Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

Lesson 2
Changing Direct to Indirect
Speech and Vice Versa
Table of Contents

Learning Competency 1
Specific Objectives 1
Learning Content 1
Topic 1
Materials 1
Reference 1
Time frame: 90 minutes 1
Learning Activities 2
Essential Question 2
Motivation 2
Warm Up! 2
Lesson Proper 3
Springboard 3
Review 4
Presentation of Lesson 4
Discussion 4
Evaluation 5
Drills 5
Values Integration 6
Synthesis 6
Synthesis Activity 6
Possible Answers to the Essential Question 7
Assignment 7
 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

Unit 18 | Direct and Indirect Speech

Lesson 2: Changing Direct to Indirect Speech
and Vice Versa

Learning Competency
The learner
● changes direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa (N9G-IVg-1).

Specific Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to:
● identify the rules in changing direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa;
● transform direct speech to indirect speech; and
● transform indirect speech to direct speech.

Learning Content
A. Topic
Changing Direct to Indirect Speech and Vice Versa

B. Materials
● Presentation slides
● Copies of the drills

C. Reference
Quipper Study Guide: Grade 9 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

D. Time frame: 90 minutes

Learning Activities

Essential Question
1. If using technology, refer to slide 4 of the presentation.
2. If not using technology, write the question on the board.
“What are the key things to remember when changing direct speech to
indirect speech and vice versa?”
3. Instruct the whole class to reflect on the question for at least a minute and call on a
few to share their answers. Make sure to elicit answers that show some of the rules
in changing direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa since there are too many
to mention. You may ask the following questions if necessary:
● How do we change a speech if it is a question?
● How do we change a speech if it is a command/request?
● What do we do to the tense of the verb when changing?

A. Motivation

Warm Up!

1. Instruct the students to do the following:

● Individually listen to a TedEd video online on any topic that interests you. Take
note of the important lines that the speaker has presented in his/her speech.
List down direct and indirect speech taken from the video and report to the class
the important statements of the speaker.
2. Have them talk about the activity using the questions from the Warm Up.
● What was more difficult to take note of, the direct or indirect speech? Why?
● Was it useful to review and watch the video again? Why or why not?
● Do you prefer using indirect speeches when reporting a video assignment like
this? Why or why not?

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

B. Lesson Proper

Springboard

The teacher may say:

“In communication, especially in speaking, we must be able to instantly transform a
form of speech to a different one. This is because unlike in writing, there is little time
to think. With that said, it is important that we master the rules in changing speech
form. In this lesson, we will learn how to change direct speech to indirect speech
and vice versa.”

Review

Before proceeding to the lesson proper, ask the students the following:

● What are the rules in changing direct speech to indirect speech and vice
versa?

Presentation of Lesson

1. After the review of the lesson, proceed to the lesson proper.

2. If using technology, start from slide 8 of the slide presentation.
Presentation File Link

Discussion

Use the discussion below to further explain the rules in changing direct speech to
indirect speech and vice versa.

In changing direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa, there are rules that
need to be followed. Below are the following rules:

General Rules

1. Remove/add quotation marks and commas.

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

Examples:

Direct: “Remove all the shells before fixing the shelf,'' she demanded.
Indirect: She demanded that I remove all the shells before fixing the shelf.

Add quotation marks and a comma if it is a direct speech and remove them if it
is not.

2. Use the conjunctions that, if, and whether after the reporting verb.

Examples:

Direct: “Remove all the shells before fixing the shelf,'' she demanded.
Indirect: She demanded that I remove all the shells before fixing the shelf.

4. The tense of the reporting verb should not be changed.

Examples:

Direct: “Remove all the shells before fixing the shelf,'' she demanded.
Indirect: She demanded that I remove all the shells before fixing the shelf.

Verb Tense
There are different ways to change the speech form depending on the verb tense.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Simple She said, “I feel Simple She said that she felt
Present discombobulated.” Past discombobulated.

Present “The fruits are Past He complained that the

Continuous rotting,'' he Continuous fruits were rotting.
complained.

Present Jenny said, “I have Past Jenny said that she had
Perfect broken my newest Perfect broken her newest phone.
phone.”

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

Present “I have been sitting Past Cathy said that she had
Perfect here for two hours,'' Perfect been sitting there for two
Continuous Cathy said. Continuous hours.

Past Simple Mother said, “I baked Past Mother said that she had
some cookies for you.” Perfect baked some cookies for
him/her/me.

Past Clifford said, “I was Past Clifford said that he had

Continuous watching my favorite Perfect been watching his favorite
movie.” Continuous movie.

Past “The party had Past Ryan said that the party
Perfect already started Perfect had already started
before I arrived,'' Ryan before he arrived.
said.

Past Ken said, “I had been Past Ken said that he had been
Perfect fixing the TV before Perfect fixing the TV before
Continuous you came.” Continuous he/she/you came.

Modal Verbs
The modal verbs can, shall, must, will, and may transform to could, should, had
to, would, and might respectively. However, if the direct speech already used
could, should, had to, would, and might, there is no need to change them at all.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Gina said, “I can do anything I Gina said he/she could do anything

want.” he/she wanted.

“I shall check your papers The teacher said he/she should check
tomorrow”, the teacher said. their papers the next day.

“The payment must be collected”, I I said that the payment had to be

said. collected.

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

The teller said, “The package will The teller said that the package would
arrive tomorrow.” arrive the next day.

“May I borrow your notebooks?”, Gabby asked if he might borrow

Gabby asked. his/her notebooks.

Pronouns
First person pronouns like I, me, my, we, us, and our in the reported speech
change based on the subject of the reporting verb. In the example below, the first
pronoun “I” changes to either “he” or “she” since the gender of the teacher, which is
the subject of the reporting verb, is not certain.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

“I shall check your papers The teacher said he/she should check
tomorrow”, the teacher said. their papers tomorrow.

Changing the pronouns like you and your in the reported speech, depends on the
object of the reporting verb. In the example below, the pronoun “you” changes to “I”
since object of the reporting verb is “me”.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

“You need to rectify the mistake,'' Jason told me that I needed to rectify
Jason said to me. the mistake.

The third person pronoun in the reported speech does not change.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Carol said, “He/she needs to take Carol said that he/she needed to take
the medication.” the medication.

Questions

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

When transforming questions, the reporting verb “said” for example changes to
“asked” or “inquired”. In the reported speech of indirect speech, the verb should
come after the noun it modifies.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

“May I borrow your notebooks?”, Gabby asked if he might borrow

Gabby asked. his/her notebooks.

I asked, “Will you present your I asked whether he/she would present
research at the conference?” his/her research at the conference.

Place and Time

Because there are different time and place expressions, there are also different
ways we can transform a direct speech to indirect speech in terms of time and
place. Below are some examples.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

My mother said, “We need to go My mother said that we needed to go

right now.” right then.

I said, “I fixed the chair yesterday.” I said that I had fixed the chair the
other day.

“I am sure that I left it here,'' Jonah Jonah said that she was sure she had
said. left it there.

Command and Request

In changing a command sentence into indirect speech, the imperative verb should
be transformed to infinitive. The usual introductory words in indirect speech are
suggested, ordered, and demanded. In a request sentence, polite expressions
should be dropped in indirect speech.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

My father said, “Clean the backyard My father ordered me to clean the

before playing outside.” backyard before playing outside.

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

I said to her, “Please forgive me.” I asked her to forgive me.

In transforming direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa, there are several
rules to take into account. Most of the time, one sentence involves different
grammar rules. That is why it is important that we master the different grammar
rules which have been discussed in the previous lessons. Otherwise, it would be
difficult to correctly change speech form.

Web Box

Have the students watch this video so they can practice transforming direct
speech to indirect speech and vice versa.

Evaluation

Drills

Ask the students to accomplish the following drills and speaking prompt. You may
print copies of the worksheet from here.

Identify whether the statement is true or false.

1. A sentence with direct speech should have a reporting verb in its past tense.
(true)
2. Question marks should be used to enclose the exact statement of the
speaker. (false)
3. A comma should be used to separate the reporting verb and the speaker’s
sentence. (true)
4. It is necessary to put the exact words of the speaker in an indirect speech.
(false)
5. In an indirect speech, the verb that the speaker used should be changed to
past tense. (true)
6. In changing a question with direct speech, the verb should be put before the
subject of the reported speech. (false)

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

7. The modal verbs like could, should, and might not need to be transformed in
indirect speech. (true)
8. In reporting imperative sentence, the imperative verb remains imperative.
(false)
9. In changing direct speech with past perfect tense to indirect speech, the past
perfect tense remains. (true)
10. The word “nor” becomes “then” when changing from direct speech to indirect
speech. (true)

Transform the direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa.

1. He said to me, “You have to complete your job.”

He told me that I needed to complete my job.
2. “Will they visit us on Christmas Eve?”, Carol asked.
Carol asked whether they would visit them on Christmas Eve.
3. He demanded that I needed to assemble the team right then.
“You need to assemble the team right now,'' he demanded.
4. Sasha told Amirah, “Disregard the first order.”
Sasha told Amirah to disregard the first order.
5. Janos said that he had been singing for an hour.
Janos said, “I have been singing for an hour.”
6. “I love cooking,'' she exclaimed.
She exclaimed that she loved cooking.
7. He asked her, “Can you operate on that kid?”
He asked her if she could operate on that kid.
8. She asked what they should do to mitigate the effect.
“What shall we do to mitigate the effect?” she asked.
9. “Shut the door right now,'' the teacher demanded of me.
The teacher demanded that I shut the door right then.
10. He asked if I had waxed the floor already.
He asked, “Have you waxed the floor already?

Construct sentences based on the requirements below. Then, transform

all sentences accordingly.

1. Direct – simple present

2. Indirect – past perfect continuous
3. Direct – modal verb

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

4. Direct – question
5. Indirect – command

Values Integration
To relate the students’ learning to real-world situations, ask them this question:
How can your knowledge and skill on changing direct speech to indirect
speech and vice versa help you relay important information to other people
effectively?

Synthesis

Synthesis Activity

1. Divide the class into five groups.

2. Instruct each group to do the following:
● Examine the given sentences and their transformed versions.
● If the transformation is correct, explain why it is correct.
● If the transformation is erroneous, explain what is wrong and do the correct
transformation.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Tony exclaimed, “I will pray for the Tony exclaimed that she will pray for the
success of the activity.” success of the activity.

“Have you done all of your The teacher asked us whether we had
assignments?”, the teacher asked us. done all of our assignments.

“Leave this place right now”, I ordered I ordered them that leave this place right
them. now.

Bruce said, “We should vacate this Bruce said that we shall vacate this
place.” place.

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“I was jogging at the park”, Peter said. Peter said that he had been jogging at
the park.

3. Have each group present their outputs in front of the class.

4. Ask the following questions to guide the students in processing:
● What enabled you to identify the mistakes?
● How were you able to correct the mistakes?
● What should one remember when changing direct speech to indirect speech
and vice versa?

Possible Answers to the Essential Question

Possible answer 1: One of the key things to take into account when changing direct
speech to indirect speech and vice versa is the verb tense. We need to make sure that the
transformation of the tense of the verb in the reported speech follows the correct
grammar rule.

Possible answer 2: One of the key things to take into account when changing direct
speech to indirect speech and vice versa is the verb tense is the sentence type. In
changing an interrogative sentence for example, we need to make sure that the order the
subject and verb in both direct and indirect speech is done correctly. In direct speech, the
reported question follows the regular question form, but in indirect speech, the reported
question is transformed into a statement after adding words like “if” or “whether.”

Assignment
Instruct the students to do the following at home.

1. Read a story or novel you have read before. Look for five sentences with direct
speech and another five sentences with indirect speech.
2. Transform the 10 sentences accordingly.
3. Explain at least four processes you did to transform some of the sentences. Make
sure to answer in paragraph form.

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 Unit 18: Direct and Indirect Speech • Grade 9

Web Box

As an alternative, students may submit their assignments on verbals via Google Drive.
Assign the folder where all outputs will be saved.

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