Direct and Indirect Speech Tips and Tricks for Government Exams

Introduction

• Direct Speech
  Direct speech repeats or quotes the expressed or the words spoken. When we use direct speech, we place the words spoken between the quotation marks (“ First-person”). Direct speech is directly conveyed either in speech or in writing.
• Indirect Speech
  Indirect speech or Reported speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken into. We use reporting verbs like ‘tell’, ‘say’, ‘ask’ and we can use the word ‘that’ to introduce the reported in place of (“ ”) Direct and Indirect speech also introduces the concept of ‘Reported speech’ and ‘Reported Verb’.
  

Theory

Direct and Indirect Speech is used in any instances during written and verbal communication we need to repeat a statement or action of someone. It is used to describe what someone said in a direct indirect approach. The two approaches are used depending upon the type of conversation (formal or informal). Informal communication Direct Speech is not used unless it is a quote. Indirect Speech is preferred.

Tips

He said to me, “I will go there tomorrow.” In the above example,

• Reporting verb – Who said to whom.
  ‘He said to me’: it is reporting verb
• Reported speech – The exact words spoken, put within inverted commas “_______”.
  I will go there tomorrow-: it is reported speech

Solved Examples