Direct and Indirect Speech/ Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: Direct and Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)

Class: VIII–X
Subject: English Grammar
Topic: Direct and Indirect Speech
Time Duration: 40 minutes
Type of Lesson: Grammar (Structure and Usage)

General Objectives

To develop students’ understanding of how language functions in reporting speech
To enhance their ability to convert direct to indirect speech and vice versa
To improve their sentence formation and communication skills

Specific Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Define direct and indirect speech
Differentiate between the two using a Venn diagram
Identify key changes in tense, pronouns, reporting verbs, and punctuation
Apply rules in converting direct to indirect speech and vice versa
Recognize how 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person pronouns change
Use reported speech effectively in spoken and written communication

Teaching Aids

Flashcards
Whiteboard & markers
Printed worksheets
Role-play cards
PPT/slides
Venn diagram chart
Audio recordings for listening activity

Important Terms with Explanations

Term	Explanation
Reporting Speech	The part that reports the words (e.g., He said...)
Reported Speech	The part that contains the actual words spoken (e.g., "I am tired.")
Reporting Verb	Verb used to introduce reported speech (e.g., said, told, asked)
Direct Speech	Quoting the speaker’s exact words with quotation marks
Indirect Speech	Paraphrasing the speaker’s words without quotation marks
Tense Change	Verb tense shifts back (usually) when converting to indirect
Pronoun Change	Pronouns change based on speaker-listener-object perspective
Time/Place Shift	Time/place words often change (e.g., now → then, here → there)
Punctuation	Comma and quotation marks used in direct speech but removed in indirect

Explanation of Persons

Person	Explanation	Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
1st	Speaker	I, we → He/She/They	“I am hungry,” he said. → He said he was hungry.
2nd	Listener	You → He/She/They	“You are late,” she said. → She said he was late.
3rd	Others	He, she, they → No change	“He is smart,” she said. → She said he was smart.

Venn Diagram: Direct vs Indirect Speech

Direct Speech ∩ Indirect Speech

--------------------------- --------------------------

- Exact words of speaker - Reports idea, not exact words

- Uses quotation marks - No quotation marks

- No change in tense - Usually changes tense

- Uses punctuation like comma - No punctuation marks

- More dramatic & personal - More formal & neutral

Activities to Make the Class Fun & Interactive

1. Role Play

Students pick chits with dialogues.
One student reads it in direct speech.
Partner rewrites/says it in indirect speech.

2. Listening Challenge

Play an audio clip (conversation).
Students note down sentences and rewrite them in indirect speech.

3. Conversion Relay (Team Game)

Teams compete to convert 5 direct sentences to indirect correctly.
Bonus points for speed and accuracy.

4. Pronoun Puzzle

Students match direct speech sentences with the correct pronoun transformation in indirect speech.

5. Error Spotting

Provide sentences with errors in conversion.
Students work in pairs to correct them.

Basic Rules Summary (Board Ready)

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
She said, "I am fine."	She said (that) she was fine.
He said, "I will call you."	He said (that) he would call me.
“Are you okay?” she asked.	She asked if I was okay.
“Don’t go,” he said.	He told me not to go.

Changes to Remember:

Tense: Present → Past
Pronouns: According to speaker and listener
Time Words: now → then, today → that day
Place Words: here → there
Modals: will → would, can → could, may → might

Assessment Techniques

Type	Task
Oral	Students convert sentences on the spot
Written	Worksheet with fill-in-the-blanks and MCQs
Peer	Students assess each other in role plays
Homework	Write a conversation in direct and convert to indirect

Follow-Up / Homework

Write 5 direct speech sentences from a book or show
Convert each into indirect speech
Submit as a grammar journal entry

Learning Outcomes

After the lesson, students will:

Confidently identify and convert between direct and indirect speech
Understand grammar rules around tense, pronouns, and modals
Apply reported speech in real communication

New/Unique Strategies

Grammar Drama: Create a mini skit using direct speech and rewrite it as narration using indirect speech
Speech Flipbook: Students draw comic-style dialogue in direct speech, then write it in narration using indirect
AI Voice Tool or App: Use a speech-to-text tool to hear a sentence and type its indirect version

Table of Changes in Time and Place (Direct → Indirect Speech)

Word in Direct Speech	Change in Indirect Speech
now	then
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
yesterday	the previous day / the day before
last night	the previous night / the night before
tonight	that night
next week	the following week
last week	the previous week
this	that
these	those
here	there
ago	before
just	then / a moment ago
thus	so

Why does Backshift Happen?

When we report something that was said in the past, the time frame also shifts back. So the tense of the original sentence moves one step back into the past.

Backshift of Tenses Table

Direct Speech (Original Tense)	Indirect Speech (Backshifted Tense)	Example
Simple Present	Simple Past	He said, “I eat apples.” → He said he ate apples.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	She said, “I am reading.” → She said she was reading.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	He said, “I have done it.” → He said he had done it.
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	She said, “I have been working.” → She said she had been working.
Simple Past	Past Perfect	He said, “I saw him.” → He said he had seen him.
Past Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	She said, “I was playing.” → She said she had been playing.
Will	Would	He said, “I will call.” → He said he would call.
Can	Could	She said, “I can help.” → She said she could help.
May	Might	He said, “I may go.” → He said he might go.

No Backshift Needed (When NOT to Change the Tense)

You do not need to backshift if:

The reporting verb is in the present or future tense

e.g. She says, “I am ready.” → She says she is ready.

The statement is a universal truth or fact

e.g. He said, “The sun rises in the east.” → He said the sun rises in the east. ✅ (No backshift)

The action is still true or ongoing at the time of reporting.

Quick Practice Examples

Direct: She said, “I am tired.”
Indirect: She said she was tired.
Direct: They said, “We have finished our homework.”
Indirect: They said they had finished their homework.
Direct: He said, “I can solve the problem.”
Indirect: He said he could solve the problem.

Table: Change of Modals and Auxiliary Verbs in Reported Speech

Direct Speech (Modal/Auxiliary)	Indirect Speech (Changed Form)	Example
will	would	She said, “I will help you.” → She said she would help me.
shall (future use)	would	He said, “I shall return.” → He said he would return.
can	could	He said, “I can swim.” → He said he could swim.
may	might	She said, “I may leave.” → She said she might leave.
must	had to (in obligation cases)	He said, “I must go.” → He said he had to go.
need (modal)	needed to	She said, “I need study.” → She said she needed to study.
ought to	ought to (no change)	He said, “You ought to rest.” → He said I ought to rest.
used to	used to (no change)	She said, “I used to play.” → She said she used to play.
would	would (no change)	He said, “I would help.” → He said he would help.
could	could (no change)	She said, “I could run fast.” → She said she could run fast.
might	might (no change)	He said, “I might leave.” → He said he might leave.
should	should (no change)	She said, “I should go.” → She said she should go.

✅Important Notes:

Modals without past forms (would, could, might, should, ought to) stay the same.
Must changes to had to only when it's about necessity or obligation.

But if "must" expresses a deduction (e.g., “He must be tired”), it can stay the same.

Reporting Questions, Imperatives, Requests, Advice, Promises & Exceptions in Direct and Indirect Speech

1. Reporting Questions

Key Rules:

Remove question marks
Use reporting verbs like asked, inquired, wanted to know
Change word order to a statement format (subject before verb)
Use “if” or “whether” for yes/no questions
Use question words (what, why, where, how, etc.) when present

Examples:

Yes/No Question:

Direct: She said, “Do you like coffee?”
Indirect: She asked if I liked coffee.

Wh-Question:

Direct: He asked, “Where are you going?”
Indirect: He asked where I was going.

Reporting Imperatives (Commands, Instructions)

Key Rules:

Use reporting verbs like told, ordered, commanded, instructed
Use “to” + base verb for positive commands
Use “not to” for negative commands

Examples:

Positive Command:

Direct: He said, “Open the door.”

Indirect: He told me to open the door.

Negative Command:

Direct: She said, “Don’t shout.”
Indirect: She told me not to shout.

3. Reporting Requests

Key Rules:

Use requested, begged, asked (politely), etc.
Structure: requested + object + to + verb

Example:

Direct: He said, “Please help me.”
Indirect: He requested me to help him.

4. Reporting Advice / Suggestions

Key Rules:

Use advised, suggested, recommended
Use to + verb or that clause as needed

Examples:

Advice:

Direct: She said, “You should sleep early.”
Indirect: She advised me to sleep early.

Suggestion:

Direct: He said, “Let’s go for a walk.”
Indirect: He suggested going for a walk.

5. Reporting Promises / Offers / Threats

Key Rules:

Use appropriate reporting verbs like:

promised → for commitments
offered → for help
threatened → for warnings

Examples:

Promise:

Direct: She said, “I will never lie to you.”
Indirect: She promised that she would never lie to me.

Offer:

Direct: He said, “Shall I carry your bag?”
Indirect: He offered to carry my bag.

Threat:

Direct: He said, “I will call the police.”
Indirect: He threatened to call the police.

6. Reporting Exceptions / No Backshift Needed

Key Rules:

Some sentences don’t change the tense in indirect speech.

No Change Happens:

If the reporting verb is in present/future tense

Direct: She says, “I am happy.”
Indirect: She says she is happy.

If it is a universal truth or fact

Direct: He said, “The earth revolves around the sun.”
Indirect: He said the earth revolves around the sun.

If the original sentence refers to an unchanged or still-true fact

Direct: She said, “I live in Delhi.” (Still lives there)
Indirect: She said she lives in Delhi.

Summary Table: Reporting Sentence Types

Sentence Type	Reporting Verb(s)	Changes Made
Yes/No Question	asked, inquired	Use “if” or “whether”; remove question format
WH-Question	asked, inquired	Use same question word; change word order
Imperative	told, ordered, instructed	Use “to” or “not to” + base verb
Request	requested, begged, asked	Use “to” + base verb
Advice/Suggestion	advised, suggested, recommended	Use “to” or gerund form
Promise/Offer/Threat	promised, offered, threatened	Use “to” + base verb or “that clause”
Universal Truth / Fact	said	No tense change