Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

In Grammar, speech forms a fundamental part of learning. This not only helps the student develop their writing skills, but it contributes to polish speaking ability and speech patterns as well. Speech helps boost confidence and fluency in speaking. It is also very useful during presentations or orations. Speech forms a crucial juncture of development in oratory skills.  There are two kinds of speeches in English grammar. These are direct and indirect speech. In the following sections, direct and indirect speech rules are examined. What direct and indirect speech is and the differences between direct and indirect speech have been studied. 

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech is one in which the subject matter is said directly. Indirect speech is where the subject matter gets reported.

Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct and indirect speech can be understood in the following way:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
It is said directly	It is said indirectly
It repeats completely what one has said	It is paraphrased or reported
It is used widely in stories, novels, newspapers magazines, and interviews	It is used in testimonies, biographies, stories, and narration

Table 1 shows some common elements of direct indirect speech

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

English Speech has certain rules. The rules are different for different speeches which are discussed below.  Direct and indirect speech rules depend on the following two factors:

• Formal approach
• Informal approach

Based on these two approaches, the following rules can be studied:

• Reported speech has to follow a singular tone or mood
• The reported verb has to adhere to the use of singular tense which can either be present, past or future
• The reported speech can be an exclamatory sentence, assertive sentence, imperative, or an interrogative sentence
• The direct speech is always with double inverted commas:

Layla said, “I will be able to do this work for you.”

• The indirect speech will always be without double inverted commas:

Layla said that she would be able to do that work for her.

• The meaning of the sentences must remain the same even when reporting

Transformation of Speech

There are additional rules that have to be kept in mind when changing the speech, either transforming a statement from direct to indirect speech or vice versa. The rules are: 

1. The tense of the reporting verb must be carefully observed. If the verb is in future tense or present tense it will not change when transforming the sentence. ‘I’ and ‘We’ change according to the verb. ‘You’ changes according to the verb. There is no change in ‘he’, ‘they’, ‘it’ or ‘she’.
2. Certain phrasal verbs will be transformed when changing the speech. For example:

Indirect Speech	Direct Speech
There	Here
The previous night	Yesterday
Told	Said
That night	Tonight

The tone of the sentence must remain the same, but the punctuations are transformed when the sentence is changed. For example:

Indirect Speech	Direct Speech
Akira said, “How beautiful the sunset looks!”	Akira exclaimed that the sunset looked very beautiful.
They said to him, “Are you truly not coming to our house tonight?”	They asked him whether he truly was not coming to their house that night.
He said, “Please, bring me the chalice.”	He requested for the chalice to be brought to him.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

• Indirect Speech

1. Olag had refused to carry the bucket to the stream.
2. They exclaimed in joy at the victory of their team.
3. She told Maya to close the door.

• Direct Speech

1. Olag said, “I refuse to carry the bucket to the stream.”
2. They said, “Hurrah! Our team has won.”
3. She said, “Maya, close the door.”

Conclusion

Direct indirect speech is very commonly used in daily communication. Indirect speech is used mainly in reporting. However, both the speeches are widely used in plays, screenplays, theatre, movie scripts, stories, and magazines. Learning speech will improve one’s writing and speaking skills. The direct and indirect speech rules have to be followed during presentations or orations. Speech forms a crucial juncture of development in oratory skills.