Direct and indirect speech require different structures from "summary" of English Grammar for Today by Geoffrey Leech,Margaret Deuchar,Robert Hoogenraad
When we report someone else's words in our own speech or writing, we can do so in two ways: directly or indirectly. Direct speech involves repeating the original speaker's exact words, enclosed in quotation marks. For example, "I am going to the store," said Jane. Indirect speech, on the other hand, conveys the meaning of the original speaker's words without using their exact wording. In this case, we would say, Jane said that she was going to the store. The choice between direct and indirect speech depends on various factors, such as the context, the relationship between the speaker and the reported speech, and the desired level of formality. Importantly, the structures used in direct and indirect speech differ significantly. In direct speech, the original speaker's words are reproduced verbatim, maintaining their original tense, pronouns, and other elements. In indirect speech, these elements often undergo changes to fit the reporting context. One key difference between direct and indirect speech is the use of reporting verbs. In direct speech, the reporting verb - such as "said," "asked," or "shouted" - is placed before the quoted words. In indirect speech, the reporting verb comes before the reported speech, followed by a conjunction like "that" to introduce the reported words. For example, "I will be there," she said (direct speech) becomes She said that she would be there (indirect speech). Another distinction lies in the pronouns and verb tenses used in direct and indirect speech. In direct speech, the speaker's pronouns and verb tenses are retained as they were originally spoken. In indirect speech, however, the pronouns may change to reflect the reporting context, and verb tenses often shift to match the reporting time frame. For instance, "I am reading a book," he said (direct speech) becomes He said that he was reading a book (indirect speech). Furthermore, indirect speech often requires changes in modal verbs, adverbs of time and place, and other elements to maintain coherence and accuracy in reporting. For example, "I can help you tomorrow," she said (direct speech) becomes She said that she could help me the next day (indirect speech), with adjustments made to modal verbs and adverbs to convey the intended meaning accurately. In summary, the structures of direct and indirect speech differ significantly in terms of reporting verbs, pronouns, verb tenses, modal verbs, adverbs, and other elements.
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