1. Direct and Indirect Speech

2. Direct Speech The reporting of words spoken by repeating the actual words of a speaker. For example: “I'm going,” she said.

3. Indirect/Reported Speech This is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact words. The tenses of the verbs are often changed. For example: He said that he is going to run. (The person's exact words were "I am going to run.")

4. Inverted commas are used – “”
*Inverted commas are used – “” *Inverted commas come before the first word and after the punctuation at the end of the sentence or speech.
“Hello, my name is Tom,” said Tom.
“What are you doing?” asked Mom.

5. A new paragraph/line should start every time there is a new or different speaker.

6. It is important to remember that all punctuation falls INSIDE the inverted commas.
“Go outside now!” shouted Mom.
“Where are you going to play hockey?” asked Susie.
“What a lovely day,” observed Gran.

7. The unspoken words come BEFORE or AFTER the spoken words
The unspoken words come BEFORE or AFTER the spoken words. The unspoken words are NOT included inside the inverted commas.
“Please come home soon. You must not be late again,” Mom warned.
Mom warned Peter, “Please come home soon. You must not be late.”
“Please come home soon,” Mom said as she warned Peter, “You must not be late again.”

8. Put the appropriate punctuation at the end of the spoken words (. ,
Put the appropriate punctuation at the end of the spoken words (?, !), but use a comma in place of a full stop.
“Go outside now!” shouted Mom.
“Where are you going to play hockey?” asked Susie.
“What a lovely day,” observed Gran

9. NB a full stop is used in place of the comma when the unspoken words come before the spoken words.
“What a lovely day,” observed Gran.
Gran observed, “What a lovely day.”

10. Tom said, “Hello, my name is Tom.”
If the unspoken words come before the spoken words, then a comma is used before you open the inverted commas.
Tom said, “Hello, my name is Tom.”

11. INDIRECT/REPORTED SPEECH  This is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact words. The tenses of the verbs and pronouns are often changed. No inverted commas are used. Remove all punctuation.

12. Molly said, “It is raining hard.” Molly said that it was raining hard.
He said, “I will come to your party tomorrow, Molly.”
He said that he would go to her party the following day.