Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct and Indirect Speech :
Direct Speech is the style used in writing to report someone's actual words.
This is done by repeating the words without any changes in grammar.
In a sentence like…..
"I don't want to go" said Jay.
Indirect Speech is the style used in writing to report what someone said without reporting their actual words. This is done by changing the grammar and usually using the form (+ that).
Indirect Speech is also called as Reported Speech.
In a sentence like…
Jay said that she didn't want to go.
Her actual words were : “I don't want to go.''
When we want to quote somebody's speech, words or ideas or thoughts, we can do it in two ways. First of all, we can try to give the exact words that were said.
The other way of quoting somebody's words or thoughts is to use the reported speech.
In this case, we talk about the idea that was expressed without quoting the exact words that were used.
Find out the differences between direct statements and indirect (or reported) statements, when they are reported with a verb of saying in the present or future.
Janu says, “It has begun to rain.”
Janu says that it has begun to rain.
Seenu says, “My sister has two children.”
Seenu says that his sister has two children.
Sal says to me, “You are very late”.
Sal has just told me I am very late.
Anu will say tomorrow, “I haven't found it yet.”
Anu will say that she hasn't found it yet.
Sita says to me often, “You don't dress neatly as well as Ram does.”
Sita often tells me that I don't dress neatly as well as Ram does.
They will say, “We don't know her, Talu".
They will tell Talu that they don't know her.
Note :
1. The present continuous changes to the past continuous.
2. The present perfect changes to the past perfect.
3. The past simple also usually changes to the past perfect.
4. CAN changes to COULD.
5. MAY changes to MIGHT.
6. WILL changes to WOULD.
7. SHALL changes to SHOULD.
8. THIS becomes THAT.
9. THESE becomes THOSE.
10. NOW becomes THEN.
11. HERE becomes THERE.
12. TODAY becomes THAT DAY.
13. YESTERDAY becomes THE DAY BEFORE.
14. TOMORROW becomes THE NEXT DAY.
15. LAST WEEK becomes THE WEEK BEFORE.
16. I, WE and YOU change to HE, SHE or THEY as the case may be.
Direct and Indirect Speech
The Grammar Index
