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Direct Speech or Quoted Speech

Introduction to direct speech or quoted speech.

Direct Speech, also known as Quoted Speech, is a common grammatical construction used in both written and spoken language. This tutorial serves as a comprehensive guide to mastering this important literary device. Let's start by understanding what direct speech is.

Table of Contents

Understanding Direct Speech

Direct speech refers to the exact wording of someone's comments or speech as it was spoken. In written text, direct speech usually appears in quotation marks or inverted commas to denote that the words were spoken or written by another person. The actual text of direct speech punctuated with a speech tag, which identifies the speaker and might provide additional context.

John said, "I love playing football."

In this example, "I love playing football," is the direct speech, and "John said," is the speech tag.

Formatting Direct Speech

Following are some standard rules regarding the formatting and punctuating of direct speech:

Rule 1: Opening and Closing Quotation Marks

Always use opening and closing quotation marks to indicate the start and end of the direct speech portion of the sentence. These could be double (“ ”) or single (‘ ’) quotation marks, depending on the convention of the media or publication.

"I am going home," said Maria.

Rule 2: Speech Tag Placement

The location of the speech tag can change, depending on the context and the intended effect. It can either be placed before, in between, or after the direct speech.

She said, "I am tired."
"I am," he said, "very hungry."
"Let's go to the park," suggested Tim.

Rule 3: Capitalization and Punctuation

In direct speech, every new spoken line starts with a capital letter. Also, when the speech tag is at the end of the sentence, the quoted sentence should end with a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark but not with a period.

John said, "Please pass the salt."
"Where are we going?" asked Mary.
"What a beautiful view!" exclaimed Susan.

Understanding the Speech Tag

The speech tag typically has two parts: the noun (or noun phrase) that refers to the speaker and the reporting verb (e.g., "said", "asked", "whispered") that characterizes the mode of speech. It's also possible to add adverbial modifiers to describe the manner of speech.

"I can't wait to play the game," Tom said excitedly.

Overriding Rules in Direct Speech

While the rules mentioned above can guide you in punctuating most direct speeches correctly, some exceptions or overriding rules can alter punctuation and capitalization. Here are some examples:

Rule 1: Interrupted Speech

If the speech tag interrupts the direct speech, both parts of the speech would begin with a lowercase letter, assuming they form a single sentence.

"I can't," she whispered, "stand to see him upset."

Rule 2: Consecutive Sentences

When a character speaks consecutive sentences, start the second one with a capital letter.

"Please leave," she said. "I need to be alone."

Concluding Remarks

Mastering direct speech or quoted speech can enhance your writing skills tremendously, helping you write compelling dialogue and effectively integrate quotes in your work. By following the guidelines set in this tutorial, you'll be well on your way to using direct speech like a pro. Happy writing!

Practice Exercises:

Rewrite the following sentences with appropriate use of quoted speech:
Sam said that he was too tired to study.
Jane thought that it was a splendid idea.
He didn't know where she was going.
Use direct speech to write a conversation between two characters about their weekend plans.

Some nouns have same singular and plural forms or have plural ending (-s) - List

Direct Speech | What is Direct Speech? with Useful Examples

In English grammar, there are generally two ways of reporting a spoken text: direct and indirect . Direct speech differs in composition compared to indirect speech . This article will discuss the definition, rules, and examples of direct speech that will help you understand how it is used in writing.

Direct Speech

What is direct speech.

Direct speech is a way of reporting a spoken text that quotes the exact words of the speaker. It is also called a quoted speech as it literally contains quotation marks that enclose the actual words said. It is typically accompanied by a reporting clause or signal phrase. This type of speech is commonly observed in novels and scripts that contain dialogues or conversations between characters.

General Rules of Direct Speech

A direct speech should be written in correct composition so that it will be understood right. Here are the steps on how to do so:

1. Place quotation marks

Enclose the actual words of the speaker or writer in a set of quotation marks. They are the primary indications that your speech is in its direct form.

“You look familiar. Have we met before?” the woman asks.
“I don’t think so,” I answer.

2. Use a reporting clause

You should accompany the quoted text with a reporting clause, which may be placed before or after the quoted text. A reporting clause consists of a noun or pronoun and a reporting verb or signal phrase. The first word of the reporting clause should not be capitalized if it is situated after the quoted text unless it is a proper noun .

“Where do you want to have lunch?” the boy asked .
The girl answered , “I prefer eating at the cafeteria.”

Nothing that is not part of the quoted text should be enclosed in the quotation. If you plan to put the reporting clause in between two quoted text, make sure that it is not included inside any of the sets of quotation marks.

“You should go home,” her workmate says. “You look tired.”
“We can continue tomorrow,” she suggests. “But we have to come to work early.”

3. Placement of comma

You should separate the reported speech from the reporting clause by a comma . If the reporting clause precedes the reported speech, you have to put the comma before the opening quotation mark. There has to be a space between the comma and the quotation.

He says, “I want to buy some ice cream.”
He asks, “Do you have some ice cream?”

If the reporting clause is found after the reported speech, the comma should be placed right before the closing quotation mark. Meaning, it should be found after the last word of the quoted text.

“I want to buy some ice cream ,” he says .

However, for quoted speech ending with a question or exclamation mark , you don’t need to put a comma anymore.

“Do you have some ice cream?” he asks.

Direct Speech Examples

Reporting clause before the reported speech.

Gina says, “I think I lost my wallet.”
Marlon asks, “Really? Where did you last put it?”
Gina answers, “Here, inside my bag.”
Gina exclaims, “Oh, wait, here it is!”

Reporting clause after the reported speech

“John, where have you been?” Jane asked.
“I went to the nearest convenience store to buy us some snacks,” John answered.
“Wow, thank you!” Jane exclaimed.
“You’re welcome,” John replied.

Direct Speech | Image

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