DIRECT & INDIRECT SPEECH

1.    1. Direct speech is when we report what someone says by repeating the exact words. Direct speech compossed by 2 parts, i.e :

• Reporting verb: The verb first part of sentence (i.e. he said, she said, he says, they said, she says,) before the statement of a person in sentence is called reporting verb.
• Reported Speech: The second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person (which is enclosed in quotation marks in direct speech) is called reported speech.

 "I have to talk to you about something.", said David

    Reported Word                               Reporting verb

Examples :

ORIGINAL STATEMENT	DIRECT SPEECH
David: I have to talk to you about something.	"I have to talk to you about something," said David.
Michelle: I'll call them tomorrow.	Michelle said, "I'll call them tomorrow."

When we use direct speech in our writing :

• the original words of person are narrated (no changes)
• the reported word must be put inside speech marks or quotation marks.  “….."
• The reported word must have a Capital Letter.
• between the reporting verb and reported word must be separated by commas
• The position of the reporting verb doesn’t always have to be in the front of the sentence, but it can also be at the back.

  

2.     2. Indirect speech is when we give the same meaning of what someone says without repeating the exact words. Indirect speech is also called reported speech because reported speech refers to the second part of indirect speech in which something has been told by a person.

Examples :

ORIGINAL STATEMENT	INDIRECT SPEECH
David: I have to talk to you about something.	David said he had to talk to me about something.
Michelle: I'll call them tomorrow.	Michelle promised she would call them the next day.

When we use indirect speech in our writing:

• We don’t use speech marks or quotation marks.
• Use of word “that”: The word “that” is used as a conjunction between the reporting verb and reported speech.
• Change in pronoun: The pronoun (subject) of the reported speech was changed according to the pronoun of reporting verb or object (person) of reporting verb (first part of sentence). Sometimes the pronoun may not change.