2 Great Ways to Pass a Message

There are 2 ways to pass a message: directly or indirectly. 

Direct Speech

When you report in “Direct speech” it means that you use the exact words spoken by the person you heard from. We use quotation marks to show that those words were spoken by someone else. This style of reporting maintains the original speaker’s words, including their tone, phrasing, and verb tenses. You repeat word-for-word what the speaker said. Direct speech often starts with a reporting verb, such as “said,” “asked,” or “exclaimed,” followed by the quoted speech.

Example: 
Manoj said, “I am going to the store.”
Anuja exclaimed, “I lost my wallet.”
Aakash asked, “Can you pass me the salt?”

Indirect Speech

When you report in “Indirect speech” it means that you say it in your own way the things you heard. Here you paraphrase or summarize what someone else said, without quoting their exact words. We do not use quotation marks. However, when reporting in indirect speech, we change the verb tenses, pronouns, and other elements to reflect the context and perspective of the reporting speaker. Although we may make some changes, we do not change the meaning of what the speaker intended to say. 

Example: 
Manoj said that he was going to the store.
Anuja exclaimed that she had lost her wallet.
Aakash asked if I could pass him the salt.

Let’s look at a few more examples.

Direct Speech
Sandeep said, “I will go to the store.”
Sandeep said, “I went to the store.”
Sandeep said, “I had gone to the store.”

Indirect Speech
Sandeep said that he would go to the store.
Sandeep said that he had gone to the store.
Sandeep said that he had gone to the store. (*no change – see rule)

But why do we use reported speech? Do we use this in our daily conversations? 

Yes, we use this form of speech every day in our lives, whether we are aware of it or not, whether we have learned the rules or not.

Using reported speech in English offers several advantages:

1. Conciseness: Reported speech allows you to summarize what someone said, making it more concise than directly quoting their exact words.
2. Integration: Reported speech can be seamlessly integrated into your own writing or speech, helping to maintain the flow and coherence of your narrative.
3. Clarity: It can clarify complex or ambiguous statements by providing context or explanations alongside the reported speech.
4. Flexibility: Reported speech allows you to convey the essence of what someone said while adapting it to suit the grammatical structure of your own sentence.
5. Variety: It offers variety in language use, enabling you to employ diverse reporting verbs and structures to convey different shades of meaning or speaker attitudes.
6. Formality: Reported speech is often more formal than direct speech, making it suitable for academic, professional, or formal writing contexts.
7. Avoidance of Repetition: Instead of repeatedly using quotation marks and directly quoting every statement, reported speech enables you to refer back to what someone said without redundancy.
8. Backshifting: Reported speech allows for the backshifting of verb tenses, which can be helpful when discussing past events or when the original statement was made in a different time frame than the reporting speech.
9. Narrative Control: It gives the speaker or writer control over the narrative by allowing them to filter and present information according to their perspective or agenda.
10. Politeness: In certain situations, using reported speech can be more polite or tactful than directly quoting someone, particularly if their words were critical or confrontational.

What happens when we don’t use “Reported Speech” properly?

When you don’t use reported speech, you typically rely on direct speech or direct quotations to convey what someone said. While direct speech can be useful in some contexts, there are certain implications and limitations when it’s overused or not used appropriately:

1. Repetition: Direct speech often involves repeating exactly what was said, which can become monotonous or tedious for the reader or listener if used excessively.
2. Informality: Direct speech can lend a more informal tone to your writing or speech, which may not always be suitable for certain contexts, such as academic or formal settings.
3. Quotation Marks: Direct speech requires the use of quotation marks to indicate where the speaker’s words begin and end, which can clutter the text visually and make it more cumbersome to read.
4. Lack of Integration: Direct speech can sometimes disrupt the flow of your narrative or argument, especially if it’s not smoothly integrated into the surrounding text.
5. Limited Perspective: When relying solely on direct speech, you may not have the opportunity to provide additional context or interpretation of what was said, potentially leading to misunderstandings or misinterpretations.
6. Less Control Over Tone: Direct speech preserves the exact tone and phrasing of the original speaker, which may not always align with the desired tone or style of your writing or speech.
7. Space Constraints: In some cases, direct speech may consume more space or word count compared to reported speech, which can be a consideration in situations where brevity is important.
8. Inappropriateness in Formal Settings: In formal writing or professional communication, excessive use of direct speech may be perceived as informal or unprofessional.
9. Less Flexibility in Verb Tenses: Direct speech often requires maintaining the original verb tenses used by the speaker, which may not always align with the grammatical structure or narrative flow of your own writing.

Overall, while direct speech has its place and can be effective in certain contexts, reported speech offers more flexibility, control, and integration within your writing or speech.