E9 G - Direct speech and reported information unterscheiden
aiMOOCE9 G - Direct speech and reported information unterscheiden
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Einleitung
Mini-Beschreibung: In this aiMOOC you learn to tell the difference between direct speech and reported information. You use both forms in everyday talk, interviews and news. You focus on clear meaning first and on a few important grammar points.
Look first. Who is speaking? Who is listening? What could another person report later?
Learning path: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again.
I can ...
- Direct speech: I can recognise exact words in quotation marks.
- Reported information: I can report the main meaning in my own sentence.
- Interview: I can ask a simple follow-up question and report the answer.
- News: I can tell the difference between a quote and a summary.
- Speaking: I can react, ask back and give a reason.
- Writing: I can write a short, clear report with a simple structure.
Vorwissen aktivieren
Read the two sentences.
A: Mia said, “I need more time.”
B: Mia said that she needed more time.
Which sentence gives Mia’s exact words? Which sentence gives the meaning?
Think – pair – share. First decide alone. Then compare with a partner. Say one reason in English.
Input: Direct speech or reported information?
Direct speech gives the speaker’s words as a quote.
Jay said, “I am ready.”
Reported information gives the message, usually in a new sentence.
Jay said that he was ready.
The core difference is simple:
Direct speech = exact words.
Reported information = same main meaning, new wording.
In writing, direct speech normally uses quotation marks. Reported information normally does not.
Why do we use them?
In everyday talk, you often report what another person said because the listener was not there.
In an interview, direct speech can show the speaker’s exact answer. Reported information can make a longer answer shorter.
In news, a direct quote presents exact wording. A report or paraphrase presents the information in the journalist’s sentence. The source still needs to be clear.
Media task: Imagine the reporter hears: “The road is open again.” Write one direct quote and one short reported sentence.
Three moves for reported information
You do not need to change every word. Check the context.
Move 1: Who is speaking?
“I am tired.” → Lena said that she was tired.
Move 2: When is the report?
“I am tired.” → Lena said that she was tired.
Move 3: Do time or place words still fit?
“I can meet you here today.” → Ben said that he could meet me there that day.
Common changes can be useful:
| Direct speech | Reported information |
|---|---|
| I / we | he, she / they when the speaker changes |
| am / is | was after a past reporting verb in many cases |
| are | were after a past reporting verb in many cases |
| can | could |
| will | would |
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| here | there |
Important: These changes depend on meaning and context. If something is still true, English can sometimes keep the present tense. For this course, your first goal is to keep the meaning clear.
Say, tell and ask
say + message
Nora said that the bus was late.
tell + person + message
Nora told me that the bus was late.
ask + question
Nora asked why the bus was late.
For a reported question, use normal sentence order:
“Where do you live?”
→ The interviewer asked Sam where he lived.
Not: where did he live.
Listening and Viewing
Watch once without a transcript or full translation. Catch only the main idea. Watch a second time and collect useful words. After that, you may use English captions or a transcript for checking.
First watch: What is reported speech used for?
Second watch: Write down two reporting verbs or sentence patterns.
Check later: Use English captions only after your first listening attempt.
Respond: Tell a partner one rule in simple English.
Ask: If something is unclear, ask: Can you show me one more example?
Viewing challenge: Grammar Gameshow
Before watching, predict one grammar change you may hear.
During the first round, do not stop the video. Mark only: easy / not sure / new.
Then replay one short section and improve one answer.
Compare direct and indirect speech
Watch a short part first. Find one example of direct speech and one example of reported speech. Pause only after you have tried to understand the meaning.
Reading
School News – fictional example
At break time, school reporter Kim spoke to two students about the new quiet room.
Ava said, “I use it when the library is full.”
Noah said, “It is helpful, but we need more chairs.”
Later, Kim wrote that Ava used the room when the library was full. Kim also reported that Noah found the room helpful but wanted more chairs.
Reading task: Find the two exact quotes. Then underline the two pieces of reported information. What changed? What stayed the same?
Purpose check
Direct speech is useful when the exact wording matters.
Reported information is useful when the main message matters more than the exact words.
In a news text, never put quotation marks around words unless you intend to present them as an exact quote. Check the source and the wording before you publish or share information.
Kontextwortschatz
Use the words inside short sentences.
| Word | Helpful English clue | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quote | exact words from a speaker | The article uses one short quote. |
| report | tell information again | Mia reported the result. |
| source | person or text that gives information | Check the source first. |
| statement | something a person says | His statement was short. |
| interviewer | person who asks questions | The interviewer asked a follow-up question. |
| headline | title of a news story | The headline is very short. |
| exact | completely the same | Are these the exact words? |
| meaning | the main message | Keep the meaning clear. |
| according to | shows where information comes from | According to the coach, the match starts at six. |
Use again: Choose three words and make one short news sentence.
Aussprache und Fluency
Clarity is more important than sounding like a native speaker.
Practise these chunks as whole units:
She SAID that …
He TOLD me that …
They ASKED if …
According to the reporter, …
Speak in short sense groups. Pause after the reporting phrase.
The reporter said / that the road was open again.
Pair practice: One person says a short message. The other reports it. Change roles after three turns.
Speaking
Task: Mini interview
Use a fictional profile.
Name: Alex Morgan Role: student helper Topic: school event
Ask three questions:
What happened?
How did you feel?
What should happen next?
Then report two answers to another partner.
Useful frame:
Alex said that …
Alex told me that …
I also asked …
Follow-up: Ask one natural question such as Why? or Can you explain that?
Privacy: Recording is optional. If you record, keep the file private unless everyone involved agrees to share it. Do not upload recordings automatically and do not send them to external AI tools without clear permission.
Writing
Write a short news report of about 70–100 words.
Use this structure:
1. What happened?
2. Who said what?
3. One direct quote
4. One piece of reported information
5. Short ending
Starter:
On Tuesday, students at Greenfield School …
One student said, “…”
The student also explained that …
Use fictional names and fictional data only.
Writing scaffold
Plan
Who? → fictional person
What? → one clear event
Exact quote? → short and checked
Reported information? → same main meaning
Write
Use short sentences.
Improve
Check only these three accuracy goals:
- Is the speaker clear?
- Is a direct quote really an exact quote?
- Does the reported sentence keep the meaning?
Mediation
A German school notice says:
Die Theater-AG beginnt heute erst um 14:30 Uhr. Frau Klein sagt, dass die Probe im Musikraum stattfindet. Bitte informiert eure Austauschpartner.
Tell an English-speaking exchange student the important information. Do not translate every word.
Start with:
The notice says that …
Then add:
Ms Klein says that …
Your goal is useful communication, not a full translation.
Hilfestufen
Hint 1 – Spot the signal words
Circle words like I, we, my, now, today, here.
Hint 2 – Use a frame
X said that …
X told me that …
X asked if / why / where …
Hint 3 – Check the viewpoint
Who is I now? Is today still today? Is here still the same place?
Hint 4 – Improve one thing
Do not rewrite everything. Correct one useful point and use the sentence again.
Feedback
Good feedback is short and useful.
Meaning: I understand your message.
One success: Your speaker is clear.
One next step: Check the pronoun in sentence 2.
Then say or write the improved sentence again.
Keep your own text. Suggestions are help, not a replacement for your work.
If you use AI support, check facts, sources, grammar advice and feedback before using them.
Fehleranalyse
Find and fix one problem in each sentence.
1. Ben said, “he was tired.”
2. Sara told that the train was late.
3. The reporter asked where did Maya live.
4. Liam said that I was ready. The original speaker was Liam.
Check after your own try
1. If these are Ben’s exact words, write: Ben said, “I am tired.”
2. Sara said that the train was late. or Sara told me that the train was late.
3. The reporter asked where Maya lived.
4. Liam said that he was ready.
Transfer: Everyday life, interview and news
Everyday life: Your friend missed a meeting. Tell them two important things people said.
Interview: Ask one follow-up question and report the answer.
News: Use one exact quote only if you know the exact words. Use reported information when you summarise the message.
Source check: Who said it? When? Where did you get the information? Does your report keep the original meaning?
Can-do-Check
| I can ... | Yes | Almost | Not yet |
|---|---|---|---|
| spot direct speech | □ | □ | □ |
| spot reported information | □ | □ | □ |
| change a pronoun when needed | □ | □ | □ |
| use said, told or asked | □ | □ | □ |
| report one interview answer | □ | □ | □ |
| use one exact quote in a short report | □ | □ | □ |
Choose one Almost item. Improve one example and use it again.
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
Which sentence uses direct speech? (Maya said, “I am tired.”) (!Maya said that she was tired.) (!Maya told me that she was tired.) (!Maya explained that she was tired.)
What is the main purpose of reported information? (To give the main meaning in a new sentence) (!To copy every word exactly) (!To remove the speaker) (!To make every sentence longer)
Which sentence is correct? (Jay told me that the bus was late.) (!Jay told that the bus was late.) (!Jay said me that the bus was late.) (!Jay asked me that the bus was late.)
Which sentence reports the question correctly? (The reporter asked Mia where she lived.) (!The reporter asked Mia where did she live.) (!The reporter asked Mia where does she live.) (!The reporter said Mia where she lived.)
Which word often changes when the speaker changes? (Pronoun) (!Headline) (!Paragraph) (!Full stop)
Which pair shows a common change after a past reporting verb? (can → could) (!can → must) (!can → has) (!can → do)
What should you check before using quotation marks in news? (That the words are an exact quote) (!That the sentence is very long) (!That the speaker is famous) (!That the quote uses difficult words)
Which sentence uses say correctly? (Nora said that the room was open.) (!Nora said me that the room was open.) (!Nora said me the room was open.) (!Nora said to me that did the room open.)
Which sentence keeps the meaning of “I am ready,” said Tom? (Tom said that he was ready.) (!Tom said that I was ready.) (!Tom asked that he was ready.) (!Tom told that you are ready.)
What is a useful first goal when reporting information? (Keep the meaning clear.) (!Change every word.) (!Use the longest sentence possible.) (!Translate every word into German.)
Memory
| direct speech | exact words |
| reported information | same main meaning |
| say | message |
| tell | person plus message |
| ask | question |
| source | origin of information |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| quotation marks | direct speech |
| same main meaning | reported information |
| person plus message | tell |
| normal sentence order | reported question |
| exact wording | quote |
Kreuzworträtsel
| quote | What do we call the exact words from a speaker? |
| source | What tells you where information comes from? |
| report | Which verb means to give information again? |
| meaning | What should stay clear when words are reported? |
| speaker | Who says the original words? |
| headline | What is the short title of a news story? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Quote spotting: Find five short examples of direct speech in a school text, book or teacher-provided news text. Mark the quotation marks and the speaker.
- Meaning match: Write three pairs with one direct sentence and one reported sentence that keep the same meaning.
- Mini interview: Interview a partner with two simple questions and report one answer. Use fictional content if you do not want to share personal information.
- Fluency loop: Say three short direct messages. Your partner reports each message with said that.
Standard
- School news: Write a 70–100 word fictional school news report with one checked direct quote and two pieces of reported information.
- Follow-up questions: Create a four-question interview for a fictional school event. Add one follow-up question with Why? or Can you explain that?
- Error detective: Create four incorrect reported-speech sentences and exchange them with a partner. Correct one point at a time.
- Mediation task: Take a short German school notice and explain the key information orally in English without translating every word.
Schwer
- Quote or summary: Compare two short teacher-provided news paragraphs. Explain why a writer may choose a quote in one place and a summary in another.
- Private audio report: Record a 45–60 second fictional news report with one direct quote and reported information. Recording is optional and stays private unless everyone agrees otherwise.
- Source check: Build a simple checklist for checking speaker, wording, source and meaning before sharing reported information.
- Rewrite for purpose: Turn a short fictional interview into a news paragraph, then rewrite the paragraph as an everyday message to a friend. Explain what you changed and why.
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Lernkontrolle
- Choose the form: For three situations – chat, interview and news – decide where direct speech or reported information fits better. Explain each decision in simple English.
- Keep the meaning: Change a short direct statement into reported information. Explain which words changed because the viewpoint changed.
- From answer to report: Read a fictional interview answer, select the most important information and report it in two clear sentences.
- Quote check: Compare an original fictional statement with a draft news sentence. Decide whether quotation marks are justified and correct the draft if needed.
- New situation: A classmate missed a school event. Give them the main information from two fictional speakers and include one exact quote.
- Improve: Read a learner sentence with two errors. Give one useful success point and one next step, then write an improved version.
Lernnachweis
For a successful learning record, you should be able to:
- recognise direct speech and reported information in short everyday, interview and news contexts;
- explain the difference between exact wording and reported meaning;
- use said, told and asked in simple, clear sentences;
- change pronouns, word order or time/place words when the context requires it;
- report one simple question with normal sentence order;
- use one short direct quote and one reported statement in your own text;
- ask a follow-up question and react to an answer;
- check source, wording and meaning before sharing information;
- improve your own sentence after short feedback.
No external upload, recording or AI service is required for the learning record.
OERs zum Thema
Folgekurs
Next step: E9 G - Reported questions and requests anwenden.
There you use asked if, question words and simple requests in longer conversations and short reports.
Verknüpfte Lernbereiche