Outlook on Indirect Speech

There are two ways of reporting what someone has said – direct and indirect. In direct speech, the exact words that were spoken are scripted within quotation marks. Indirect speech, on the other hand, reports what the speaker said but does not use the exact words. This can be done in two ways: Reported Speech and Quoted Speech. In this blog post, we will take a detailed look at both direct and indirect speech, including the rules for each one and how to use them correctly. Let’s get started!

What is direct indirect speech?

Direct speech is when we quote someone’s exact words. Indirect speech is when we report what someone has said. There are certain rules that need to be followed when changing direct speech into indirect speech.

Direct Speech Definition:

Direct speech is a form of communication in which the message is conveyed exactly as it was intended by the speaker.

It involves quoting the exact words that were spoken and are often used in writing to capture the exact meaning of what was said.

Indirect Speech Definition:

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is a way of relaying what someone has said without quoting their exact words.

It is often used in everyday conversation as it is seen as more polite than direct speech.

The main difference between direct and indirect speech is that, with direct speech, the speaker’s words are enclosed within quotation marks, while with indirect speech, there are no quotation marks.

Rules for direct and indirect speech:

There are certain rules for direct and indirect speech. If you want to change direct speech into indirect speech, you need to keep these rules in mind.

– First, you need to remember to change the pronoun if the person speaking is different from the person being quoted. For example, “I said ‘I’m going to the store'” would become “He said he was going to the store.”

– Second, you need to change the verb tense if the time of the quoted speech is different from the time of the reporting speech. For example, “She said ‘I am going to the store'” would become “She said she had gone to the store.”

– Third, you need to make sure that the indirect speech agrees with the context in which it is used. For example, “They said ‘We are going to the store'” would become “They said they were going to the store.”

-Fourth, you need to add any necessary words to make the indirect speech sound natural. For example, “I said ‘The store is near my house'” would become “He said the store was near his house.”

By following these rules, you can change direct speech into indirect speech with ease. Just remember to be careful with the context and the verb tense, and you’ll be fine.

Errors Related to Direct Indirect speech:

Now that we know the rules for direct and indirect speech, let’s look at some of the most common errors people make.

• One of the most common direct speech errors is forgetting to change the pronouns. For example, if someone said “I’m going to the store,” indirect speech, you would write, “She said that she was going to the store.” If you forget to change the pronoun, it would read, “She said that I was going to the store,” which changes the meaning of the direct speech entirely.
• Another common direct speech error is forgetting to change the verb tenses. For example, if someone said, “I am going to the store,” indirect speech, you would write, “She said that she was going to the store.” However, if you forget to change the verb tense, it would read, “She said that she is going to the store,” which changes the meaning of direct speech.
• The last direct speech error is one that many people make and it has to do with quotation marks. Remember, direct speech always goes inside quotation marks. If you forget to put direct speech inside of quotation marks, it changes the meaning of what is being said.
• For example, let’s say someone said, “I’m going to the store.” If you forget the quotation marks, it would read as follows: She said I’m going to the store. As you can see, this changes the meaning of what is being said.
• These are just a few of the most common direct speech errors. Remember, if you’re ever unsure about how to use direct or indirect speech, you can always consult a grammar reference book.

Conclusion

Direct and indirect speech is basically the exact scripting of the words of a speaker and ites reported version respectively. Overall, direct and indirect speech each have their own set of rules that must be followed. It is important to note the differences between the two, in order to ensure that you are communicating properly. Indirect speech can be a bit more challenging, but with practice, it will become easier. The most important thing is to be aware of the different rules and to use them accordingly. Thanks for reading! I hope this article was helpful.