Mastering Reported Speech for ESL

Grade 12 English Language Arts Cambridge International Curriculum Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

What is Reported Speech?

Telling someone what another person said Also called 'indirect speech' Changes the original words but keeps the meaning Example: 'She said she liked pizza' (from 'I like pizza')

Tense Backshifting Rules

Key Changes in Reported Speech

Tense backshifting (present → past) Pronoun changes (I → he/she) Time expressions change (today → that day) Reporting verbs: said, told, explained

Practice Activity: Transform the Sentences

Work in pairs with dialogue cards Student A reads direct speech Student B converts to reported speech Switch roles halfway through Use sentence starters: 'He said that...' or 'She told me that...'

Reporter's Relay Game

Form groups of 5 students Read news story in direct speech Take turns reporting each sentence 30 seconds per sentence Most accurate team wins!

Quick Check: Can You Convert This?

Direct Speech: 'I am studying for my exam tomorrow' What would this be in reported speech? Think about: tense, pronoun, and time changes

Mastery Summary

You can now transform direct speech into reported speech Remember the three key changes: tense, pronouns, time Practice makes perfect - use it in real conversations Next: We'll explore more complex reported speech patterns