Practice
Direct speech: rules and examples
Mina said, "I will call you after lunch." The words inside the quotation marks are Mina's exact words. This is direct speech.
Recognize direct speech and punctuate a short quotation with quotation marks and a reporting clause.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Mina said, "I will call you after lunch." /ˈmiːnə sɛd aɪ wɪl kɔːl juː ˈæftər lʌntʃ/
The short answer
Use quotation marks around a person's exact words. If a reporting clause comes before the quotation, use a comma before the opening quotation mark: Omar said, "The room is ready."
Omar said, "The room is ready."
Why it works: Omar said is the reporting clause. The sentence inside the quotation marks is the direct speech.
5 more examples
-
Nora said, "The tickets are on my desk."
Nora said comes before the quotation, so a comma introduces the exact words.
Not this:Nora said
that the tickets were on her desk. What changes: This is reported speech. It gives the message without repeating Nora's exact words. -
"The printer is working again," Leo said.
The exact words come first. The comma stays inside the quotation marks before the reporting clause.
Not this:
Leo said thatthe printer was working again. What changes: Reported speech does not need quotation marks because it does not repeat the exact sentence. -
"Can you send the file today?" Priya asked.
The quotation is a question, so its question mark stays inside the closing quotation mark.
Not this:Priya asked
whether I could send the file that day. What changes: The reported question has normal sentence word order and no question mark. -
"Please wait here," the nurse said, "while I check your appointment."
The reporting clause interrupts one spoken sentence. Each part of the quotation stays inside quotation marks.
Not this:The nurse
asked me to waitwhile she checked my appointment. What changes: The request is reported as an instruction rather than quoted word for word. -
"Watch out!" the cyclist shouted.
The exclamation mark belongs to the spoken words and goes inside the quotation marks.
Not this:The cyclist
shouted a warning. What changes: This sentence describes the warning but does not give the cyclist's exact words.
Read the full guide
Start by asking whether you are showing the speaker's exact words. If you are, write those words inside quotation marks. In Omar said, "The room is ready," Omar said identifies the speaker, and The room is ready gives the words he used.
Show the speaker's exact words
Use direct speech when the exact wording matters. The words spoken by the person go inside quotation marks.
Ravi said, "I found the receipt."
I found the receipt is Ravi's direct speech. Ravi said tells us who spoke.
Ravi said that he had found the receipt.
Which sentence gives Ravi's exact words?
The first sentence gives his exact words because it uses quotation marks.
Put the reporting clause before a statement
A reporting clause can come before the quotation. For a statement, put a comma after the reporting clause and then open the quotation marks.
The guide said, "The museum closes at five."
The comma separates the reporting clause from the words that follow it.
The guide said "The museum closes at five."
What is missing from the second sentence?
Add a comma after said: The guide said, "The museum closes at five."
Use punctuation that matches the quotation
A quoted question keeps its question mark. A quoted exclamation keeps its exclamation mark. Do not add a comma after a reporting clause before either of these marks.
Jamal asked, "Where is the nearest station?"
The question mark ends Jamal's exact question, so it replaces the comma after asked.
Elena cried, "That is wonderful!"
Which punctuation ends Elena's spoken words?
The exclamation mark ends the quotation because Elena's words are an exclamation.
Place a final reporting clause clearly
The quotation can come before the reporting clause. For a quoted statement, use a comma inside the quotation marks before the reporting clause. Put the final full stop after the reporting clause.
"I saved a seat for you," Marta said.
The comma is part of the quoted statement. Marta said is outside the quotation marks.
"I saved a seat for you." Marta said.
Why is the first version easier to read?
It uses the normal punctuation pattern for a statement followed by a reporting clause.
Keep direct and reported speech separate
Direct speech repeats the speaker's words. Reported speech gives the meaning in a new sentence, so the grammar can change.
Sara said, "I need more time."
The quotation gives Sara's own words and uses I from her point of view.
Sara said that she needed more time.
Why does the second sentence use she instead of I?
The writer reports Sara's message from the writer's point of view instead of quoting her exact words.
Before you go
Remember this
Use direct speech when you want to show exact words. Put the spoken words in quotation marks, name the speaker clearly, and choose the punctuation that belongs to the quotation. A question keeps its question mark, and a reporting clause before a statement is followed by a comma.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Direct speech: rules and examples"
What is direct speech?
Direct speech gives the exact words a person said. Those words go inside quotation marks, and a reporting clause can identify the speaker. For example, Nora said, "The tickets are on my desk." shows Nora's words directly.
Nora said, "The tickets are on my desk."
Where do quotation marks go in direct speech?
Put opening and closing quotation marks around the exact words spoken. Keep the reporting clause outside those marks unless it is part of the quotation. In American English, punctuation for a quoted statement usually stays inside the closing quotation mark.
Nora said that the tickets were on her desk.
Do I use a comma before direct speech?
Use a comma after a reporting clause that comes before a quoted statement. For example, Nora said, "The tickets are on my desk." A quoted question or exclamation uses its own question mark or exclamation mark instead of that comma.
"The printer is working again," Leo said.
What happens when direct speech is a question?
Put the question mark inside the quotation marks because it belongs to the speaker's exact question. Do not add another full stop or comma after the closing quotation mark when a short reporting clause follows the question.
Leo said that the printer was working again.
What is the difference between direct and reported speech?
Direct speech repeats the speaker's wording and uses quotation marks. Reported speech gives the message in the writer's own sentence, so pronouns and verb forms may change. The two forms can communicate the same basic message in different ways.
"Can you send the file today?" Priya asked.