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English Grammar : Speech





English Grammar : Speech


  1. Direct Speech

  2. Indirect Speech

  3. Reporting Verbs

  4. Changes in Verb Tenses and Pronouns:

  5. Embedded Speech



Speech

In English grammar, "speech" refers to the direct words or expressions spoken by individuals. It involves the use of quotation marks and appropriate reporting verbs to convey the spoken language accurately.


Direct Speech:

Direct speech is when the exact words spoken by someone are quoted and enclosed within quotation marks (" ").

Example: Hari said, "I am going to the school."


More Examples :

  • "I can't wait for the weekend," Sarah said with excitement.

  • "Please close the door," the teacher instructed the students.

  • "Are you coming to the party?" asked Mike.

  • "I've never seen such a beautiful sunset," she exclaimed.

  • "We will leave at noon," John announced to the group.


Indirect Speech:

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is when the words spoken by someone are indirectly paraphrased or reported without using quotation marks.

Example: Hari said that he was going to the school.


More Examples :

  • Sarah said she couldn't wait for the weekend.

  • The teacher instructed the students to close the door.

  • Mike asked if you were coming to the party.

  • She exclaimed that she had never seen such a beautiful sunset.

  • John announced to the group that they would leave at noon.


English Grammar : Speech




Reporting Verbs:

Reporting verbs are used to introduce reported speech in indirect speech. They can include verbs such as "said," "told," "asked," "explained," and more.

Example: He explained, "I will be late for the meeting." (Direct Speech) Example: He explained that he would be late for the meeting. (Indirect Speech)


More Examples :

  1. She claimed that she had finished the assignment early.

  2. He admitted to forgetting about the meeting.

  3. The manager suggested that the team start the project next week.

  4. They warned us about the heavy traffic on the way to the event.

  5. The witness reported seeing a suspicious person near the scene.

Each sentence includes a reporting verb that introduces or describes the reported speech or statement.


Changes in Verb Tenses and Pronouns:

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, there are often changes in verb tenses and pronouns to match the reporting verb tense and the context of the reported speech.

Example: "I love this song," she said. (Direct Speech) She said that she loved that song. (Indirect Speech)


Embedded Speech:

Embedded speech occurs when a quotation is embedded within another quotation. In such cases, single quotation marks (' ') are used for the inner quotation.

Example: "She told me, 'I can't come,'" he said.


More Examples :

  1. She mentioned that she couldn’t wait for the weekend.

  2. He said that he had forgotten about the meeting.

  3. The manager suggested that the team start the project next week.

  4. They warned us that there would be heavy traffic on the way to the event.

  5. The witness reported that he had seen a suspicious person near the scene.

Each sentence includes embedded speech, where the reported statement is integrated into the sentence structure.




Final Words :

The use of direct and indirect speech allows writers and speakers to accurately convey the words spoken by individuals in a narrative or dialogue. It is important to use appropriate punctuation, reporting verbs, and tense changes to effectively represent speech in written English.




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