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Direct and Indirect Speech English Worksheet Grade 5

Direct and Indirect Speech worksheet for Grade 5 with simple exercises to help students master reporting speech in English.
authorImageNivedita Dar8 Jan, 2026
Class 7 Maths Chapter 3

A direct and indirect speech worksheet is a helpful tool that teaches 5th graders how to talk about what someone else said. It helps kids learn the difference between using a person's exact words with "speech marks" and just explaining the idea in their own words. This practice helps students become better storytellers and clearer communicators

Mastering the Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet for Class 5

Direct and Indirect Speech is an important grammar topic for Class 5 students. It helps children learn how to report what someone has said in two different ways. A Direct and Indirect Speech worksheet for Class 5 is a great tool to practice this skill in a clear and fun way.

Direct Speech: This involves repeating the exact words spoken. Quotation marks or inverted commas are always used.

  • Example: She said, "I am playing."

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech): This involves reporting what someone said without using their exact words. The "that" conjunction is often used, and quotation marks are removed.  

  • Example: She said that she was playing.

Direct and Indirect Rules with Practice Exercises

To effectively complete a direct and indirect speech worksheet, students must follow specific transformation rules regarding tenses, pronouns, and time expressions

  • Tense Changes: Generally, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense in the reported speech moves one step back (e.g., Simple Present becomes Simple Past).

  • Removal of Punctuation: It is something we need to do. We need to remove commas and inverted commas that're between the words people say. This is because these punctuation marks separate the words. So removal of punctuation, like this helps.

  • Pronoun Shift: Pronouns change based on the relationship between the speaker and the listener.

Sample Exercises

Direct: She said, "I am happy." Indirect: She said that she was happy.

Direct: He said, "I have won the match." Indirect: He said that he had won the match.

Direct: "I will go to the market," said John. Indirect: John said that he would go to the market.

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Direct and Indirect Speech Worksheet FAQs

How do I change a sentence from direct to indirect speech?

To change a sentence, remove the quotation marks, add the word "that" (optional in some cases), change the pronoun to match the speaker, and shift the tense of the verb backward.

Does the tense always change in indirect speech?

If the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., "He says"), the tense inside the quotation marks usually does not change. Tense shifts primarily happen when the reporting verb is in the past (e.g., "He said").

How do reporting verbs like 'said' or 'told' change the sentence?

If the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verbs inside the speech marks must "backshift" in time. However, if the reporting verb is in the present tense (e.g., "He says"), the tense inside the speech marks usually stays the same.

Can CuriousJr English Learning course help with my school worksheets?

Absolutely. CuriousJr English Learning course covers the fundamental logic behind speech transformation, making it much easier to solve any direct and indirect speech worksheet provided in school.

What is the most common mistake in direct and indirect speech?

Most students forget to change the tense or the time expressions (like changing "now" to "then" or "today" to "that day"). Practicing with a worksheet helps make these changes habitual.
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