DIRECT indirect

Speech
 “
”

DIRECT SPEECH is taken from the speaker

word for word and is always in inverted
commas, e.g
“I am here,” said the inspector.
 The inspector had arrived. Mr Cato decided he better

Indirect or Reported Speech is an account of



what has been said. It doesn’t need to be

word for word, or require talking marks.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was coming today!”
said Mr Catalot.
“I…I…I’ll tell Mr Cittin to prepare the workers,”
replied Mr Catalittle.
DIRECT speech – always use a new line


with a new speaker and a comma to

separate the speech marks from the
Mr Cittin let everyone on the factory
floor know that the workplace
inspector had arrived unexpectedly. He
asked the factory floor manager to
check things so nothing looked out of
place!

Indirect speech summarises the



action and can help to move the

 “ A tte n tio n a ll sta ff! P le a se ch e ck
y o u r sta tio n s a n d e n su re
e v e ry th in g is in w o rk in g o rd e r.
T h e in sp e cto r is h e re , ” p u rre d M r
G re y .
DIRECT Speech is used to make writing more
interesting.
“All working fine on the
conveyor belt Mr Grey sir,”
screeched the workers.
 Examples

g ca ta stro p h ica llyT hweroinnsp

g ehcto
e rer,”lo sa
o ke
iddtha eroiunnsp
d eth e rfato
cto ctothrye, wo bo rke
se rvi
rsn. g th a t it w a s v

fish y g o in g o n . T h e in sp“eTcto
h isrfa
fecto
lt iry
t w ias sb to
e indgo ru
w nithlike
th ea wcaoth
rkeo ursse
! ,“ co n clu d e d th e

•
 What is wrong with these
Examples
taken from Chapter 3 ?
DIRECT SPEECH
  INDIRECT SPEECH
• 

“Arrr”, he cried
 Dad reckons that
insanely… with her
 belly button popping

“I be cap’ Ahab and I


out
it looked like she was
be seeking the
white whale! being attacked by a

• giant
breast
 How Ishmael got his name
‘story’


 ( taken from “Don’t call me Ishmael” p.7,8)

 I couldn’t believe the amount of times I’ve heard something
 like the following exchange:


Dad: Did I ever tell you the story of how Ishmael got his name?
Victim: Yes. Yes I think you did . Wasn’t your wife in hospital… and

she was
 overdue…
Dad: That’s right, she was way overdue. I’II never forget it. It’s a
great story. I
 came to visit her after work…
Victim: Yes I remember .You told me. A great story- how your wife

was feeling a bit

 upset and said she felt like a…
Dad: Upset! I’II say. You should have been there. When I came to visit

her after work

 she’d been crying…
Victim: Yeah, yeah, and said she was so big she felt like a …

Dad: She way huge! And you know it was our first baby and, being