Direct speech and indirect speech are two ways of reporting what someone else has said. They differ in how the original speaker’s words are conveyed in a sentence.
- Direct Speech:
- Direct speech involves quoting the exact words spoken by someone, typically enclosed in quotation marks.
- It’s often used to convey immediacy and to directly represent what was said.
- Example: Mary said, “I am going to the store.”
- Indirect Speech (also known as reported speech or indirect discourse):
- Indirect speech reports what someone said without using their exact words. Instead, it conveys the meaning of the original statement.
- It usually involves a reporting verb (e.g., said, told) followed by a that-clause or other structures indicating the reported statement.
- Example: Mary said that she was going to the store.
In the example of indirect speech, notice how the verb tense and pronouns may change to reflect the shift from the original speaker’s perspective to the perspective of the person reporting the speech. Additionally, the introductory verb (e.g., said, told) may also change depending on the context and tense of the reporting sentence.
Indirect speech is often used in writing and conversation to summarize or paraphrase what someone else has said, particularly when it’s not necessary to quote the exact words or when conveying the gist of a conversation. It’s important to understand both direct and indirect speech for effective communication and writing.