DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

Direct speech (quotation) and indirect (reported) speech are two different ways to express what somebody says or said. You should not shift between the two in the same sentence. Direct speech quotes what a person said or asked. Direct speech should therefore be marked by quotations marks. Nel: Where are we going, Mom? Are we leaving today? Mrs. Wright: We are going to New Orleans to visit your great-grandmother. She is very ill. our aunt !alled me yesterday. Nel: " have never #een on su!h a long tri$. %ow long will it ta&e to get to New Orleans? Will we ta&e the train? Mrs. Wright: es, we will ta&e the train. We should rea!h New Orleans the day a'ter tomorrow. The above is a little dialogue written in direct speech. et us assume that !r. "right# !rs. "right$s husband# overheard the exchange and reported it to a friend. %is report would be expressed in indirect or reported speech& esterday, Nel as&ed my wi'e %elene a#out their tri$ and whether they would #e leaving that day. Nel wanted to &now where they were going. %elene re$lied that they were going to go to New Orleans to visit %elene(s grandmother, Nel(s greatgrandmother. %elene also told Nel that her great-grandmother was ill and that Nel(s aunt had !alled her the day #e'ore. Nel then remar&ed that she had never #een on su!h a long tri$. She as&ed how long it would ta&e to rea!h New Orleans and whether they would ta&e the train. %elene answered that they would ta&e the train and that they would rea!h New Orleans in two days. The above examples show how direct speech changes when a writer uses indirect speech& ' direct question turns into a sentence with a verb of inquiry (as&, want to &now). (ote that if the verb of inquiry is in the past tense# the tense changes throughout the sentence& Nel: Where are we going? Nel wants to &now where they are going. Nel wanted to &now where they were going. ' direct statement turns into a sentence with a verb of speaking (say, tell, remar& ))& (el& *+ have never been on such a long trip., Nel remar&s that she has never #een on su!h a long tri$. Nel remar&ed that she had never #een on su!h a long tri$. Future tense in direct speech turns into conditional if the verb is in the past tense& Nel: Will we #e leaving today? Nel as&ed whether they would #e leaving that day.

Time indicators change when you turn direct speech into indirect speech& Toda ! turns into that da !" Nel: Are we leaving today? Nel as&s)as&ed whether they will)would #e leaving that day. #esterda ! turns into the da $e%ore!" Mrs. Wright: My sister !alled me yesterday. Mrs. Wright told Nel that her sister had !alled her the day #e'ore. Tomorrow! turns into the ne&t da !' the da a%ter tomorrow! $ecomes in two da s"! Nel: Will we #e there tomorrow? Mrs. Wright: No, we will #e there the day a'ter tomorrow. Nel as&ed i' they would #e there the ne*t day, #ut her mother answered that they would #e there in two days. SHIFTS (ET)EEN DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH +t is# of course# possible to use both direct and indirect speech in a passage# but you have to prepare your reader for the change. +n general# though# if a shift between direct and indirect speech occurs without warning in the same sentence# the reader gets confused.

" wonder whether Sula &new a#out the a!!ident, and i' so, did she ever tell Nel +" wonder whether Sula &new o' the a!!ident, and i' so, whether she ever told Nel. Nel as&ed Sula a#out the insuran!e settlement and did she $ay 'or !ollege with the money. + Nel as&ed Sula a#out the insuran!e settlement and whether she $aid 'or !ollege with the money. Nel told Sula to have a good time in ,in!innati and #e sure to send -va a $ost!ard. +Nel told Sula to have a good time in ,in!innati and reminded her to send -va a $ost!ard.

-Did you like the sample sentences. /et the whole story in Toni !orrison$s Sula.