She said, "I saw him." Direct and Indirect Language . Indirect speech is used to report what someone may have said, and so it is always used in the past tense. Reported or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. Indirect speech. Direct And Indirect Speech Rules. To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that are considered, such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronouns, tenses, etc. e.g. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Direct speech is a form of speech where the speaker gives first hand information, whereas indirect speech is reported on behalf of someone else. Rules for converting Direct into Indirect speech. Direct and Indirect Speech Direct and Indirect Speech Rules. Let’s have an example first. In the English language, there are two ways of conveying what someone else has said: direct/quoted speech and indirect/ reported speech. If the Reporting Verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the tense of the verb in the Reported Speech is not changed at all. Direct Speech Definition: Direct speech is writing that quotes what somebody has said in full, and is meant to be an accurate record of what was said, and by whom it was said.. Indirect Speech Definition: Indirect speech is writing that provides a summary of what somebody was supposed to have said, and when they said it. We often soften our words, or use indirect language when talking about sensitive topics such as correcting others’ mistakes, or requesting someone’s time or effort. … Direct speech is the ones that the person establishes himself / herself.Usually used in writing language such as novels, stories etc. A direct speech can be transformed into an indirect speech and vice versa using a suitable reporting verb and a linker depending on the sentence. Direct/quoted speech, involves quoting the exact words uttered by the person, within inverted commas or quotation marks. [indirect speech] Direct Speech Transferring the sentence that someone else says is called indirect speech.It is also called reported speech.Usually, it is used in spoken language.If the transmitted action is done in the past, the sentence becomes the past tense. Learners will strengthen their decision-making skills to determine when it’s best to be honest and direct, and when to choose gentle/indirect words. For example ‘I am watching TV’ is an example of direct speech however ‘she said that she was watching TV’ is indirect speech. Instead of using inverted commas, we can show that someone’s speech is being described by using the word “that” to introduce the statement first. Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is when words or phrases are reported in our own words. The original words are modified and/or interpreted as opposed to being quoted. Tina said to me, “Are you busy now?” [direct speech] Tina asked me whether I was busy then. Direct Speech. But an indirect speech will have many meanings as the perspectives from person to person changes from one person to the other; In a direct speech the person who owns the words will be delivering it. Direct and indirect speech explained for primary school parents, including the correct use of quotation marks. 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