Grade 7 Unit 18: Direct and Reported

Speech

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Objectives 2

Lesson 1: Structure of Direct and Reported Speech 3

Warm Up 3
Learn About It! 4
Check Your Understanding 8
Let’s Step Up! 9

Lesson 2: Use of Direct and Reported Speech in Daily Communication 10

Warm-up! 10
Learn About It! 11
Check Your Understanding 13
Let’s Step Up! 14

Lesson 3: Use of Direct and Reported Speech in Writing 15

Warm-up! 15
Learn About It! 15
Check Your Understanding 18
Let’s Step Up! 19

Performance Task 20

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 22

Wrap Up 23

Bibliography 23
GRADE 7 | English

UNIT 18
Direct and Reported Speech
We engage in conversations daily, whether it be a friend, a classmate or a family member. And
in these exchanges, we sometimes either directly quote what someone told us, or we use our
own words to interpret their words closely. We do this in school, at home, and in other places.
In this unit, we will learn how to use direct and reported speech appropriately in daily
conversations, as well as compose simple narrative texts with them.

Objectives

In this unit, you should be able to:

● Identify the structure of direct and reported speech;

● Use direct and reported speech appropriately in varied contexts; and
● Compose simple narrative texts using direct and reported speech.

2
 Lesson 1: Structure of Direct and Reported
Speech

There are two ways of reporting. You can quote the

original statement or restate it following grammatically
correct patterns. It is important to know how to report
accurate information and avoid misunderstandings,
especially now that there is a proliferation of fake news. In
this lesson, you will learn two common structures of
reporting: direct and reported speech.

Warm Up
Viewing

Work in pairs. Student A will stay outside, while student B will remain seated and will watch a
war scene from a particular movie, like Hacksaw Ridge. Student B will pretend that he or she is
an eyewitness. After viewing the scene, he or she will report what he or she has seen to
student A, who will transcribe the event and pretend to publish it in a newspaper.

After the activity, share your answers to the following questions with the class:
● If you played the role of Student B, share some of the statements you reported to
Student A.
● If you played the role of Student A, how did you write the statements from Student B?
Did you copy the exact words or rephrase them?

3
 Learn About It!

Direct speech is commonly called quoted speech. It says or quotes exactly what a person
said. When using direct speech, we enclose the exact words that were spoken in quotation
marks (“ ”).

Examples

Dina said, “I have two pet dogs.”

“I have two pet dogs,” said Dina.

My friend asked, “Do I have to buy a dress?”

“Do I have to buy a dress?” asked my friend.

Reported speech is also commonly called indirect

speech. It says exactly what a person said without
quoting the exact words and without using quotation
marks.

In order to report what we heard or what someone has

said, we commonly use reporting verbs. Examples of these are say, tell, ask, explain, and
request.

Examples

1. Dina said she has two pet dogs.

2. My friend asked me if she has to buy a dress.

4
Rules in Changing Direct Speech into Indirect Speech

1. If there is an expression of time such as “a week ago,” “a month ago,” and others in the
reported speech, you must change it to fit the time of reporting.

NOW (direct speech) NOW (same day, After a day (reported

reported speech) speech)
William said, “We should go to William said we should go William said we should go to
school tomorrow.” to school tomorrow. school today.
EVENING NOW (direct EVENING NOW (same THE FOLLOWING EVENING
speech) day, reported speech) (reported speech)
The manager said, “We need The manager said we need The manager said we needed
to finish all our tasks this to finish all our tasks this to finish all our tasks that
evening.” evening. evening.

Direct Speech Reported speech

She said, “I have to go to Cebu next week.” She said he has to go to Cebu the following
week.

Below is a list of time expressions in direct speech that could be changed to fit the time of the
reported speech:

Direct Speech Reported speech

now then, at the time
this evening that evening
today that day
a week ago a week before
tomorrow the following day
last weekend the previous weekend

5
 2. If there is a change in the place being referred to, you must also change the place in the
reported speech.

IN SCHOOL AT HOME
(direct speech) (reported speech)
now then, at the time

3. If the direct speech has modals, they should be changed to fit the reported speech.
Modals like might, could, would, should, and ought to do not change in reported speech,
while modals such as will, shall, may, and must change in reported speech.

Examples

DIRECT SPEECH: She said, “I might invite someone for the event.”
REPORTED SPEECH: She said she might invite someone for the event.

DIRECT SPEECH: “I could help you solve the problem,” Rony said.
REPORTED SPEECH: Rony said he could help us solve the problem.

There are modals that change in reported speech.

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Sylvia said, “I will support you in the project.” Sylvia said she would support me in my
project
Sylvia said, “I can support you in your project” Sylvia said she could support me in my
project.
Sylvia said, “I must support you in your Sylvia said she had to support me in my
project.” project.
The landlady said, “I shall get your payment.” The landlady said she should get my
payment.
The old woman said, “May I visit you often?” The old woman asked if she might visit me
often.

6
4. Sometimes, pronouns in a direct speech should be changed in order for the meaning of the
reported speech to be the same.

Examples

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

John screamed, “We are the best team in this John screamed that they are the best team
school.” in school.
Jane said, “I will study geography.” Jane said she will study geography.

5. When you convert a direct speech to a reported speech, you usually change the verb tense.

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH

Present simple Past simple

He said, “It is a great dinner.” He said it was a great dinner.
Note:
If the reporting verb is in the present, (e.g.,
says) do not change the tense in the
quotation marks.
He says he was hot-tempered before.
He says, “I was hot-tempered before.”

Present continuous Past continuous

He said, “I am doing my homework.” He said he was doing his homework.
Present perfect Past perfect
She said, “I have gone to the clinic.” She said she had gone to the clinic.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
He said, “I have been teaching for ten years.” He said he had been teaching for ten
years.
Past simple Past perfect
They said, “We waited for four hours They said they had waited for hours
yesterday.” yesterday.
Past continuous Past perfect continuous

7
 She said, “I was eating lunch.” She said she had been eating lunch.
Past perfect (NO CHANGE) Past Perfect
She said, “The program had started when She said the program had started when
she arrived. she arrived.
Past perfect continuous (NO CHANGE) Past perfect continuous
He said, “I had been studying for an hour.” He said he had been studying for an hour.
Future simple with “will” He said he would meet them next week.
He said, “I will meet them next week.”
Future with “going to” They told me they were going to
They said, “We are going to Batangas.” Batangas.

Check Your Understanding

Write DS if the statement is a direct speech and RS if it is a reported speech.

_____ 1. “I really have to visit my grandmother next week,” she said.

_____ 2. He said his older sisters grew up in the province.
_____ 3. He said, “I don’t have much money left.”
_____ 4. My best friend said I should stand up for myself.
_____ 5. “You should leave soon so you will not be late for school,” my mother said.

8
 Change the following to reported speech.

1. “An eagle differs from a sparrow,” she says.

2. She says, “The sparrow stays hidden inside the nest. “
3. “It never comes out even for a flight, “ she observes.
4. He notes, “ It just lets the wind drives it around. “
5. “The eagle is just the opposite”,” he adds.

Watch a recent news report on television. Transcribe the actual lines of the news anchor
and the correspondent. Then, retell the news using both direct and indirect speech
accordingly.

Let’s Step Up!

9
 Lesson 2: Use of Direct and Reported
Speech in Daily Communication

In daily conversations, everything we say is considered

direct speech. We also use direct speech when we quote
someone else’s words as is, while we use reported
speech to tell someone what another person said
without saying the exact words. Unconsciously, we use
these in our everyday conversations in different places
and when talking to different people.

Warm-up!
Pass the Message

The teacher will call all the first students in the first row of every
column. They will receive the message from the teacher and will
report it to the second student. To add to the challenge, the first
student must react to the message of the teacher. Hence, two
statements will be forwarded to the second student (teacher’s
original statement in reported speech, plus the reaction of the
first student). The same process will be followed by the second
student (report the statement of the teacher in indirect speech,
convert the reaction of the first student to indirect speech, and
give his or her own reaction) to the third student. Repeat the
process until everyone was able to speak. The last student in
each column will write all the statements on the board.

10
 Learn About It!

The parts in bold are examples of reported speech.

IN THE HOSPITAL

Nurse 1: What did the doctor tell you about the

patient?
Nurse 2: “You should observe the patient for two
days.” That is what he said.
Nurse 1: What should we observe?
Nurse 2: He said we should check for rashes or
any red marks on the skin of the patient.

IN SCHOOL

Teacher: Class, I’ll be gone for ten minutes. Do not go

out of the room.

After five minutes:

Student 1: (tries to go out)

Student 2: Hey! Our teacher said we should not go
out of the room. Go back to your seat.

11
AT WORK

Manager: What did the client say?

Assistant: He said we should prepare the orders
before Tuesday.
Manager: Wow! That was early. Last week, he said,
“Please have my orders ready by Friday.”

AT THE POLICE STATION

Victim: The scammer said, “You should pay me a fee
before you get the item.” I had not realized
that he was lying that time.

Police: Other people told us that they are also

victims of this scammer. Don’t worry we will do
our best to help you find him.

12
 Check Your Understanding

Complete the following dialogue.

Situation: Meg is trying to locate her book.

Meg: Al, I can’t find my book.

Al: I think I saw Amihan using it.
Meg: I asked her _________________ but she told me _____________.
Al: To me? __________________
Meg: How come she said ________________________.
Al: You know how absent-minded she is. Ah here she is.

Choose a classmate to be your partner. Interview him or her. Write down at least ten
statements of reported speech based on his or her answers in the interview.

Sample questions for the interview:

● What is your favorite TV show?
● What is your favorite color?
● What makes your life meaningful?
● What are the things you are willing to do to make your family happy?

List down at least five direct speech or quoted speech you may hear at the following
locations:
1. Church
2. Public transportation
3. Beach
4. Marketplace
5. Mall

Convert each direct speech into reported speech.

13
Let’s Step Up!

14
 Lesson 3: Use of Direct and Reported
Speech in Writing

Direct speech gives the exact words of the speaker.

Indirect speech gives the words of the speaker as reported
by another person. We retain indirect speech when the
introductory speech is present tense. When the quoted
speech expresses truth, the same present form is used in
the reported speech.

Warm-up!
Choose an excerpt from your favorite fairy tale. Re-create the
scene by adding a new character and providing dialogue on it.
Then, exchange work with your seatmate to transform it into
indirect speech.

Learn About It!

Direct speech and reported speech are abundant in narratives.

When writing narratives, direct speech is very important, for it
is used to write the dialogues or conversations between and
among characters. These conversations in the form of direct
speech help with characterization as well as move the story
forward. They also help the reader make sense of what is
happening in the story.

15
 Reported speeches are used to add information to the narrative. They add details to the
dialogue and the narration.

A narrative has three basic parts: a beginning, middle, and end.

● The beginning sets the scene of the narrative. It introduces the main characters as well
as the basic premise of the plot. The main problem is also found in the beginning.
● The middle contains the plot or substance of the story. This is where the plot builds up
until it comes to a climax.
● The ending is the denouement. It is where the characters overcome or confront the
problem in the story. This also contains the resolution of the conflict.

Look at the example of a simple narrative below. Note that the narrative used both direct and
reported speech.

Beginning Explanation on the Structure

of the Narrative and the Use
of Direct and Reported
Speech
Robert sighed. He kept on thinking about what to do In the beginning, we are
after his best friend Rony accidentally lost the wallet that introduced to the two
contained the money they saved for their project. characters: Robert and Rony.
They are best friends. The
“I am sorry that I lost it. Will you help me find it?” Rony main problem is that Rony lost
said. the wallet. The plot revolves
Robert sighed again, but this time, he decided to do around them looking for the
something about the problem. lost wallet.
Note that direct speech was
“Sure. Let’s look for it. Where did you go to this used for the dialogues of
morning? We could go back to the places you went to check. characters.
You might have dropped that wallet somewhere,” Robert
said as he and his friend prepared to look for the missing
object.

16
 Middle Explanation
The boys had gone back to all the places that Rony In the middle part, the boys
visited, but the wallet was nowhere to be found. start to look for the wallet,
which is exactly what the plot
They were almost losing hope when Robert thought is all about. The story slowly
of an idea. builds up until the climax
where the two decide to check
“Hey! I suddenly remember something. I think we the “Lost and Found” section of
should check the ‘Lost and Found’ section of the school. We the school.
might find what we are looking for there,” he said.
Note the use of direct speech
“You’re right! Our teacher told us we could find lost for Robert’s dialogue as well as
things there. Let’s go.” the use of reported speech
within the direct speech. The
reported speech added
information to the dialogue
and the story.
End Explanation
The two arrived at the place. The person at the This ending shows how the two
counter, Mr. Gonzales, looked up upon seeing the boys. boys found the wallet they
were looking for. Hence, they
“Good morning, Mr. Gonzales. We are looking for a were able to overcome the
wallet,” Robert said. problem in the story. There
was a resolution.
Mr. Gonzales got the description of the missing item.
Then, he proceeded to look for the said object among those In this part, both the direct
that were surrendered during the day until he found what speech and the reported
he was looking for. speech were used.

“Here’s the missing wallet.” He handed the wallet to

Rony, who opened it with shaky hands. He smiled when he
saw that nothing was stolen.

Mr. Gonzales asked them to sign the logbook. He also

said that they should always take care of their belongings so
that they will not go missing again.

17
 Check Your Understanding

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate word chosen from the list below.

Announced, boasted, complained, promised, warned

● “I’ll write you often,“ he _____________.

● “My family owns a vast farmland, “ she ____________.
● They ________________, “Don’t go there.”
● “Classes will be suspended this afternoon, “ ____________ the principal.
● The man ________________, “This place is too crowded. “

Listen carefully to your teacher. Transcribe one portion of his or her class using direct
speech. Then, exchange your work with your seatmate who will convert it into
reported speech.

Read a feature article of an iconic person. Using your imagination, create a fictional
story about that person observing the basic elements of story and utilizing effective
narrative devices like direct speech.

18
Let’s Step Up!

19
 Performance Task

Radio Drama

Goal :
Your task is to entertain your listeners with your witty, interesting and unique script.

Role:
You are a newly-hired script writer for an AM radio program.

Audience:
Your clients are usually old people and public transportation drivers who tune in to radio
while they are driving.

Situation:
The context you find yourself in is to reinvent radio drama into a new kind of story, so that
people will be looking forward to tuning into the program everyday.

Product/Performance and Purpose:

You will create a script that utilizes direct speech with vivid descriptions.

Standards & Criteria for Success:

Your product must meet the following standards: content, grammar, creativity, dialogue,
setting and action.

20
Your performance task will be graded using the following rubric:

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score

(0-12 points) (13-16 (17-20 points)
points)

Content
(Focus on details/events are
clearly evident; it is clearly
related to the topic.)

Organization
(Logical progression of
details/events; clear
transitions between ideas.)

Language
(spelling, mechanics,
grammar and usage)

Creativity
The story contains many
creative details and/or
descriptions that contribute
to the reader's enjoyment.
The author has really used
his imagination.

Action
Several action verbs (active
voice) are used to describe
what is happening in the
story. The story seems
exciting!

Dialogue
here is an appropriate
amount of dialogue to bring
the characters to life and it
is always clear which
character is speaking.

21
 setting
Many vivid, descriptive
words are used to tell when
and where the story took
place.

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?

Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the
appropriate box.
I am familiar and
I think I need more I am confident that I
can perform well
Skills practice and can perform this on
with minimal
assistance my own
assistance
I can identify the
structure of direct
and reported
speech
I can use direct
and reported
speech
appropriately in
varied context
I can compose
simple narrative
texts

22
 Wrap Up

Direct and Reported Speech

A direct speech is commonly called quoted speech. It says or quotes exactly what a person
said. When using direct speech, we enclose the exact words that were spoken in quotation
marks (“ ”).
A reported speech is also commonly called indirect speech. It says what a person said
without quoting the exact words and without using quotation marks.
Unconsciously, we use direct and reported speech in our everyday conversations in
different places and when talking to different people.
When writing narratives, direct speech is very important, for it is used to write the
dialogues or conversations between and among characters. Reported speech is used to
add information to the narrative. They add details to the dialogue and the narration.
A narrative has three basic parts: a beginning, middle, and end.

Bibliography
Behrens, Laurence and Rosen Leonard. 2003. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum: 8th ed.
California: Pearson Publishing House

Conrey, Sean M., Mark Pepper, and Allen Brizee. “How to Use Quotation Marks.” Accessed
September 9, 2017. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/577/

Cooley, Thomas. 2013. The Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition. 8th ed. New York:
Norton & Company.

Tiempo, Edilberto, and Edith Tiempo. 2000. College Writing and Reading. Quezon City: Rex
Bookstore Inc.

23
Recommended Links for This Unit:
http://www.sjsu.edu/ajeep/docs/QuitedandReportedSpeech.pdf

24