Hello, little word reporter! Meet two special friends. Their names are Polly Parrot and Robby Reporter. Polly repeats words exactly as she hears them. She uses Direct Speech. Robby tells you what someone said in his own words. He uses Indirect Speech. They help us share what people say every day! When we use someone's exact words, that is Direct Speech. It has talking marks. When we tell what someone said in our own words, that is Inditive Speech. It has no talking marks. Let's follow Polly and Robby to learn the most common Direct and Indirect Speech for Kindergarten students at home, the playground, school, and in nature.
What is Direct and Indirect Speech? Direct Speech is like a perfect echo. You copy the words exactly. You put them inside "talking marks". You also say who is talking. Polly Parrot is great at this. She says: Mom said, "Time for dinner!" Those are Mom's exact words inside the marks. Indirect Speech is like a short news report. You tell the idea of what was said. You do not use the exact same words. You do not use talking marks. Robby Reporter is great at this. He says: Mom said it was time for dinner. This is one of the most common Direct and Indirect Speech patterns for Kindergarten students. Both ways help us share stories.
Why are Polly and Robby Your Speaking Friends? Using Direct and Indirect Speech makes you a great storyteller. It helps your ears listen. You can hear the difference between exact words and reported words. It helps your mouth speak. You can act out a story with direct speech. You can quickly tell news with indirect speech. It helps your eyes read. You see "talking marks" and know a character is speaking. It helps your hand write. You can write fun conversations or tell someone a message. They help you share the words of others clearly.
What are the Two Ways to Share Words? Polly and Robby have their own special styles. Each style has its own look.
Polly's Way: Direct Speech (The Exact Words). This uses "quotation marks" or "talking marks". It often uses a speaking verb like 'said', 'shouted', 'asked'. The words go inside the marks. A comma often comes before the marks. At home: Dad said, "Please close the door." At school: The teacher asked, "Who can help?" On the playground: My friend shouted, "Catch the ball!" In nature: I heard the bird say, "Tweet, tweet!"
Robby's Way: Indirect Speech (The Report). This does NOT use talking marks. It often uses the word 'that' after the speaking verb. The spoken words often change a little bit. The most common change for little kids is changing 'I' to 'he/she' and 'my' to 'his/her'. At home: Dad said that I should close the door. At school: The teacher asked who could help. On the playground: My friend shouted for me to catch the ball. In nature: I heard a bird chirping.
How Can You Spot Polly's and Robby's Work? Polly and Robby leave special clues. Look for these signs.
Look for the Talking Marks (" "). If you see "these marks", it is Polly's work. It is Direct Speech. The words inside are the exact words spoken.
Look for the Word "That". After 'said', 'told', or 'asked', the word 'that' often starts the reported words. This is Robby's work. It is Indirect Speech. "She said that she was happy."
Listen for Speaking Verbs. Words like 'said', 'told', 'asked', 'shouted', 'whispered' tell you someone is sharing speech. Find them. Then look for marks or the word 'that'.
Ask the "How" Question. Ask: "How is this person sharing the words?" Are they using the exact same words (Polly/Direct)? Or are they telling me about the words (Robby/Indirect)?
How Do We Share Words Each Way? Using them is simple. Follow Polly and Robby's favorite sentence paths.
Polly's Path for Exact Words: [Speaker] + said/shouted/asked + , + "[Exact Words]." Mom said, "Come here." The boy shouted, "Look out!" I asked, "Can I play?"
Robby's Path for a Report: [Speaker] + said/told/asked + (that) + [Reported Words]. Mom said that I should come here. The boy shouted to look out. I asked if I could play.
The "No Change" Rule for Little Kids. For Kindergarten students, we keep it very simple. We often do not change the tense. We just change the person. "I am tired." -> She said she is tired. "My toy is red." -> He said his toy is red.
Let’s Fix Some Reporting Mistakes! Sometimes Polly and Robby get mixed up. Let's help them.
Mixing Up Talking Marks. Wrong: Dad said that, "close the door." You cannot use 'that' and talking marks together. Choose one way. Right (Polly's Way): Dad said, "Close the door." Right (Robby's Way): Dad said that I should close the door.
Forgetting the Comma in Direct Speech. Wrong: Mom said "hello." Before the talking marks, we usually need a comma. Right: Mom said, "Hello."
Using "Said" Without a Listener for 'Told'. Wrong: She said me to come. The word 'said' is not followed by a person. Use 'told' for a person. Right: She told me to come. OR She said to come.
Confusing "Say" and "Tell". Use 'say' for the words. Use 'tell' for the person + the words. "Tell me a story." "Say your name."
Can You Be a Word Reporter? Let's play. I will say a sentence in direct speech. You change it to indirect speech. Polly says: "I am happy." How would Robby report that? Good! "Polly said she is happy." Now, I will say a report. You give me the exact words. Robby says: My sister said she was hungry. What did she say exactly? Good! "I am hungry." Well done, reporter!
Polly and Robby's 100 Common Speech Sentences. Here are one hundred ways to share what people say. They are common Direct and Indirect Speech for Kindergarten students.
Polly's Direct Speech (Exact Words in " "): Mom said, "Time for bed." Dad said, "Good job!" My sister said, "That's mine!" My brother said, "Let's play." Grandma said, "I love you." Grandpa said, "Come here." The teacher said, "Sit down, please." The teacher said, "Good morning." The teacher asked, "What is this?" My friend said, "Look at this." My friend said, "It's your turn." My friend asked, "Can I have some?" The coach said, "Run fast!" The coach shouted, "Go team!" I said, "I am tired." I said, "I am hungry." I said, "I am five." I asked, "Can I go?" I shouted, "I see a dog!" I whispered, "Be quiet." The baby said, "Mama." The boy cried, "I fell down!" The girl laughed, "This is fun!" The man said, "Thank you." The woman said, "Excuse me." The cat said, "Meow." The dog said, "Woof." The bird said, "Tweet tweet." The lion roared, "Grrr!" The phone said, "Ring ring!" "I want water," said the child. "My head hurts," he said. "This is fun," she said. "It is big," I said. "It is red," she said. "I like it," he said. "I don't like it," she said. "Help me," he said. "Watch out!" she shouted. "Be careful," Mom said. "Wash your hands," Dad said. "Pick up your toys," she said. "Eat your food," he said. "Share with your sister," Mom said. "Be kind," the teacher said. "Say please," Grandma said. "Say thank you," Grandpa said. "I'm sorry," I said. "It's okay," my friend said.
Robby's Indirect Speech (A Report of the Words): Mom said (that) it was time for bed. Dad said I did a good job. My sister said that it was hers. My brother said we should play. Grandma said she loved me. Grandpa told me to come here. The teacher told us to sit down. The teacher said good morning. The teacher asked what that was. My friend told me to look at that. My friend said it was my turn. My friend asked if he could have some. The coach told us to run fast. The coach shouted for the team to go. I said I was tired. I said I was hungry. I said I was five years old. I asked if I could go. I shouted that I saw a dog. I whispered to be quiet. The baby called for Mama. The boy cried that he fell down. The girl laughed and said it was fun. The man said thank you. The woman said excuse me. I heard the cat meow. I heard the dog bark. I heard a bird chirp. I heard the lion roar. I heard the phone ring. The child said he wanted water. He said his head hurt. She said that was fun. I said it was big. She said it was red. He said he liked it. She said she did not like it. He asked for help. She told me to watch out. Mom told me to be careful. Dad told me to wash my hands. She told me to pick up my toys. He told me to eat my food. Mom told me to share with my sister. The teacher told us to be kind. Grandma told me to say please. Grandpa told me to say thank you. I said I was sorry. My friend said it was okay. Mom told me to brush my teeth. Dad told me he was proud. The sign said to stop. The book said the sky is blue. My friend told me a secret. The weatherman said it will rain. The story said they lived happily.
You Are a Word Reporter Now! You did it! You know that Direct Speech uses talking marks for exact words. You know that Indirect Speech reports the idea without marks. Polly and Robby give you a shiny press badge. You have learned one hundred common Direct and Indirect Speech for Kindergarten students. You can share what people say in two different ways.
Here is what you learned from our reporting adventure. You know direct speech uses "talking marks" and the exact words. You know indirect speech uses 'said that' and reports the idea. You know the word 'tell' needs a person (tell me), but 'say' does not. You can spot direct speech by looking for "quotation marks". You can use the simple formulas. You can fix common mistakes like mixing 'that' with talking marks.
Now, let’s do some life practice! Your mission is today. Be a Family Reporter. Listen to something your family says. First, repeat it like Polly Parrot with talking marks. Say: "Mom said, 'Dinner is ready!'" Then, tell it like Robby Reporter. Say: "Mom said that dinner is ready." Try it with a friend's words too! You are a wonderful word reporter.