Direct and reported speech · Grade 5
Direct speech gives someone's exact words in speech marks: “I'm tired,” said Mia. Reported (indirect) speech tells us what they said, without speech marks: Mia said that she was tired. The verb moves back in time, and pronouns and time words change.
Key facts
- Use said or told + a person, with or without that: Leo said (that) he was hungry. Leo told me (that) he was hungry.
- The verb moves one step back into the past: am/is → was, are → were, like → liked, am reading → was reading, will → would, can → could.
- The past simple and the present perfect become the past perfect: “I lost my keys.” → He said he had lost his keys.
- Pronouns and time words change: I → he/she, my → his/her, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, here → there.
- Questions keep normal word order (no do or did); yes/no questions use if: She asked where I lived. She asked if I was hungry. Commands use to: He told us to sit down.