Direct and Reported Speech (KS2)

E11Direct and Reported Speech

Quoting them — or reporting them.

Direct speech quotes exact words; reported speech retells them, shifting tense and pronouns.

Same words, two ways.

“I am tired,” said Maya. direct — her exact words, in speech marks

Maya said that she was tired. reported — retold: I→she, am→was, no marks

Reporting shifts backwards: am → was · will → would · today → that day.

Learn the 3 Shifts

1Drop the speech marks, add ‘that’.

‘Maya said that…’ — the quote becomes part of your sentence.

said that…

2Shift the pronouns.

Her ‘I’ becomes ‘she’ in your report.

I → she

3Shift the tense back.

am → was · is → was · will → would · can → could.

am → was

💡 Key IdeaConvert in reverse to write dialogue from reports: she was → “I am” — the same three shifts, undone.

Worked Example

Report this: “I will bring my kit tomorrow,” said Dev.

Frame

Dev said that…

→

Shifts

I → he · will → would · my → his · tomorrow → the next day

→

✓ Reported

Dev said that he would bring his kit the next day.

Watch Out! Common Mistakes

Keeping the speech marks.

Maya said that “she was tired” ✕

Drop them! Reported speech quotes nobody — no inverted commas.

Forgetting the tense shift.

Dev said that he will bring… ✕

Shift back! will → would when reporting past speech.

Pronouns left unshifted.

Maya said that I was tired ✕

Whose tiredness?! Her ‘I’ is your ‘she’: Maya said that she was tired.

⬇ Cheat Sheet

DIRECT AND REPORTED SPEECH

Direct: exact words in speech marks.
Reported: said that + no marks.
Shift pronouns (I→she) and tense back (am→was, will→would).
Time words shift too: tomorrow → the next day.

Example: “I am tired,” said Maya → Maya said that she was tired.

📖 Continue Your Journey

✓ E1 Finding Facts (Retrieval)✓ E2 Inference ✓ E3 Vocabulary in Context ✓ E4 Writer's Word Choice ✓ E5 Summarising and Main Ideas ✓ E6 Word Classes ✓ E7 Main and Subordinate Clauses ✓ E8 Punctuation Essentials ✓ E9 Tenses and Agreement ✓ E10 Active and Passive Voice E11 Direct and Reported Speech E12 Spelling Rules E13 Homophones and Confusables E14 Synonyms, Antonyms and Shades E15 Figurative Language E16 Writing: Plan, Build, Improve

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Next Lesson: E12 Spelling RulesRules that unlock a thousand words.

📄 Free printable: Download the Direct and Reported Speech cheat sheet (PDF) — keep it by your child's desk.

Quick summary

Direct speech quotes exact words inside inverted commas.
Reported speech retells: said that + no speech marks.
Shift pronouns (I→she/he) and tense backwards (am→was, will→would).
Time words shift too: today→that day, tomorrow→the next day.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between direct and reported speech?

Direct speech quotes the speaker's exact words in inverted commas; reported speech retells them in your own sentence, with shifted pronouns and tense.

Why does the tense move back in reported speech?

Because the speaking happened in the past — 'I am tired' was true then, so the report says she was tired.

What happens to words like 'tomorrow'?

They shift with the viewpoint: tomorrow becomes 'the next day', today becomes 'that day', here becomes 'there'.

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E10 Active and Passive Voice