Reported 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."