Using Direct and indirect speech Structure English Language Primary 5 First Term Lesson Notes Week 6

Subject: English Language

Class: Primary 5

Term: First Term

Week: 6

Topic: Using Direct and Indirect Speech

Duration: 45 minutes

Learning Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define direct and indirect speech.
2. Identify and understand the structure of direct speech.
3. Rewrite sentences in indirect speech.
4. Apply the rules of changing direct to indirect speech correctly.

Teaching Materials:

• A whiteboard and markers.
• A list of sentences in direct speech.
• A list of sentences for conversion from direct to indirect speech.
• Visual aids (optional).

Teaching Method:

• Explanation and demonstration.
• Group and individual practice.

Content:

Direct speech is when you report someone’s exact words by using quotation marks.

Indirect speech is when you report what someone said without using their exact words, usually with a change in pronouns, tenses, and word order.

Direct speech is structured with the exact words spoken by a person, enclosed in quotation marks. It replicates the original words spoken and is often used when reporting someone’s speech or conversation directly. For example:

John said, “I will come to the party.”

In this sentence, “I will come to the party” is in direct speech, and it is presented within quotation marks to show that these are John’s exact words.

Evaluation

1. What is direct speech? a) Replicating the original words spoken b) Changing the words spoken c) Omitting the words spoken d) Ignoring the words spoken
2. How is direct speech usually presented? a) Without quotation marks b) In italics c) Within quotation marks d) In bold text
3. When is direct speech commonly used? a) When you want to change the words spoken b) When you want to omit the words spoken c) When you want to replicate the original words spoken d) When you want to ignore the words spoken
4. In the sentence, “She exclaimed, ‘What a surprise!'”, what is in direct speech? a) “She exclaimed” b) “What a surprise!” c) The entire sentence d) None of the above
5. What punctuation is used to enclose direct speech? a) Parentheses b) Commas c) Quotation marks d) Semicolons
6. In the sentence, “Tom said, ‘I’m going to the store,’ he stated,” what part is in direct speech? a) “Tom said” b) “he stated” c) “I’m going to the store” d) None of the above
7. Which of the following represents direct speech correctly? a) “She whispered,” she said. b) She said, “She whispered.” c) She whispered, “she said.” d) “She whispered,” “she said.”
8. What is the purpose of using direct speech? a) To change the words spoken b) To omit the words spoken c) To replicate the original words spoken d) To ignore the words spoken
9. How is direct speech different from indirect speech? a) Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks, while indirect speech is not. b) Direct speech uses different words from the original, while indirect speech replicates the original words. c) Direct speech changes the tense, while indirect speech keeps the tense the same. d) Direct speech omits the reporting verb, while indirect speech includes it.
10. In the sentence, “They said, ‘We will win the game,’ with confidence,” what is in direct speech? a) “They said” b) “We will win the game” c) “with confidence” d) None of the above

Rules for converting from direct speech to indirect speech 

Converting direct speech to indirect speech involves several rules and changes to the original words spoken. Here are the key rules for making this conversion:

1. Pronoun Changes:
   • Change the pronouns to match the subject of the reporting sentence.
   • For example, “I” becomes “he,” “she” becomes “they,” and “you” becomes “we.”
2. Tense Changes:
   • Change the tense of the verb in the reported speech to match the tense of the reporting verb.
   • For example, “said” remains in the past tense, but the verb in the reported speech might change. “I am going” becomes “he was going.”
3. Time Expressions:
   • Adjust time expressions (like today, tomorrow, now) to match the context of the reporting.
   • For example, “now” might become “then.”
4. Word Order:
   • Change the word order in questions and statements.
   • For example, “Are you coming?” becomes “She asked if I was coming.”
5. No Quotation Marks:
   • Remove quotation marks in indirect speech. In direct speech, words are enclosed in quotation marks, but they are omitted in indirect speech.
6. Reporting Verb:
   • Introduce the reported speech with a reporting verb like “said,” “explained,” “asked,” etc.

These rules help transform direct speech into indirect speech while maintaining the essence of the original message within a different reporting framework.

[mediator_tech]

Evaluation

1. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, we need to change the ______________. a) subject b) tense c) time expressions d) reporting verb
2. In indirect speech, we modify the pronouns to match the subject of the ______________ sentence. a) reporting b) reported c) request d) original
3. When converting from direct speech to indirect speech, we adjust time expressions to fit the ______________. a) reporting verb b) reported speech c) direct speech d) context
4. The tense of the verb in the reported speech should match the tense of the ______________ verb. a) reporting b) reported c) requesting d) changing
5. In indirect speech, we change the word order in ______________ and statements. a) questions b) exclamations c) commands d) quotations
6. When converting direct speech to indirect speech, we remove ______________ in the reported speech. a) pronouns b) time expressions c) quotation marks d) reporting verbs
7. The rules for converting from direct speech to indirect speech help maintain the ______________ of the original message. a) language b) essence c) punctuation d) capitalization
8. To indicate indirect speech, it’s important to introduce the reported speech with a ______________ verb. a) reporting b) requesting c) repeating d) narrating
9. In indirect speech, we ______________ the original words spoken by someone. a) replicate b) change c) omit d) ignore
10. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, we need to modify the ______________. a) pronouns b) reporting verb c) time expressions d) capitalization
11. Adjusting time expressions in indirect speech is done to match the ______________ of the reporting. a) subject b) context c) tense d) punctuation
12. In indirect speech, we change the ______________ of the verb in the reported speech. a) tense b) subject c) pronouns d) quotation marks
13. To convert direct speech to indirect speech, we use a ______________ verb to introduce the reported speech. a) requesting b) changing c) reporting d) commanding
14. In indirect speech, we need to modify the ______________ to match the subject of the reporting sentence. a) reporting verb b) tense c) pronouns d) capitalization
15. The purpose of these rules is to transform direct speech into indirect speech while keeping the ______________ of the original message. a) language b) essence c) punctuation d) capitalization

More samples 

Introduction (5 minutes):

• Begin by explaining the concept of direct and indirect speech.
• Provide examples to illustrate the difference between the two.

Direct Speech (10 minutes):

• Discuss the structure of direct speech.
• Explain that in direct speech, we use the exact words spoken by someone, enclosed in quotation marks.
• Provide examples on the board and encourage students to identify the direct speech.

Practice (15 minutes):

• Distribute a list of sentences in direct speech.
• Ask students to rewrite each sentence in indirect speech.
• Encourage peer review and corrections.

Rules and Conversion (10 minutes):

• Explain the rules for converting direct to indirect speech.
• Discuss changes in pronouns, tense, time expressions, and word order.
• Provide examples of direct speech sentences and their corresponding indirect speech sentences.
• Guide students through the conversion process.

Individual Practice (5 minutes):

• Provide a new set of direct speech sentences.
• Ask students to independently convert these sentences into indirect speech.

General Evaluation 

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions:

1. She said, “I __________ playing basketball.” a) was b) am c) were d) is
2. He asked, “Can you __________ me a favor?” a) did b) do c) does d) doing
3. “We have a test tomorrow,” they __________. a) said b) say c) says d) saying
4. She said, “My birthday is next __________.” a) year b) week c) month d) day
5. “I will help you with your homework,” he __________. a) tell b) told c) tells d) telling
6. They asked, “__________ you coming to the party?” a) Was b) Is c) Are d) Were
7. “I don’t like broccoli,” she __________. a) said b) saying c) says d) say
8. He said, “__________ watch that movie last night.” a) I will b) I would c) I did d) I do
9. She said, “__________ my pen?” a) Did you see b) Will you see c) You see d) Did you saw
10. “We can go to the park,” they __________. a) says b) saying c) say d) said
11. She asked, “__________ you like pizza?” a) Do b) Did c) Does d) Are
12. “I’m studying for the test,” he __________. a) say b) saying c) said d) says
13. He said, “__________ my book?” a) Did you see b) You saw c) You see d) Did you saw
14. She said, “__________ to the music.” a) I’m listening b) I’m listen c) I listen d) I listened
15. “I can swim,” he __________. a) tell b) told c) tells d) telling

Theory Questions:

16. Explain what direct speech is.
17. How do you convert a sentence from direct to indirect speech?
18. Why is it important to use indirect speech in some situations?
19. Give an example of a sentence in direct speech and rewrite it in indirect speech.
20. When might you use quotation marks in writing or speech?

Review and Conclusion (5 minutes):

• Review the key points of the lesson, emphasizing the structure of direct speech and the rules for changing it into indirect speech.
• Ask students if they have any questions or need clarification.
• Conclude the lesson by summarizing the importance of direct and indirect speech in effective communication.