Key Reported Speech Concepts for Class 5 English Grammar (2025-26)
Today we will study an exciting topic “Reported speech”. Reported speech refers to how we have interpreted the words of the speaker. In simple terms, Reported speech refers to reporting the speech of the speaker i.e. whether conveying directly the words of the speaker or indirectly conveying after altering the words of the speaker. For good understanding and idea clarity, practice questions and solved examples are provided throughout the article. Let's start our journey on this pretty topic.
English Grammar
Parts of Reported Speech in a Sentence
Speech Used Directly and Indirectly. There are two methods we can record a speaker's words:
1. By reiterating the speaker's precise words.
2. By retelling only the pertinent portions of his remarks.
Reported verb
Reported speech
The Convey of Speech
For Example
1. “Anand is a good boy,” Ram said.
2. Ram praised Anand for being a decent youngster.
We paraphrase or quote the speaker's precise words in the first sentence. Direct speech or narration is what this is. Here, we enclose the speaker's exact words in quotation marks (" ") and add a colon after the word "said." The first word is capitalised and placed within quotation marks.
The second portion of the sentence is separated from the reporting verb by a comma. The reporting verb "said" and the reported speech "Anand is a good boy." are both used in the first sentence.
Reporting Verb
The part of the sentence which is not in the inverted commas is called the reported verb.
When we change direct speech into indirect speech then there are 3 types/ forms of changes that take place.
Change of person
Change of tense and
Change of other parts of speech
Reporting Speech
The part of the sentence which is under inverted commas is called reporting speech.
The second part of the sentence refers to some other person, universal facts, imaginary parts, historical facts, happening events, etc.
For example, Shyam said, “TheTaj Mahal was built by Shahjahan.”
Here the sentence “Taj Mahal was built by Shahjahan” is the reported speech.
Basically, there are two types of speech.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Conversation Between 2 Persons
Direct Speech
It refers to reporting the exact words spoken by the speaker. There is no change in the verb or the sentence.
For example, Ram said to Riya, “go to school”
Priya asked Ram, “where is her bag”
Ratan enquired Raman,” why was he not picking up her call”.
Rules of Direct Speech
Quotes or inverted commas should be used to begin a speech.
The term said is used to join two sentences together.
At the end of the sentence, utilise the reporting clause.
A full stop should be placed at the end of the sentence.
It is the speech that communicates what someone has said but does not explain what the person has stated. It only provides the core narrative of what is spoken.
Indirect Speech
This refers to reporting the words spoken by the speaker in the third person. There will be a few changes in the verb or the sentence.
For example,
Direct: He says, “I will be on leave from the 12th.”
Indirect: He says that he will be on leave from the 12th.
Direct: Sheena said, “My parents are doing much better.”
Indirect: Sheena informed her parents are doing much better now.
Rules of Indirect Speech
The past tense is used when the situation is uncertain.
The present tense of a statement is transformed into the past tense through indirect speaking.
The tense of universal facts remains constant.
The term "that" connects the reported verb and sentence.
Difference Between Direct Speech and Indirect Speech
Word Meaning
Practice Question
Rewrite the following sentence converting from direct speech to indirect speech.
He said, “I live in the city centre”.
He said, “I am going out”.
He said, “I have finished”.
He said, “I have been studying a lot”.
He said, “I arrived before you”.
Answers:
He said he lived in the city centre.
He said he was going out.
He said he had finished.
He said he had been studying a lot.
He said he had arrived before me.
Importance of Reported Speech in English Grammar for Class 5
Introducing direct and indirect speech for Class 5 is very beneficial and crucial in developing language skills among the students. Besides speaking ability, students can understand the various changes while reading the lessons; they can easily identify the speaker's tone and how he is conveying the message to others. It also benefits them in developing writing skills like writing essays, autobiographies, etc.
Practicing direct and indirect speech exercises in Class 5 also helps to understand the tenses and how the verb changes from one speech to another speech.
To get fluency in all language skills, reported speech is very useful. Even though it is quite confusing, once you get a command on the topic, it is easy to solve any question asked from it.
Direct and indirect speech for Class 5 is only at a basic level. Students can understand easily and can convert them as this foundation will be strong, and the advanced levels will become easier in the upcoming classes.
Examples of Reported Speech for Class 5
Let's have a glance at a few examples of both direct speech and indirect speech.
The teacher said to Shelly, “Why are you laughing?”
Dhronacharya said to Arjun, “Shoot the fish’s eye.”
My mother said to me, “You were wrong.”
Mr. Richard said to me, “Please wait here till I return.”
The captain said to me, “Bravo! You have played well.”
“Call the first convict,” said the jury.
“Call the ambulance,” said the man.
Bruce said to me, “I shall do the work.”
Examples for indirect speech:-
Dhronacharya ordered Arjun to shoot the fish’s eye.
The jury was ordered to call the first convict.
The captain applauded me, saying that I had played well.
The man urged to call the ambulance.
Bruce said to me he would do the work.
My mother told me that I was wrong.
Mr. Richard requested me to wait there till he returned.
Download Direct And Indirect Speech Worksheets With Answers Class 5 PDF
As the topic of reported speech requires practice, downloading a free PDF of Class 5 English Chapter 7 can be of great help for the students. The reported speech for Class 5 will be divided into two topics like direct speech and indirect speech.
Direct and indirect speech for Class 5 PDF contains proper definitions, examples, and conversion rules for direct speech, and indirect speech. These are provided in separate practicing worksheets with the solutions.
Our subject experts prepared the content and exercises in a simple language. Also, providing direct and indirect speech worksheets at various levels helps to access the children and develop themselves slowly level by level.
Students can practice whenever and wherever they want with these free PDF. Also, they can clarify their doubts through live chats with the subject experts.
Vedantu makes it easier to understand direct and indirect speech in a simplified manner. So that children can enjoy learning and be excited to work on the worksheets.
Summary
The only distinction between direct and indirect speech is in transmitting actual words and pirated words, with authentic words expressed in direct speech and pirated words presented in indirect speech. A sentence with inverted commas is considered direct speech, whereas a sentence with a conjunction is considered indirect communication.
FAQs on Learn Reported Speech Easily: CBSE Class 5 English Grammar Guide
1. What are the most important rules to remember when changing direct speech to reported speech for the CBSE Class 5 exam 2025-26?
For the Class 5 exam, the key is to follow a few simple steps. First, remove the quotation marks. Second, add the word 'that' after the reporting verb (like 'said' or 'told'). Third, change the tense of the verb inside the quotes, usually one step back (e.g., present becomes past). Finally, make sure to change the pronouns (like 'I' to 'he/she') and words indicating time and place (like 'today' to 'that day').
2. What types of questions on reported speech are frequently asked in Class 5 English exams?
In Class 5 exams, you can expect a few common question formats for reported speech. The most important type is converting a sentence from direct speech to indirect (reported) speech. You may also find fill-in-the-blanks where you need to choose the correct reporting verb or changed tense. Sometimes, you might be asked to change a sentence from indirect back to direct speech.
3. How do we change questions (interrogative sentences) into reported speech? Give an important example.
When changing a question to reported speech, the reporting verb changes to asked or enquired. If the question starts with a Wh-word (what, where, when), you use the same word to connect. If it's a yes/no question, you use if or whether. Importantly, the question format changes to a statement. For example, 'He said, "Where are you going?"' becomes 'He asked where I was going.'
4. How should pronouns be changed when converting a sentence to reported speech? This is an important part of scoring marks.
Changing pronouns correctly is crucial. The rule is simple: the first-person pronoun (I, we, me, my) changes according to the subject of the reporting verb. The second-person pronoun (you, your) changes according to the object of the reporting verb. Third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they) do not change. For example, 'She said to me, "I like your book."' becomes 'She told me that she liked my book.'
5. Why does the tense of the verb often change in reported speech? Is there any situation where it doesn't?
The tense usually changes because we are reporting something that was said in the past. If the reporting verb is in the past tense (like 'said'), the event has already happened, so the reported verb must also be in a past form. However, the tense does not change if the statement is a universal truth (e.g., 'The sun rises in the east') or if the reporting verb is in the present or future tense (e.g., 'He says...' or 'He will say...').
6. What is the most common mistake students make in reported speech questions, and how can it be avoided in the exam?
The most common mistake is forgetting to change the tense of the verb. For instance, leaving 'is' as 'is' instead of changing it to 'was'. Another frequent error is not changing the words of time and place, like forgetting to change 'now' to 'then'. To avoid this, always double-check two things before finalising your answer: the verb tense and the time/place words. This simple check can help you score full marks.
7. Besides tenses and pronouns, what other important word changes should a Class 5 student know for reported speech questions?
Yes, several other words that show nearness in time or place must be changed to show distance. Paying attention to these is important for getting the answer completely right. Key examples include:
Now → then
Today → that day
Yesterday → the previous day or the day before
Tomorrow → the next day or the following day
Here → there
This → that
