
- Remove exclamation marks and question marks
- When converting questions, use words like "whether," "if," or question words (who, what, when, where, why, how)
Key Points to Remember:
- Direct speech uses the exact words with quotation marks; indirect speech reports what was said without quotation marks
- Backshifting means moving verb tenses one step back in time (present → past, past → past perfect)
- Change pronouns to reflect the new perspective (I → he/she, we → they)
- Adjust time and place expressions (now → then, today → that day, here → there)
- Remove exclamation marks and question marks from reported speech