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Direct and Reported Speech — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 6 punctuation worksheet.

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Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 6 · English · Punctuation

Direct and Reported Speech — Answers

Part A: Direct or reported?

Direct speech gives the exact words in quotation marks. Reported speech (also called indirect speech) retells what someone said, usually after said that or asked if, with no quotation marks. Circle which kind each sentence uses.

1."I'm going home," said Lena.
  1. Adirect speech
  2. Breported speech

Answer: direct speech

The exact words are inside quotation marks.

2.Lena said that she was going home.
  1. Adirect speech
  2. Breported speech

Answer: reported speech

No quotation marks; the words are retold.

3.Omar asked if he could borrow a pencil.
  1. Adirect speech
  2. Breported speech

Answer: reported speech

The question is retold, so there is no question mark.

4."Can I borrow a pencil?" asked Omar.
  1. Adirect speech
  2. Breported speech

Answer: direct speech

Omar's exact question is quoted.

5.The coach told us to warm up.
  1. Adirect speech
  2. Breported speech

Answer: reported speech

The command is retold.

6."Warm up first," the coach told us.
  1. Adirect speech
  2. Breported speech

Answer: direct speech

The coach's exact words are quoted.

Part B: Change to reported speech

Rewrite each sentence as reported speech. Change the pronouns and move the verb one step back in time: am → was, have → had, will → would.

7."I am tired," said Jack.

Answer: Jack said that he was tired.

8."We are going to the zoo," said the twins.

Answer: The twins said that they were going to the zoo.

9."I have lost my keys," said Grandpa.

Answer: Grandpa said that he had lost his keys.

10."Will it rain tomorrow?" asked Kira.

Answer: Kira asked whether it would rain the next day.

  1. A question becomes asked whether or asked if.
  2. will becomes would; tomorrow becomes the next day.
  3. No question mark in reported speech.
11."Close the door, please," the teacher said to Sam.

Answer: The teacher asked Sam to close the door.

  1. A request or command becomes told or asked + to.

Part C: Change to direct speech

Rewrite each sentence as direct speech. Use quotation marks and put the end punctuation of the speech inside them.

12.Ella said that she loved painting.

Answer: "I love painting," said Ella.

13.Ben asked his sister where she had put the remote.

Answer: "Where did you put the remote?" Ben asked his sister.

  1. Also correct: Ben asked his sister, "Where did you put the remote?"
14.Dad told us to hurry up.

Answer: "Hurry up!" Dad told us.

  1. Also correct: "Hurry up," Dad told us.
15.Priya said that she would bring the snacks.

Answer: "I will bring the snacks," said Priya.

  1. Also correct: "I'll bring the snacks," said Priya.

Part D: What changes?

16.When you change direct speech into reported speech, what happens to the quotation marks?
  1. AThey stay.
  2. BThey are removed.
  3. CThey become parentheses.
  4. DThey move to the end.

Answer: They are removed.

Reported speech never uses quotation marks.

17.In reported speech, I am usually changes to:
  1. Ahe or she is
  2. BI was
  3. Che or she was
  4. Dwe are

Answer: he or she was

The pronoun changes and the verb moves back in time.

18.In reported speech, will usually changes to:
  1. Awould
  2. Bshall
  3. Ccan
  4. Dwon't

Answer: would

Will moves back to would.

19.Which word often introduces reported speech?
  1. Athat
  2. Band
  3. Cbut
  4. Dor

Answer: that

For example: She said that she was ready.

Part E: Your turn

20.Your turn: write a short news-style recount (five to seven sentences) about a school event, such as a sports day or a fair. Quote two people using direct speech, and report what one other person said using reported speech.

Model answer: Hundreds of families packed the school field on Friday for the annual sports day. "It was the best one yet," said the principal, as she handed out the final ribbons. The relay race was the highlight of the day. "I could hear everyone cheering, so I just kept running," said Lucas, who ran the last leg for the winning team. One parent said that she had never seen so much school spirit. The event raised enough money to buy new sports equipment.

Success criteria:

  • Five to seven sentences in a news-style recount
  • Two people quoted with direct speech
  • Quotation marks and punctuation inside them used correctly
  • One example of reported speech with no quotation marks
  • Pronouns and tense changed correctly in reported speech
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