Changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech – Differentiated Worksheet

Consolidate Understanding of Quoted Speech and Reported Speech

This writing activity gives your students lots of opportunities to practise converting quoted (direct) speech to reported (indirect) speech. A number of changes need to be made during the process of converting quoted to reported speech. These include:

• removing the quotation marks 
• sometimes changing the reporting verb (e.g. ‘said’ might become ‘told’)
• usually changing the tense of the verbs within the quotation marks.

In this worksheet, ten sentences that include quoted speech are provided. Students convert each sentence from quoted speech to reported speech.  

An answer key is included with your download to make grading fast and easy!  

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding  

In addition to individual student work time, use this worksheet as:

• an English Group Activity
• a homework assignment
• whole-class review (via smartboard.)

The worksheet comes in two differentiated versions. Reading levels and the amount of writing required vary. The worksheet labelled with a square is more challenging than the one labelled with a triangle. 

You could further modify the resource/write new sentences by using the Google Slides version.

Easily Download & Print

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. 

Because this resource includes an answer sheet, we recommend you print one copy of the entire file. Then make photocopies of the blank worksheet for students to complete.

To save paper, we suggest printing this 2-page worksheet double-sided. 

Turn this teaching resource into a sustainable activity by printing on thick card and slipping it into a write-and-wipe sleeve. Students can record their answers with a whiteboard marker, then erase and reuse. 

Additionally, project the worksheet onto a screen and work through it as a class by having students record their answers in their notebooks. 

Get more handy worksheets here!

---

This resource was created by Jennifer Hall, a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities to shorten your lesson planning time:  

teaching resource Changing Indirect Speech to Direct Speech – Differentiated Worksheet Practise converting indirect speech to direct speech with this worksheet. teaching resource Direct and Indirect Speech in Comics – Worksheet Consolidate understanding of direct and indirect speech with this set of worksheets. teaching resource Direct and Indirect Speech Board Game Explore direct and indirect speech with this board game.