Direct speech and indirect speech are two expressions in grammar used to quote someone else's words or thoughts. There are some differences in usage situations and grammatical structure between these two quotation forms, which I will explain in detail and illustrate with examples.
Direct Speech:
Direct quotation is another person's original words directly nested within quotation marks and ended with a punctuation mark. In direct speech, the speaker's exact words are quoted exactly. This form of quotation is usually used to annotate, report, quote or paraphrase what others have said.
example:
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报告：“The meeting will start at 10 AM tomorrow,” announced the manager.
- The manager announced: "Tomorrow the meeting will start at 10 am."
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引用：The author said, “History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time.”
- The author said: "History is a witness to the passage of time."
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复述：My friend exclaimed, “I can’t believe we won the championship!”
- My friend exclaimed, “I can’t believe we won the championship!”
Indirect Speech:
Indirect speech is to translate someone else's words into your own words by changing the sentence structure and personal pronouns of the original words. This form of quotation usually occurs when repeating, paraphrasing, or stating someone else's point of view.
example:
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复述：She told me that she was going to visit her grandparents over the weekend.
- She told me she was going to visit her grandparents over the weekend.
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陈述：He mentioned that he had been working on the project for several months.
- He mentioned that he had been working on this project for several months.
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询问：I asked if they had received the invitation to the party.
- I asked if they had received an invitation to the party.
Usage occasions:
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When to use direct speech:
- Direct quotations are used when you need to convey exactly what someone said, especially in news reports, quoting other people's opinions, or quoting conversations.
- Direct quotations are more appropriate when emphasizing the speaker's words or emotional expression.
Exceptions:
- Direct speech can also be used in everyday spoken communication, but is more commonly used in formal situations or in written language.
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When to use indirect speech:
- Indirect speech is used when paraphrasing or paraphrasing another person's words without keeping the original words intact.
- In writing, especially when narrating past events or quoting long conversations, using indirect quotations can help your language flow more smoothly.
Exceptions:
- Indirect speech may also appear in some situations, such as oral narration or emphasis on the original words.
Generally speaking, there are some differences in expression and grammatical structure between direct quotations and indirect quotations. Therefore, when choosing to use, you need to decide which quotation is more suitable based on the context and purpose.