[16] Direct and Indirect Speech

Provide the correct punctuation
marks to show direct speech for
what the following animals say.

The budgerigar says
I am a member of the
parrot family and live
wild in Australia. I need a
big home so that I can fly
around. A lot of people
train me and my friends
to talk.

The hamster says

I’m active at night and
will often sleep all day
long. I store my food in
pouches in my cheeks.

The goldfish says I should be kept in a
big tank with other
goldfish, never in a
small bowl. I can live
for 25 years and can
grow up to 40 cm
long.

1

Francis has something to say
about his pet. Change what
he is saying from direct into
indirect speech.

“ My rabbit doesn’t like rabbit food.
Although I have given him lots of different
food brands, he still eats only one the big
colourful bits. I give him the same fresh
food to make up for it, but I’m still worried
he isn’t getting enough vitamins.

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

2

Read the following passage
and fill in the correct
punctuation in the part that
direct speech.

The first whale sanctuary has been
set up in the Mediterranean Sea,
between France, Italy and Monaco.
It covers an area twice the size of
Switzerland and will protect
thousands of whales. The countries
will monitor the animals and the
environment.

Wildlife expert, Philippe Brune has this to say The sanctuary is an
excellent idea. But whales migrate and some will swim from the
Mediterranean Sea to oceans all over the world. Ideally, I would
love to see a good sanctuary for whales.

3

Do the same for this passage.

Porpoises are people and need to
breathe in air to survive. When they
caught underwater in net, they are
forced to hold their breath until
they suffocate.
The United States has tried to
reduce the number of porpoises
killed by closing certain areas to
fishing.

Marine consultant, Stanley Brooks, says Sally, little is being done to
reduce the number of porpoises killed in the UK and Europe. In
the Celtic Sea, two to three thousand porpoises are caught each
year, that’s six per cent of the area’s population. If these levels
continue, porpoises could become extinct in the Celtic Sea before
the end of the century.

4