Direct Speech

There are two ways to convey the message or the spoken words of a person to another person—through direct or quoted speech or indirect or reported speech.

Direct speech is the manner of conveying a person’s message or spoken words by using and repeating the exact words of the speaker. It is formed by mentioning the speaker together with a reporting verb, like said or stated, and the actual words spoken enclosed in quotation marks (“…”). The quoted speech may be presented in any of the following positions in the sentence:

1. After the reporting verb

   Example:

   God said, “Let there be light.”

2. In a broken speech with the reporting verb in the middle of the sentence

   Example:

   “I heard you in the garden,” the man said, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

3. Before presenting the speaker and the reporting verb

   Example:

   “These are my sons!” Rama declared.

Here are some simple rules to follow in writing a direct speech.

1. Put every word that was said inside quotation marks (“…”) and always use a capital letter for the first word of each sentence inside the speech marks.

   Example:

   Dasaratha concluded, “I shall step down and Rama shall be made king."

2. Separate the direct speech from the rest of the sentence using a comma.

   Example:

   “Rama, my brother,” Bharata declared, “as long as you are in exile, no one shall be king.”