In a direct speech, we use inverted commas to highlight the exact words of the speaker while reporting them. On the other hand, in an indirect speech, as its name suggests, it involves reporting what a person said, without exactly quoting them. So, in an indirect speech we do not use inverted commas to highlight the original statement of the speaker; instead, it is just reported using own words. Let’s have a look at the examples to understand the two:
In these two examples, you might have observed that when we use direct speech, we use quotations to outline the real words of the speaker. As against, in an indirect speech, there is no such thing, as the listener narrates the same in his/her own words.
| Basis for Comparison | Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Direct speech implies a direct discourse, that uses the actual words of the speaker to report it. | Indirect speech refers to indirect discourse that delineates what a person said, in own words. |
| Alternative Name | Quoted speech | Reported speech |
| Point of view | Speaker | Listener |
| Usage | When we repeat the original words of a person. | When we use our own words for reporting what other person says. |
| Quotation Marks | It uses quotation marks. | It does not use quotation marks. |
When a person gives a written or spoken account of the speech, by repeating the exact words of the speaker, then this is known as Direct Speech. It uses inverted commas to highlight the original statement of the speaker, which is supported by a signal phrase or say dialogue guide.
Example:
Sometimes, reporting verb appears in the mid of the sentence:
Adverbs can be used with the reporting verb, to delineate the manner in which something is spoken.
Indirect Speech or otherwise called as reported speech is one in which a person reports on what someone else said or wrote to him, not using the actual words. The indirect speech stresses on the content, i.e. what someone stated, instead of the words that are used for stating it.
The formation of the reported clause in an indirect speech is mainly based on whether the speaker is just reporting something, or ordering, commanding, requesting, etc.
Examples:
The difference between direct and indirect speech are discussed as under:
There are certain rules which need to be followed while changing from direct to indirect speech or vice versa:
Rule 1: Backshift changes
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| Simple Present Tense: He said, "I feel great." | Simple Past Tense: He said that he felt great. |
| Present Perfect Tense: The teacher said, "I have written the example on the board." | Past Perfect Tense: The teacher said that she had written the example on the board." |
| Present Continuous Tense: Rahul said, "I am going to the gym." | Past Continuous Tense: Rahul said that he was going to the gym. |
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense: She said, "I have been living here for five years." | Past Perfect Continuous Tense: She said that she had been living there for five years. |
| Simple Past Tense: My mother said to me, "You watched YouTube all night." | Past Perfect Tense: My mom said to me that you had watched YouTube all night. |
Exception: When the direct speech consists of a universal fact or truth, then the tense of the sentence remains the same.
Example:
Rule 2:For change in adverbs, pronouns, demonstratives and auxiliary verbs
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| Modal Verbs | |
| Must | Had to |
| Will | Would |
| Can | Could |
| Shall | Should |
| May | Might |
| Do/Does | Did |
| Did | Had done |
| Demonstratives, Pronouns and Adverbs | |
| Now | Then |
| Here | There |
| Thus | So |
| Ago | Before |
| This | That |
| These | Those |
| Hence | Thence |
| Today | That day |
| Tonight | That night |
| Yesterday | The day before |
| Tomorrow | The next day |
| Last week | The previous week |
| Next week | The following week |
Rule 3: For Interrogative Sentences
Questions may be of two types: Objective questions whose answer can be given in yes or no which starts with an auxiliary verb.
On the other hand, Subjective questions whose answers can be given in detail. Here subjective question refers to the questions that begin with wh-word, i.e. when, how, who, what, which, where, why and so forth. Here, the reporting verb is changed from said to ask in the reporting speech.
Rule 4: When the direct speech contains orders, request, advise, suggestions command etc. then the reporting verb is changed to tell, request, command, instruct, order, advise, suggestion etc.
Example:
Rule 5: When something is said repeatedly by a person, or it is said by many people we use says/say instead of said in the direct speech. Says when it is said by only one person and say when it is said by many people. Further, in indirect speech, it is replaced by tell/tells accordingly.
Example:
The reporting verb remains in simple present tense also when the actual words are still true when it is reported.
Rule 6: When there is an exclamatory sentence in the direct speech, first of all, the exclamatory sentence is changed into an assertive sentence. The inverted commas, interjections like oh, hurray, bravo etc. and the exclamatory mark is removed. The reporting verb, i.e. said is changed into exclaimed, and we use the conjunction that to add the clause.
Example:
The basic tip to recognize the difference between direct and indirect speech is that in case of direct speech we use inverted commas which are not used in case of indirect speech. Further, we use the word ‘that’ in general, in indirect speech.
