DIRECT & INDIRECT SPEECH
DIRECT SPEECH:
Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the
exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the
words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in
these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for
example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous
conversation.
EXAMPLES:
·
She says, "What time will you be home?"
·
She said, "What time will you be home?" and I said, "I
don't know!”
·
"There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
·
John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."
INDIRECT SPEECH: (REPORTED SPEECH)
Reported or indirect speech is usually
used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words
spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the
word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.
Since reporting verbs are used it is also said reported speech.
She said, "I saw him." (Direct
speech) = She said that she had seen him. (Indirect speech)
'That' may be omitted:
She told him that she was happy. = She
told him she was happy.
USING 'SAY' AND 'TELL'
Use 'say' when there is no indirect
object:
He said that he was tired.
Always use 'tell' when you say who was
being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
USING 'TALK' AND 'SPEAK'
Use these verbs to describe the action of
communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
Use these verbs with 'about' to refer to
what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.
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