Direct Indirect Speech

Direct Speech

Direct Speech (Quoted Speech) refers to reproducing another person’s exact words. It is used when you want to QUOTE the same words the speaker used.

Quotation marks (“....”) have to be used in a direct speech.

Punctuation in Direct Speech:

When using direct speech in your writing you need to use the correct punctuation.

a. The exact words spoken must be enclosed in speech marks.

b. The first word of the speech must begin with a capital letter.

c. The words in the speech marks must be separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

d. You must use a new line when a new speaker begins to speak.

Example:

1)    He said, “I work in a bank”.

2)    I told Jerry, “I can fix this computer soon”.

Indirect Speech

Indirect Speech is also called Reported Speech. It is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact words.

Someone says something to you and later you want to tell someone else what was said. Hench on such occasions you can use indirect speech.

However, in an indirect speech, the tense should be changed; that is because when an indirect speech is used, it is always used to talk about a time in the past.

Quotation marks are not used in an indirect speech. Sometimes an indirect speech will use a reporting verb such as tell, ask and say.

Example:

1)    He said that he worked in a bank.

2)    I told to him that I could fix this computer immediately.

Direct Indirect Changing

a.      Change of Pronoun

Ø Direct Speech: Niall said, “I am coming.”

Ø Indirect Speech: Niall said that he was coming.

b.     Change of Tenses

Ø Direct Speech: Niall said, “I am coming.”

Ø Indirect Speech: Niall said that he was coming.

c.      Change of Situations

Ø Direct Speech: Niall said, “I did this exercise last night.”

Ø Indirect Speech: Niall said that he had done that exercise the previous night.

Direct Indirect Speech Statements

Direct Speech:

Subject (S) + Reporting Verb (RV) + Direct Speech

Example: She said, “I like this dress”.

Indirect Speech:

Subject (S) + Reporting Verb (RV) + Noun/Pronoun + Indirect Speech

Example: She told Louis that she liked the dress.

Direct Speech → Indirect Speech

Ø Simple Present → Simple Past

Sherlock said, “The police are troublesome.” → Sherlock said that the police were troublesome.

Ø Present Continuous → Past Continuous

Kylie said, “Calum is cutting the grass while other guys are playing soccer.” → Kylie said that Calum was cutting the grass while other guys were playing soccer.

Ø Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Harry said, “I have never lied before.” → Harry said that he had never lied before.

Ø Simple Past →  Past Perfect

Liam said, “I made it.” → Liam said that he had made it.

Ø Simple Future → Past Future

Charlie said, “My parents will come next month.” → Charlie said that his parents would come in the following month.

Exercise:

Move to Indirect speech (Simple Present → Simple Past)

1)    He said, “I buy a camera”.

Answer: He said that he bought a camera.

2)    Daddy said, “We work so hard”.

Answer: Daddy said that they worked so hard.

Move to Indirect speech (Present Continuous → Past Continuous)

3)    Hannah said, “They are studying English”.

Answer: Hannah said that they were studying English.

4)    She said, “I am waiting for somone”.

Answer: She said that she was waiting for someone.

Move to Indirect speech (Present Perfect → Past Perfect)

5)    Rafli said, “I have completed the task”.

Answer: Rafli said that he had completed the task.

6)    Angga said, “I have not meet her”.

Answer: Angga said that he had not meet her.

Move to Indirect speech (Simple Past → Past Perfect)

7)    They said, “We went for a walk”.

Answer: They said that they had gone for a walk.

8)    He said, “I bought a new car”.

Answer: He said that he had bought a new car.

Move to Indirect speech (Simple Future → Past Future)

9)    Julia said, “I will start a new life”.

Answer: Julia said that she would start a new life.

10) They said to me, “We will help you”.

Answer: They said to me that they would help me.