Direct Speech
Direct speech repeats the exact words a person said. The words are placed inside quotation marks.
- She said, "I am hungry."
- He asked, "Where are you going?"
- Mom said, "Please clean your room."
Punctuation tips for direct speech:
- Use a comma before the opening quotation mark when the reporting clause comes first.
- Put the period (or other punctuation) inside the closing quotation mark.
- Start the quoted speech with a capital letter.
Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)
Indirect speech (also called reported speech) reports what someone said without using their exact words. It does not use quotation marks, and the tense usually shifts back.
- She said that she was hungry. (Direct: "I am hungry.")
- He asked where I was going. (Direct: "Where are you going?")
- Mom told me to clean my room. (Direct: "Please clean your room.")
Reporting Verbs
The most common reporting verbs are say and tell. Note the difference:
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Say + (that): She said (that) she was tired. (No indirect object needed)
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Tell + person + (that): She told me (that) she was tired. (Indirect object required)
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He said he would be late. (Correct)
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He said me he would be late. (Incorrect)
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He told me he would be late. (Correct)
Other common reporting verbs: ask, explain, promise, suggest, admit, complain.
- She explained that the train had been delayed.
- He promised that he would help.
- They suggested taking a break.