# Direct or Indirect (reported) Speech | SwaVid

Direct or indirect (reported) speech: Direct speech gives the exact words inside quotation marks. Rules, examples and a free quick check for Class 6 to 12.

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# Direct or indirect (reported) speech: rules and examples

## The rule, step by step

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### Quick reference

### What is the rule for direct or indirect (reported) speech?

### Can you give examples of direct or indirect (reported) speech?

### What is the main idea to remember in direct or indirect (reported) speech?

### Direct and indirect speech converter

### Free English grammar test

### More in Direct and Indirect Speech

Short answer. Direct speech gives the exact words inside quotation marks. Indirect speech tells what was said, with no quotation marks. It is often joined with that.

1 . Choose the right verb. Om ___ Tia that he could wait.

Exact words in quotation marks are direct. No marks means indirect.

Direct speech gives the exact words inside quotation marks. Indirect speech tells what was said, with no quotation marks. It is often joined with that.

Indirect: Farah said that she could swim.

Exact words in quotation marks are direct. No marks means indirect.

Pronouns, tenses and time words, explained.

Your child's level and 3 topics to fix first.

All the topics in this chapter, one rule at a time.

- Spot the type . Look for quotation marks around the speaker's words. If you see them, it is direct. If the sentence just tells what someone said, it is indirect, even without that.
- Making indirect speech . Remove the quotation marks and the comma, and join with that. Change I, we, my and our to he, she, they or their, and you to him, her or them. Most verbs move back; should, could and might stay.
- Said and told . Told is followed straight by the listener: told Neha. Said is not: it stands alone or takes to + listener. When you report, said to Neha becomes told Neha, and you becomes the listener's pronoun.
- Direct: Farah said, "I can swim."
- Indirect: Farah said that she could swim.

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- [More in Direct and Indirect Speech All the topics in this chapter, one rule at a time.](https://www.swavid.com/english-grammar/direct-and-indirect-speech)