Review of Reported Speech (Command)
Subject : English Grammar
Class : Primary 5
Term : Second Term
Week : Week 1
Topic : Review of Reported Speech
Learning Objectives :By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to :
- Mention the rules guiding the reported speech
- Form command sentences
- Demonstrate the use of direct and indirect command in classes
Learning Activities
- Pupils, as a class watch a short video clip lesson on reported speech therefore decode and list the rules guiding direct and indirect speech
- Pupils in small group construct ten command sentences and share with class
- Pupils in small groups convert their constructed sentences from direct speech to indirect speech
- Pupils in pairs, stand at the centre of class, conversing to demonstrate the use of reported speech
Embedded Core Skills
- Communication and collaboration
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Digital Literacy
- Leadership and Personal development
Learning Resources
- Cell phone 📱
- Computer
- System projector 📽
- Web Resources
- Textbook with detailed information on Direct and Indirect speech
- Pen or pencil for each student
Content
What direct Speech ?
Direct speech is a way of reporting the exact words that someone has spoken in such a way that the person has said it. It involves using quotation marks to enclose the actual words that the person said, and it typically includes a reporting verb, such as “said,” to introduce the quote.
Direct Speech is the exact words of the speaker
For example:
“I’m going to the store,” said John.
In this example, “I’m going to the store” is the direct speech, and “said John” is the reporting verb that introduces the quote. The direct speech represents the exact words that John spoke, as reported by the person narrating the conversation.
What is indirect speech?
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is a way of conveying the content of a conversation or a statement without using the exact words that were spoken. Instead, it involves reporting or rephrasing the original words in a way that maintains the same meaning.
Indirect speech is also known as as reported speech
For example:
John said that he was going to the store.
In this example, “John said that he was going to the store” is the indirect speech, and “said” is the reporting verb. The indirect speech does not include the exact words that John spoke, but it conveys the same information.
Indirect speech is typically used to describe past events, and the verb tenses in the indirect speech may be changed to reflect this. For example, the present tense in the direct speech (“I’m going to the store”) might be changed to the past tense in the indirect speech (“he said that he was going to the store”).
The Rules Guiding The Conversion of Direct Speech To Indirect Speech
Here are some rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech:
- Reporting verb: The reporting verb (e.g., “say,” “tell,” “ask”) should be changed to the appropriate verb tense to reflect the time frame of the conversation. For example, if the conversation took place in the past, the reporting verb should be changed to the past tense (e.g., “said,” “told,” “asked”).
- Pronouns: The pronouns in the direct speech (e.g., “I,” “you,” “he,” “she”) may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the person narrating the conversation. For example, if the narrator is reporting on a conversation that they had with someone else, the pronoun “I” in the direct speech should be changed to “he” or “she” in the indirect speech.
- Tense: The verb tenses in the direct speech may need to be changed to reflect the time frame of the conversation. For example, if the direct speech includes present tense verbs (e.g., “I am going”), these verbs should be changed to the past tense (e.g., “he said he was going”) in the indirect speech.
- Modal verbs: Modal verbs (e.g., “can,” “could,” “may,” “might”) may need to be changed to reflect the time frame of the conversation. For example, if the direct speech includes the modal verb “can,” this should be changed to “could” in the indirect speech if the conversation took place in the past.
- Quotation marks: Quotation marks are not used in indirect speech. Instead, the reported words are integrated into the sentence using a conjunction such as “that” or “to.”
- Word order: The word order in the indirect speech may be changed to conform to the grammar of the sentence. For example, the direct speech “I am going to the store” might become “he said he was going to the store” in the indirect speech.
- Time expressions: Time expressions in the direct speech (e.g., “yesterday,” “last week”) may need to be adjusted to reflect the time frame of the conversation. For example, if the direct speech includes the time expression “yesterday,” this should be changed to “the day before” in the indirect speech if the conversation took place more than a day in the past.
Evaluation
- Which of the following is NOT a rule for converting direct speech to indirect speech?
a) The reporting verb should be changed to the past tense if the conversation took place in the past b) Quotation marks should be used to enclose the reported words c) The pronouns should be adjusted to reflect the perspective of the narrator d) The verb tenses should be changed to reflect the time frame of the conversation
- If the direct speech includes the present tense verb “I am going,” how should this be changed in the indirect speech?
a) “He said he was going” b) “He said he is going” c) “He says he is going” d) “He says he was going”
- Which of the following is an appropriate reporting verb to use in indirect speech?
a) Say b) Tell c) Ask d) All of the above
- If the direct speech includes the modal verb “can,” which of the following should it be changed to in the indirect speech if the conversation took place in the past?
a) Could b) May c) Might d) Can
- In indirect speech, which of the following is NOT used?
a) Quotation marks b) A conjunction such as “that” or “to” c) The exact words spoken d) The reporting verb
- Which of the following is NOT a reason for changing the word order in indirect speech?
a) To conform to the grammar of the sentence b) To reflect the perspective of the narrator c) To reflect the time frame of the conversation d) To emphasize certain words
- If the direct speech includes the time expression “yesterday,” how should this be changed in the indirect speech if the conversation took place more than a day in the past?
a) “Yesterday” b) “The day before” c) “Last week” d) “Two days ago”
- Which of the following is NOT a rule for converting direct speech to indirect speech?
a) Modal verbs may need to be changed to reflect the time frame of the conversation b) Pronouns may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the narrator c) Word order may be changed to conform to the grammar of the sentence d) Time expressions should always be left unchanged
- If the direct speech includes the pronoun “you,” which of the following should it be changed to in the indirect speech if the narrator is reporting on a conversation they had with someone else?
a) I b) He c) She d) They
- Which of the following is NOT a reporting verb that can be used in indirect speech?
a) Say b) Tell c) Ask d) Speak
Answers
- b) Quotation marks should be used to enclose the reported words
- a) “He said he was going”
- d) All of the above
- a) Could
- c) The exact words spoken
- d) To emphasize certain words
- b) “The day before”
- d) Time expressions should always be left unchanged
- b) He
- d) Speak
Fill the gap questions
- In indirect speech, the reporting verb should be changed to the _________ tense to reflect the time frame of the conversation.
- If the direct speech includes the pronoun “I,” it may need to be changed to _________ in the indirect speech to reflect the perspective of the narrator.
- The verb tenses in the direct speech may need to be changed to _________ the time frame of the conversation.
- Modal verbs such as “can” may need to be changed to _________ in the indirect speech if the conversation took place in the past.
- Quotation marks are not used in indirect speech. Instead, the reported words are integrated into the sentence using a conjunction such as _________.
- The word order in the indirect speech may be changed to _________ to the grammar of the sentence.
- Time expressions in the direct speech, such as “yesterday,” may need to be adjusted to _________ the time frame of the conversation.
- Pronouns, verb tenses, and modal verbs may all need to be changed in the indirect speech to _________ the time frame of the conversation.
- The indirect speech should not include the _________ words spoken in the conversation.
- Reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” and “ask” can all be used in indirect speech to _________ the words spoken in a conversation.
Answers
- The appropriate tense
- He or she
- Reflect
- Could
- “That” or “to”
- Conform
- Reflect
- Reflect
- Exact
- Introduce
Structure: Reported speech
Direct and indirect speech
There are two ways of reporting what someone has said: either as direct speech or indirect reported speech.
Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, while indirect speech reports what someone has said, but not in their exact words. In writing, direct speech is put in quotation marks (or inverted commas).
Example:
‘…You have measles,’ the doctor told the boy. In indirect speech, we change the present tense someone used in the original speech to the past tense. We do not use quotation marks.
Example:The doctor told the boy that he had measles.
Simple rules for indirect or reported speech
1 I, we, you, become he, she, they.
2 The present tense is changed into the past tense. Examples:
(a) can becomes could
(b) may becomes might
(c) shall becomes should
(d) are becomes were
(e) am/is becomes was
3 Words that mean nearness in time and place become words that mean distance.
(a) here becomes there
(b) now becomes then
(c) that becomes that
(d) that day becomes that day
(e) the following week becomes the following week
Direct speech Indirect speech
1 ‘My bag is heavy,’ the lady said. The lady said (that) her bag was heavy.
2 ‘I am very tired,’ the farmer said. The farmer said (that) he was very tired.
3 ‘I will come with you,’ Jaja said. Jaja said (that) he would come with me.
4 ‘You have not paid your fees,’ The principal reminded the boy (that) he the principal reminded the boy. had not paid his fees.
5 ‘I can drive,’ Mfon said. Mfon said (that) she could drive.
We change indirect speech to direct speech by simply making it the exact words of the speaker.
1 a) Jaja said that he was hungry. (indirect speech)
(b) ‘I am hungry,’ Jaja said. (direct speech)
2(a) Mfon said that she was listening to gospel music. (indirect speech)
(b) ‘I am listening to gospel music,’ Mfon said. (direct speech)
3 (a) He asked me if I could ride a bicycle. (indirect speech)
(b) ‘Can you ride a bicycle?’ he asked me. (direct speech)
4 (a) The electrician said that the switch was not working. (indirect speech)
(b) ‘The switch is not working,’ the electrician said. (direct speech)
5 (a) The man asked the boy how old he was. (indirect speech)
(b) ‘How old are you?’ the man asked the boy. (direct speech)
Evaluation:
- What are reported speech?
- Another name for reported speech is __________
- Write ten examples of reported speech
- You received a congratulatory message from your state governor recently because you have been awarded a scholarship for your secondary school education reply with an informal letter showing how grateful you are.
Lesson Presentation
Warm-up:
- Review the concept of direct speech, using examples to illustrate how it involves reporting the exact words that someone has spoken.
- Ask students to provide their own examples of direct speech.
Direct Instruction:
- Introduce the concept of indirect speech, explaining that it involves reporting or rephrasing the words that were spoken without using the exact words.
- Present the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech:
- The reporting verb should be changed to the appropriate verb tense to reflect the time frame of the conversation.
- Pronouns may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the narrator.
- Verb tenses may need to be changed to reflect the time frame of the conversation.
- Modal verbs may need to be changed to reflect the time frame of the conversation.
- Quotation marks are not used in indirect speech.
- The word order may be changed to conform to the grammar of the sentence.
- Time expressions may need to be adjusted to reflect the time frame of the conversation.
- Use examples to illustrate each of these rules.
- Guided Practice:
- Provide students with a handout containing examples of direct speech.
- Have them work in pairs to convert the direct speech to indirect speech, using the rules presented in the direct instruction.
- Have them compare their answers with their partner’s and then discuss any differences.
Independent Practice:
- Have students choose one of the examples from the handout and write a sentence using indirect speech.
- Have them exchange their sentences with a partner and then check each other’s work for accuracy.
Closure:
- Review the key points of the lesson, including the definition of indirect speech and the rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech.
- Ask students to provide their own examples of indirect speech.
- Ask for volunteers to share their examples with the class.
Assessment:
- Collect the English Grammar Textbook from the guided and independent practice activities and use them to assess the students’ understanding of the material.
- Use the class discussion during closure to informally assess the students’ comprehension of the lesson.
