Direct And Reported Speech

Question 1

What is reported (indirect) speech?

Answer 1

Indirect speech is a report of what someone has said.

Question 2

What are the rules for direct speech?

Answer 2

Direct speech uses the direct words of the speaker
The actual words spoken are placed within inverted commas
Start a new line every time someone speaks
Question marks and exclamation marks are placed within the inverted commas

Question 3

What must we do if the introductory verb to direct speech is first in the sentence?

Answer 3

If the introductory verb comes first, place a comma between the verb and the inverted commas.

Question 4

What must we do if the introductory verb is after the spoken words?

Answer 4

If the introductory verb comes after the actual words spoken, these words will be followed by a comma, a question mark or an exclamation mark, but never a full stop.

Question 5

What must we do if the introductory verb is in the middle of the spoken words?

Answer 5

If the introductory verb comes in the middle of the sentence, then it will split the sentence into two parts. The follow-on sentence will begin not begin with a capital letter, unless it is a proper noun. The first half of the spoken sentence will end in a comma.

Question 6

What happens to pronouns when we change a sentence to reported speech?

I 
We
My
Our
This
These
Myself
Ourselves

Answer 6

I➡️he/she
We➡️they
My➡️his/her
Our➡️their
This➡️that
These➡️those
Myself➡️himself/herself
Ourselves➡️themselves

Question 7

What happens to infinitive verbs when we change a sentence to reported speech?

Am
Are
Is
Was
Were

Answer 7

Am➡️was
Are➡️were
Is➡️was
Was/were➡️had been

Question 8

What happens to auxiliary verbs when we change a sentence to reported speech?

Should
May
Can
Have to
Must
Have
Has
Will

Answer 8

Should➡️should
May➡️may
Can➡️could
Have to➡️had to
Must➡️had to
Have/has➡️had
Will➡️would

Question 9

What happens to tenses when we change a sentence to reported speech?

Do
Does
Don't 
Doesn't 
Did

Answer 9

Do/does➡️did
Don’t/doesn’t➡️didn’t
Did➡️had

Question 10

What happens to time and places when we change a sentence to reported speech?

Here
Now
Today
Tomorrow
Yesterday
Tonight
Last week
Next week
Three days ago

Answer 10

Here➡️there
Now➡️then/at that time
Today➡️that day
Tomorrow➡️the next day/the following day
Yesterday➡️the day before/the previous day
Tonight➡️that night
Last week➡️the previous week/the week before
Next week➡️the next week/the following week
Three days ago➡️three days before/three days earlier

Question 11

What happens to punctuation when we change a sentence to reported speech?

Answer 11

Remove inverted commas, question marks, exclamation marks and any capital letters that don’t accompany proper nouns

Question 12

What is direct speech?

Answer 12

Direct speech is quoting the exact words of what someone has said.