In English, there are two different ways to say what someone else has said. We can either repeat their exact words (direct speech) or we can report the idea that they expressed (reported speech).
When we use direct speech in writing, we use quotation marks and an appropriate verb. We don’t make any changes to the words that the person said.
- The Mayor: "We are going to build a new community centre next year."
- The Mayor said, “We are going to build a new community centre next year.”
When we use reported speech, we generally use an appropriate reporting verb followed by a noun clause or infinitive clause. Usually, we make changes to verb tenses, pronouns, time and place expressions, and word order. Note the changes made when transforming direct speech to reported speech in the examples below.
- Direct: The Mayor said, “We are going to build a new community centre next year.”
- Reported: The Mayor said that they were going to build a new community centre the following year.
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