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KS3 · Grammar

Y8.4 Reported Speech

Calculators not allowed · about 50 minutes

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided. Write in full sentences where asked.

The Museum Trip Mix-up

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Written specifically for this worksheet as a short narrative mixing direct and reported speech for grammar practice.

Mr Ahmed counted the group for the third time. 'We are missing two people,' he said, frowning at his clipboard.

'Isn't Zak still by the gift shop?' asked Leah, glancing back towards the entrance.

Mr Ahmed sighed and told the group that they would have to wait five more minutes. 'If they are not here by half past ten, the coach will leave without them,' he warned.

A few moments later, Zak came jogging across the courtyard with Priya close behind. 'We got completely lost near the dinosaur gallery,' Zak explained, still out of breath.

'I am so sorry,' Priya added. 'We will not wander off again.'

Mr Ahmed smiled with relief and said that he was just glad they were both safe.

Look again at the source text 'The Museum Trip Mix-up'. For each sentence below, identify whether it is DIRECT speech (the speaker's exact words, marked with inverted commas) or REPORTED speech (the speaker's words retold by the narrator, without inverted commas).

(a)'We are missing two people,' he said.(1)

(b)Mr Ahmed sighed and told the group that they would have to wait five more minutes.(1)

(c)'We got completely lost near the dinosaur gallery,' Zak explained.(1)

(d)Mr Ahmed smiled with relief and said that he was just glad they were both safe.(1)

Which of the following best defines reported (indirect) speech?

A) Speech that uses inverted commas to show the speaker's exact words
B) Speech that retells what someone said, without using inverted commas or their exact original words
C) Speech that is always written as a question
D) Speech that can only be used by a narrator describing their own thoughts

The reporting verb in reported speech (e.g. 'said', 'explained', 'asked') is normally in the past tense. What effect does this usually have on the tense of the words being reported?

A) The tense stays exactly the same as it was in the original words
B) The tense usually moves one step further into the past (it 'backshifts')
C) The tense always changes into the future
D) Reported speech has no tense at all

Each phrase below is part of someone's exact (direct) words. Give the correctly backshifted form each phrase would take once it is reported.

(a)"I like chocolate." -> She said that she ___ chocolate.(1)

(b)"I am walking to school." -> She said that she ___ to school.(1)

(c)"I have finished my homework." -> She said that she ___ her homework.(1)

(d)"I will help you tomorrow." -> She said that she ___ me the next day.(1)

(e)"I can swim." -> She said that she ___.(1)

(f)"I must leave now." -> She said that she ___ then.(1)

As well as verb tenses, some words showing time and place also change when direct speech becomes reported speech. Give the reported form of each word or phrase below.

(a)today(1)

(b)tomorrow(1)

(c)yesterday(1)

(d)here(1)

(e)now(1)

Convert this direct speech into reported speech, beginning with the words given: 'I am feeling a bit nervous,' said Zak. Zak said that ...

(2)

Convert this direct speech into reported speech, beginning with the words given: 'We will finish the project by Friday,' explained Priya. Priya explained that ...

(2)

Convert this direct speech into reported speech, beginning with the words given: 'I have already finished my homework,' Leah said. Leah said that ...

(2)

Convert this direct question into reported speech, using 'if' or 'whether': 'Can you help me carry these boxes?' Priya asked Zak.

(3)

Convert this direct command into reported speech, beginning with the words given: 'Please tidy your books away,' said the teacher. The teacher told the class ...

(2)

This sentence is reported speech: 'Zak explained that he was lost near the dinosaur gallery.' Convert it back into what Zak actually said, using correct direct speech punctuation.

(3)

Identify and correct the error in this reported sentence: 'Leah said that she is tired.'

(2)

Identify and correct the error in this reported sentence: 'Zak told he was lost.'

(2)

Identify and correct the error in this reported sentence: 'Priya asked did Zak want to come to the museum.'

(2)

Identify and correct the error in this reported sentence: Mr Ahmed said that "the coach would leave at nine."

(2)

Below is a paragraph of reported speech with several errors. Rewrite it correctly, correcting every error you can find.

'leah said that she is going home now and that she will meet us their tomorrow. zak told he was tired too and said that he can not wait to get some sleep.'

(6)

Convert each direct sentence below into reported speech, beginning with the words given.

(a)'I will bring some snacks for everyone tomorrow,' said Priya. Priya said that ...(2)

(b)'Where did you leave the tickets?' Mr Ahmed asked Leah. Mr Ahmed asked Leah ...(2)

Write a short account (approximately 70-100 words) of a conversation between two people, told mostly in reported speech. Your account must include: at least one reported statement, at least one reported question, and at least two different examples of backshifted tenses (e.g. present to past, will to would, can to could). Underline each of these three required features in your answer.

(8)

Mark scheme · Y8.4 Reported Speech

Question 1

(a) B1 direct speech
(a) Answer: Direct speech
(b) B1 reported speech
(b) Answer: Reported speech
(c) B1 direct speech
(c) Answer: Direct speech
(d) B1 reported speech
(d) Answer: Reported speech

Question 2

B1 B
Answer: B

Question 3

B1 B
Answer: B

Question 4

(a) B1 liked
(a) Answer: liked
(b) B1 was walking
(b) Answer: was walking
(c) B1 had finished
(c) Answer: had finished
(d) B1 would help
(d) Answer: would help
(e) B1 could swim
(e) Answer: could swim
(f) B1 had to leave
(f) Answer: had to leave

Question 5

(a) B1 that day
(a) Answer: that day
(b) B1 the next day (oe the following day)
(b) Answer: the next day
(c) B1 the day before (oe the previous day)
(c) Answer: the day before
(d) B1 there
(d) Answer: there
(e) B1 then
(e) Answer: then

Question 6

B1 pronoun correctly changed from 'I' to 'he'
B1 tense correctly backshifted from 'am feeling' to 'was feeling', cao
Answer: Zak said that he was feeling a bit nervous.

Question 7

B1 pronoun correctly changed from 'we' to 'they'
B1 tense correctly backshifted from 'will finish' to 'would finish', cao
Answer: Priya explained that they would finish the project by Friday.

Question 8

B1 pronouns correctly changed from 'I' to 'she' and 'my' to 'her'
B1 tense correctly backshifted from 'have finished' to 'had finished', cao
Answer: Leah said that she had already finished her homework.

Question 9

B1 reported using 'asked if' or 'asked whether', with normal statement word order and no question mark
B1 modal correctly backshifted from 'can' to 'could'
B1 pronouns correctly changed: 'you' to 'he', 'me' to 'her', cao
Answer: Priya asked Zak if he could help her carry the boxes.

Question 10

B1 reported command uses the infinitive form 'to tidy', with no 'that' clause and 'please' dropped
B1 pronoun correctly changed from 'your' to 'their', cao
Answer: The teacher told the class to tidy their books away.

Question 11

B1 pronoun correctly changed back from 'he' to 'I'
B1 tense correctly changed back from 'was' to 'am' (undoing the backshift)
B1 correct direct speech punctuation: opening and closing inverted commas around the exact words, comma before the reporting clause, cao
Answer: "I am lost near the dinosaur gallery," Zak explained.

Question 12

B1 identifies that the tense has not been backshifted ('is' should not stay in the present tense)
B1 correct rewrite: Leah said that she was tired, cao
Answer: Leah said that she was tired.

Question 13

B1 identifies that 'told' cannot be followed directly by 'that' or a clause without naming who was told
B1 correct rewrite: Zak said that he was lost (oe Zak told us that he was lost), cao
Answer: Zak said that he was lost.

Question 14

B1 identifies that reported questions use normal statement word order, not the inverted question order 'did Zak want'
B1 correct rewrite: Priya asked if Zak wanted to come to the museum, cao
Answer: Priya asked if Zak wanted to come to the museum.

Question 15

B1 identifies that inverted commas should not be used, since these are not the speaker's exact original words
B1 correct rewrite with the inverted commas removed: Mr Ahmed said that the coach would leave at nine, cao
Answer: Mr Ahmed said that the coach would leave at nine.

Question 16

Level 0 (0): No accurate corrections made; errors remain uncorrected or new errors introduced.
Level 1 (1-2): A few errors corrected (e.g. capital letters or one tense backshift), with most other errors remaining.
Level 2 (3-4): Most errors corrected, including at least one tense backshift, one time/place adverb change and the correction to 'told', with occasional inaccuracies remaining.
Level 3 (5-6): All errors corrected accurately, including every tense backshift, both time/place adverb changes, the 'their'/'there' homophone and the correction to 'told', demonstrating secure control of reported speech throughout.
Indicative content:
- Capital letters added for 'Leah' and 'Zak' at the start of each sentence
- 'is going' backshifted correctly to 'was going'
- 'now' changed to 'then', since this is no longer the narrator's present moment
- 'their' corrected to 'there' (homophone; the place adverb is right in meaning but wrongly spelled)
- 'will meet' backshifted correctly to 'would meet'
- 'tomorrow' changed to 'the next day', since this is reported speech
- 'zak told he was tired' corrected to 'Zak said that he was tired' (or 'Zak told us that he was tired'), since 'told' needs a person as its object
- 'can not' backshifted correctly to 'could not'

Question 17

(a) B1 pronoun and tense correctly changed: 'I' to 'she', 'will bring' to 'would bring'
(a) B1 'tomorrow' correctly changed to 'the next day', cao
(a) Answer: Priya said that she would bring some snacks for everyone the next day.
(b) B1 the wh-word 'where' is kept, with normal statement word order (no inverted 'did')
(b) B1 pronoun and tense correctly changed: 'you' to 'she', 'did leave' backshifted to 'had left', cao
(b) Answer: Mr Ahmed asked Leah where she had left the tickets.

Question 18

AO5: Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-2): Simple account of a conversation; little sense of a clear reporting voice or organisation.
- Level 2 (3): A recognisable, mostly coherent account of a conversation; ideas are generally well sequenced.
- Level 3 (4): A clear, engaging and well-organised account of a conversation, told convincingly through a consistent reporting voice.
AO6: Technical accuracy (reported speech) (AO6)
- Level 1 (1): Limited accuracy; the required features (reported statement, reported question, two backshifted tenses) are mostly missing or used incorrectly.
- Level 2 (2-3): Most of the required features are present and mostly accurate, with occasional errors.
- Level 3 (4): All required features are present, clearly marked and used accurately, with no inverted commas wrongly used and a controlled range of reporting verbs.

Reported Speech - Worksheets, Questions and Revision