Direct/Indirect speech

Direct Speech:
Direct speech, also known as quoted speech, is when you report someone's exact
words within quotation marks. It is often used when you want to convey someone's
speech exactly as it was spoken. In direct speech, the speaker's words are enclosed in
quotation marks.
Examples of Direct Speech:

1. Sarah said, "I'll be there at 3 o'clock."

2. John asked, "What's for dinner?"

3. She exclaimed, "I can't believe we won!"

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech):

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is when you report what someone else
has said without quoting their exact words. Instead, you paraphrase or summarize what
the person said, usually introducing it with a reporting verb (e.g., said, told, asked). In
indirect speech, you do not use quotation marks.
Examples of Indirect Speech:

1. Sarah said that she would be there at 3 o'clock.

In this example, the direct speech "I'll be there at 3 o'clock" is converted into
indirect speech by reporting what Sarah said without using her exact words.

2. John asked what was for dinner.

Here, the direct speech "What's for dinner?" is reported indirectly using the
reporting verb "asked."

3. She exclaimed that she couldn't believe they had won.

In this case, the direct speech "I can't believe we won!" is reported indirectly
with the reporting verb "exclaimed."

Changes in Indirect Speech:

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, there are several changes to keep in

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 mind:

1. Pronouns: Pronouns often change to fit the perspective of the reporting sentence.
For example, "I" in direct speech can become "she" or "he" in indirect speech,
depending on the context.

2. Tense Shift: The tense of the verb in the reported speech usually shifts back in
time. For example, present tense becomes past tense.

3. Reporting Verbs: Reporting verbs like "said," "told," "asked," and "exclaimed" are
used to introduce the reported speech.

4. Time and Place Expressions: Time and place expressions may need to be
adjusted to fit the context of the reporting sentence.

Additional Notes:

In indirect speech, we do not use quotation marks.

In reported questions, the word order often changes. For example, "What are you
doing?" becomes "She asked what I was doing."

Reporting verbs can vary depending on the context. For instance, you can use
"said," "told," "explained," "mentioned," "asked," etc.

If the reporting sentence is in the present tense, you may not need to change the
tense of the reported speech.

These notes should give you a good understanding of direct and indirect speech, along
with examples to illustrate the concepts. If you have any specific questions or need
further clarification, feel free to ask!

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