What Are The Uses Of Direct And Indirect Speech?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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When we use

direct speech, we are repeating what was said

. When we use indirect speech, we’re reporting what was said. Let’s now look at some specific examples to learn how to change speech from direct to indirect. These examples will also reinforce the difference between direct and indirect speech.

When can we use direct and indirect speeches?

  • Using direct speech. Using direct speech means repeating the spoken phrase or word exactly as it was said. …
  • Using indirect speech. Indirect or reported speech is used to describe speech that happened in the past, where you are recounting something that was said to you before. …
  • Your turn.

Why is direct speech used?

Direct speech can be used

in virtually every tense in English

. You can use it to describe something in the present tense – to express something that is happening in the present moment, or make it feel like it is happening right now.

What is direct and indirect speech examples?

Direct Speech: She says,

“I am writing a letter to my brother

.” … Indirect Speech: She says that she was not writing a letter to her brother. Direct Speech: She said to me, “I am writing a letter to my brother.” Indirect Speech: She told me that she was writing a letter to her brother.

What is direct and indirect object with examples?


A direct object answers the question of who(m) or what

. … An indirect object answers the question of to whom, for whom, or for what. For example: Max pitched Alice the baseball.

Where is direct speech used?

When we want to describe what someone said, one option is to use direct speech. We use direct speech

when we simply repeat what someone says

, putting the phrase between speech marks: Paul came in and said, “I’m really hungry.”

What is direct speech example?

Direct speech is a sentence in which the exact words spoken are reproduced in speech marks (also known as quotation marks or inverted commas). For example:

“You’ll never guess what I’ve just seen!”

said Sam, excitedly. “What’s that?” asked Louise.

What are the types of direct speech?

Direct Speech Indirect Speech Present Perfect Continuous He said, “I’ve been standing here for ages”. Past Perfect Continuous He said that he had been waiting there for ages. Simple Past “I took it to school with me”, she said. Past Perfect She said she had taken it to school.

What is the example of direct?

The definition of direct is something that is the shortest way or someone honest and to the point. An example of direct is a non-stop plane trip from Los Angeles to Seattle. An example of direct is

someone telling a friend they would look better wearing make up

.

How many types of direct and indirect speech are there?

reporting clause reported clause Then a man shouted, “Get out of there, fast!”

What are the two basic rules for direct and indirect speech?

Rules for changing Direct into Indirect Speech

Present Tenses in the Direct Speech are changed into Past Tense. If the reporting or principal verb is in the Past Tense.

If in direct speech you find say/says or will say.

What is direct object and examples?

In English grammar, a direct object is

a word or phrase that receives the action of the verb

. In the sentence The students eat cake, the direct object is cake; the word eat is the verb and cake is what’s being eaten.

What is indirect object example?

An indirect object is an optional part of a sentence;

it’s the recipient of an action

. In the sentence “Jake gave me some cereal,” the word “me” is the indirect object; I’m the person who got cereal from Jake.

What is direct and indirect object in grammar?


The direct object is the receiver of the action mentioned in the

sentence. … The indirect object identifies the person/thing for whom/what the action of the verb is performed. The indirect object is usually a person or thing.

How do you explain direct and indirect speech?

In direct speech, the actual words spoken by a person (with no change in them) are conveyed to another person. In indirect speech, the actual words spoken by a

person are slightly changed while conveying them

to another person. For instance, the verb and pronouns are changed.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.