Direct and Indirect Speech

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DEFINITION OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

In English, there are two ways of conveying what someone else has said: direct speech and indirect speech.

Direct speech or quoted speech are sentences spoken directly by the speaker (the first person), conveyed accurately and in the same words without any change from what the first person said, marked with a quotation marks ("....").

Indirect speech or reported speech are sentences that also convey the same information from the first person who said it but does not quote directly with the exact word (describes the utterance in a different sentence without quotation mark).

OBSERVING

Look at the pictures below.

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Picture 2

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After observing the pictures above, can you identify which sentences are included in direct speech and indirect speech? Keep in mind that direct speech uses quotation marks (") and uses the same words, while indirect speech does not use quotation marks (") and uses different words with the same meaning.

Are you bored? Try to watch the following video then observe and learn.

GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

The structure of direct and indirect speech is affected by changes in tenses. The tenses generally move backward in this way:

Example:

-Direct: He said, “I walk.”

-Indirect: He said that she walked.

-Direct: Ayesha said, “I am having tea.”

-Indirect: Ayesha said that he was having tea.

-Direct: You said, “He has left for school.”

-Indirect: You said that He had left for school.

-Direct: Vidi said, “Ananya took pasta.”

-Indirect: Vidi said that Ananya had taken pasta.

-Direct: They told, “We were living in Paris.”

-Indirect: They told that they had been living in Paris.

-Direct: Rama said, “I will go to Sri Lanka.”

-Indirect: Rama said that he would go to Sri Lanka.

Apart from changing tenses, there are some rules that affect the structure when changing direct speech into indirect speech.

⏩Changes in Say to and Said to:

As you can see, in direct speech we often find the verb 'to say' ('said' in the past form). It is called as the reporting verb. Beside, you can also use other reporting verbs that indicate direct speech such as:

Note: If the reporting verb is in the simple present tense, the reported sentence will not change. For example:

-Direct: John says “I will go to Bandung tomorrow”

-Indirect: John says that he will go to Bandung tomorrow

-Direct: Mary says “I have seen that film”

-Indirect: Mary says that she has seen that film.

⏩Changes in modal verbs:

You can check the following picture about the modal verbs changes of Direct and Indirect speech.

Example:

-Direct: He said, “I can cook food.”

-Indirect: He said that he could cook food.

-Direct: They said, “We may go to Canada.”

-Indirect: They said that they might go to Canada.

-Direct: She said, “I must finish the work on time.”

-Indirect: She said that she had to finish the work on time.

-Indirect: He said that he could cook food.

⏩Changes in pronoun:

In indirect speech, you need to be careful with personal pronouns. They need to be changed according to the situation. You need to know the context.

Example:

-Direct: Vidya said, “I am a good girl.”

-Indirect: Vidya said that she was a good girl.

-Direct: I told them, “You have finished your work.”

-Indirect: I told them that they had finished their work.

-Direct: He said, “She is in Jakarta.”

-Indirect: He said that she was in Jakarta.

⏩Changes in time and place:

Time and place references often have to change in indirect ppeech.

Example:

-Direct: She said, “The children are playing outside now.”

-Indirect: She said that the children were playing outside then.

-Direct: Mei said, “I have got a piano lesson today.”

-Indirect: Mei said that she had got a piano lesson that day.

-Direct: He asked me, “Put the box here.”

-Indirect: He asked me to put the box there.

-Direct: They said, “We will go tomorrow.”

-Indirect: They said that they would go the next day.

⏩Changes of interrogative/question sentences:

If the direct question uses question words such as; Where, When, Why, What, Who, How, etc., then these words are used as a connector in the reported speech.

Example:

-Direct: Ravi said, “What is your name?”

-Indirect: Ravi asked the girl what her name was.

-Direct: Mary asked, “Why do you get angry with me?”

-Indirect: Mary asked why she got angry with him.

-Direct: I asked him, “When did you get back from your trip?”

-Indirect: I asked him when he had got back from his trip.

-Direct: She asked me, “Where do you live ?”

-Indirect: She asked me where I lived.

-Direct: He asked her, “How will you go there?”

-Indirect: He asked her how she would go there.

If the direct question does not use question words, and it is a question in the form of "Yes & No Question", then we use the words if, whether as a link between the introductory sentence (the reporting verb) and the reported question.

Example:

-Direct: The boy asked John, “Does Mary live near here?”

-Indirect: The boy asked John if Mary lived near there.

-Direct: The teacher asked her, “Have you finish your homework ?”

-Indirect: The teacher asked her if she had finished her homework.

-Direct: Mary asked me, “Did you she John at the party last night?

-Indirect: Mary asked me whether I had seen John at the party the night before.

-Direct: We asked them, “Will you go to the movie with us tonight?”

-Indirect: We asked them whether they would go to the movie with us that night.

Note: In a sentence, you can choose between "If" or "Whether".

⏩Changes of command sentences:

Command is divided into 2 (two) parts, namely:

1. Positive Command

In positive commands we add to in front of the imperative sentence, as a link between the introductory sentence and the reported command. Introductory sentences in this type are:

to + infinitive
He asked me
He told me

Example:

-Direct: He asked me, “Open your book”

-Indirect: He asked me to open my book.

-Direct: Mother asked John, “Pay attention to what I say”

-Indirect: Mother asked John to pay attention to what she says.

-Direct: John told Mary, “Wait until I come”

-Indirect: John told Mary to wait until he comes.

-Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Be quiet while I am talking”

-Indirect: The teacher told the students to be quiet while she is talking.

2. Negative Command

In the negative command we add not to in front of the reported command.

Example:

-Direct: Ira asked Tom, “Don’t move”

-Indirect: Ira asked Tom not to move.

-Direct: He told Ravi, “Don’t wait for me”

-Indirect: Mary told John not to wait for her.

-Direct: I told him, “Don’t mention it to anyone”

-Indirect: I told him not to mention it to anyone.

-Direct: Father asked her, “Don’t go there alone”

-Indirect: Father asked her not to go there alone.

The video below can help you understand about direct and indirect speech.

THE FUNCTION OF DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

Following are the uses of direct and indirect speech.

1. In fiction writing, direct speech is any word spoken by a character. using direct speech can display the emotion of an important scene in detail through the words. In nonfiction writing or journalism, direct speech can emphasize a particular point, by using exact words from the source.

Example:

⏩Direct speech in fiction writing

⏩Direct speech in news text

2. The function of indirect speech is to convey points or information from other people, such as repeating an information from an interview source. Unlike direct speech, indirect speech is not usually placed inside quote marks. However, both are attributed to the speaker because they come directly from a source.

Example:

⏩Indirect speech in news text

EXAMPLE OF PRESENT PERFECT SENTENCES

The following are examples of direct and indirect speech.

📌 Statement/Pernyataan

Direct speech:

Aria said, “I will give you a book next week”.

Aria berkata, “Aku akan memberimu sebuah buku bulan depan”.

Indirect Speech:

Aria said that he would give me a book the following week.

Aria mengatakan bahwa dia akan memberi ku sebuah buku bulan depan.

Direct speech:

He said, “I work in a bank”

Dia berkata, “Saya bekerja di sebuah Bank”

Indirect speech:

He said that he worked in a bank.

Dia berkata bahwa dia bekerja di sebuah bank.

Direct speech:

They said, “We are going to beach tomorrow”

Dia berkata, “Kami akan pergi ke pantai besok”

Indirect speech:

They said that they were going to beach the following day.

Dia berkata bahwa mereka akan pergi ke pantai besok

Direct speech:

She said, “I am sad now”

Dia berkata, “Aku sedih saat ini”

Indirect Speech:

She said that she was sad then.

Dia berkata bahwa dia sedih saat itu.

Direct speech:

I said, “John has been waiting for you since two hours”

Aku berkata, “John sudah menunggu kamu selam dua jam”

Indirect Speech:

I said that John had been waiting for you for two hours.

Aku berkata bahwa John sudah meunggunya selama dua jam.

Direct speech:

I told Jerry, “I can fix this computer soon”

Aku memberitahu Jerry, “Aku dapat memperbaiki computer ini segera”.

Indirect speech:

I told to him that I could fix this computer immediately.

Aku memberitahu dia bahwa aku bisa memperbaiki komputer ini segera.

Direct speech:

Marry told us, “I have to go now”

Marry memberitahu kami , “Aku harus pergi saat ini”

Indirect speech:

Marry told to us that she had to go then.

Marry memberitahu kami bahwa dia harus pergi saat itu.

Direct speech:

John tells Anne “I will pick you up at seven o’clock tonight”

John memberitahu Anne, “Aku akan menjemputmu pada jam 7 malam malam ini.

Indirect speech:

John told to Anne that he will pick her up at seven o’clock tonight.

John memberitahu Anne bahwa dia akan menjemput dia jam 7 malam itu.

Direct speech:

Andy says “I have had lunch with John recently”

Andy berkata, “Aku sudah makan siang dengan John tadi”

Indirect speech:

Andy said to marry that he has had lunch with John recently.

Andy berkata kepada Marry bahwa dia telah sarapan tadi.

Direct Speech:

My mother says, “This flower needs to be watering frequently”

Ibuku berkata, “Bunga ini butuh disiram sering-sering”

Indirect Speech:

My mother said that this flower needs to be watering frequently.

Ibuku berkata bahwa bunga ini butuh disiram teratur.

Direct speech:

My brother tells to me, “I am reading a book now”

Saudaraku memberitahuku, “aku sedang membaca buku sekarang”

Indirect speech:

My brother told to me that he is reading a book then.

Saudaraku memberitahuku bahwa dia sedang membaca sebuah buku saat ini.

📌 Command/Perintah

Direct speech

He asked me “Open the door please!”

Dia meminta ku, “Tolong buka pinu!”

Indirect speech

He asked me to open the door please.

Dia memintaku untuk membeuka pintu.

Direct speech

My father told me, “Don’t come home late!”

Ayahku memberitahuku, “Jangan pulang terlambat!”

Indirect speech

My father told to me not to come home late.

Ayahku memberitahuku untuk tidak pulang terlambat.

Direct speech

Teacher asked me, “Open the page 23 now!”

Guru meinta ku, “Buka halaman 23 sekarang!”

Indirect speech

Teachers asked us to open the page 23 then.

Guru memintaku untuk membuka halaman 23 saat itu.

Direct speech

Andy asked “Don’t leave me alone!”

Andy memintaku, “Jangan tinggalkan aku sendiri!”

Indirect speech

Andy asked that to not leave him alone.

Andy memintaku untuk tidak meninggalkannya sendiri.

Direct speech

My uncle told me “Come and visit us next week!”

Pamanku memberitahuku, “Datang dan kunjungi kami bulan depan!”

Indirect speech

My uncle told to me to come and visit them the following week.

Pamanku memberitahuku untuk datang dan mengunjungi mereka bulan depan.

Direct speech

She tells him, “Don’t touch me!”

Dia memberitahunya, “jangan menyentuhku!”

Indirect speech

She told to him not to touch me.

Dia memberitahunya untuk tidak menyentuhnya.

Direct speech

His father asks, “Study hard!”

Ayahnya mengatakan, “Belajar yang giat!”

Indirect speech

His father asked him to study hard.

ayahnya berkata kepadanya untuk belajar giat.

Direct speech

The gardener tells me “don’t step on the grass!”

Si tukang kebun memberitahuku, “Jangan menginjak rumput!”

Indirect speech

The gardener told to me not to step on the grass.

Si tukang kebun memberitahuku untuk tidak menginjak rumput.

Direct speech

John tells Marry, “Hurry up!”

John memberitahu Marry,” cepat!”

Indirect speech

John told to marry to hurry up.

John memberitahu Marry untuk cepat.

📌 Question/Pertanyaan

Direct speech

John asked Marry, “Why do you come late today?”

John menanyai Marry, “Kenapa kamu datang terlambat hari ini?”

Indirect speech

John asked Marry why she came late that day.

John menanyai marry kenapa dia datang terlamba hari itu.

Direct speech

I asked my uncle, “When will you visit us here?”

Aku menanyai pamanku, “kapan kau akan mengunjungi kami di sini?”

Indirect speech

I asked my uncle when he would visit us here.

Aku menanyai pamanku kapan dia akan mengunjungi kami di sini.

Direct speech

My mother asked me, “Where are you last night?”

Ibuku menanyaiku, “Dimana aku berada kemarin malam?”

Indirect speech

My mother asked me where was I that night.

Ibuku menanyaiku dimana aku berada malam itu.

Direct speech

Andy asked me, “Have you finished the homework?”

Andy menanyaiku, “Sudahkah aku menyelesaikan PR?”

Indirect speech

Andy asked me if I had finished the homework.

Andy menanyaiku apakah aku telah menyelesaikan PR.

Direct speech

My brother told to me, “Are you okay?”

Saudaraku memberitahuku, “Apakah aku baik-baik saja?”

Indirect speech

My brother told to me whether I was okay or not.

Saudaraku menanyaiku apakah Aku baik baik saja?

Direct speech

Aria asked John, “Can you be quiet for a while?”

Aria menanyai John, “Dapatkah kamu dia untuk beberapa saat?”

Indirect speech

Aria asked John if he could be quiet for a while.

Aria menanyai John apakah dia bisa tenang untuk beberapa saat.

Direct speech

I asked John, “Does you want to come with us?”

Aku menanyai John, “Apakah kamu mau ikut kami?”

Indirect speech

I told John whether he wanted to come with us.

Aku menanyai John apakah dia mau ikut denagn kami.

Watch the following video and you can practice through the video. It tells a story about "A Trip to San Francisco". Listen carefully to the audio and read the text.