Ever wondered how to report what someone else said in English?
This kind of speech is important to know how it applies, that’s where direct and indirect speech come into play!
In this article, we’ll break down the differences of direct and indirect speech, explain the rules, and give you real examples so you can speak and write with confidence in English.
What is Direct Speech?
Direct speech is when we quote the exact words spoken by someone, usually enclosed in quotation marks.
It keeps the original tense and phrasing intact, which means if someone used the simple past tense in their statement, we write it exactly as they said it.
For example: Sarah said, “I visited Paris last summer.”
In that sentence, “I visited Paris last summer” is in the simple past tense and is reported exactly as Sarah spoke it.
When writing direct speech, always remember to use quotation marks (“...”) and proper punctuation, such as commas and capital letters at the beginning of the quoted sentence.
What is Indirect Speech?
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is when we relay what someone said without quoting their exact words.
In this form, we usually shift the tense one step back in time. So, a simple past sentence often becomes past perfect in indirect speech.
For instance: Sarah said that she had visited Paris last summer.
Here, “visited” becomes “had visited” to reflect the change in tense.
You also drop the quotation marks, and the sentence becomes part of your own narrative.
Learning how to convert from direct to indirect speech helps improve your storytelling and writing clarity, especially in academic or formal contexts.
Examples of Direct Speech and Indirect Speech
To help you better understand how direct and indirect speech work in real-life communication, let’s look at some examples.
Pay attention to how the verb tense and sentence structure often change in indirect speech compared to direct speech!
Direct Speech Examples
Direct speech repeats exactly what someone said, using quotation marks and keeping the original tense.
It’s a great way to make stories or conversations feel more vivid and authentic. Here are 10 examples of direct speech:
- Maria said, “I love chocolate.”
- John asked, “Are you coming with us?”
- “We saw a lion at the zoo,” the kids shouted.
- Ellie whispered, “I forgot my homework.”
- “She’s arriving tonight,” Mark explained.
- Anna said, “My phone is not working.”
- Tom yelled, “Watch out!”
- “This is the best day ever,” Jenny smiled.
- The teacher said, “Open your books to page 20.”
- “I can’t wait for the holidays,” Lily exclaimed.
In each case, the speaker’s exact words are preserved, making the message more engaging and precise.
Indirect Speech Examples
Indirect speech tells us what someone said without quoting them directly.
You often need to change the verb tense, pronouns, and remove quotation marks.
Here are 10 examples of indirect speech:
- Maria said that she loved chocolate.
- John asked if I was coming with them.
- The kids shouted that they had seen a lion at the zoo.
- Ellie whispered that he had forgotten his homework.
- Mark explained that she was arriving that night.
- Anna said that her phone was not working.
- Tom yelled to watch out.
- Jenny smiled and said that it was the best day ever.
- The teacher told us to open our books to page 20.
- Lily exclaimed that she couldn’t wait for the holidays.
Notice how the sentences still communicate the same idea?
But the tone becomes more neutral and the focus shifts to the message rather than the exact wording.
Conclusion
Now that you've seen how to use both direct and indirect speech, why not try rewriting your own dialogues?
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