WHAT IS

​DIRECT SPEECH?

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WHAT ARE

​DIRECT QUESTIONS?

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DIRECT SPEECH

takes place when we quote the exact words of the speaker.

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When we want to describe what someone said, we simply repeat what someone says, putting the phrase between speech marks.

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Examples:

• He said, "I live in the city centre."

• She said, "I'm going out."

When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in these words. 

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Direct Speech

Examples:

• She says, "John, you are always late."

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• I said, "I don't know!"

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• John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."

Structure

Subject + Verb + " + Direct speech "

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Example: She / said, / "I liked your dress."

DIRECT QUESTIONS: Examples

• She says, "What time will you be home?"

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• "Why is there a fly in my soup?" screamed Simone.

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• John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."

WHAT IS

​INDIRECT SPEECH?

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WHAT ARE

​INDIRECT QUESTIONS?

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Indirect Speech

INDIRECT SPEECH takes places when we report what someone said in our very own words.

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Also called "REPORTED SPEECH."

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Example: She told me that she liked my dress.

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Examples:

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• She said that she had seen him.

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• She told him that she was happy.

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• He said that Helena is a famous artist.

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Structure

Subject + Reported Verb + that + clause

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Example: She / told me / that / she liked my dress.

Indirect Speech

Reported or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken.

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We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. 

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In this form of speech, the quotation marks are not necessary, and the message doesn't have to be literal. 

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