Direct speech

Grammar time: Direct speech

Professor: Ana Karen Candia

What is Reported speech?

Reported Speech

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

• Direct speech: "I work in a bank,' said Daniel.
• Indirect speech: Daniel said that he worked in a bank.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

• 'I travel a lot in my job.'

Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job.

• 'The baby's sleeping!'

He told me the baby was sleeping.

• 'I've hurt my leg.'

She said she'd hurt her leg.

What is Direct speech?

DIRECT SPEECH

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous conversation.

Say or Tell?

When do I have to use them?

Say or Tell

Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:

• He said that he was tired.

Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):

• He told me that he was tired.