Direct and Indirect Speech
ICSE · Class 10 · English Language - Archer
Summary of Direct and Indirect Speech for ICSE Class 10 English Language - Archer. Key concepts, important points, and chapter overview.
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Direct speech and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what somebody says. Direct speech gives the exact words of the speaker, while indirect speech reports the meaning of those words without quotation marks. In reported speech, tense, time words, position words, reporting verbs, and sentence f
Key Concepts
Direct speech repeats the exact words
Direct speech repeats the exact words of the speaker, usually inside quotation marks.
Indirect speech reports the meaning
Indirect speech reports the meaning of what was said without using the exact words.
The verb that introduces the spoken
The verb that introduces the spoken words, such as said, asked, requested, ordered, or suggested.
When the reporting verb is
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense in reported speech usually changes: simple present to simple past, present continuous to past
If the reporting verb is
If the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the difference between direct speech and indirect speech.
- Learn how tense changes when the reporting verb is in the past tense.
- Recognize when tense does not change, especially with present or future reporting verbs.
- Apply the rules for changing time words and position words.
- Use the correct reporting verbs for statements, questions, requests, commands, suggestions, and warnings.
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