Quoted speech is one way of saying or writing what someone has said. It is used to repeat exactly the same words that were said, using quotation marks.
- She is my sister.
- Natalia said, "She is my sister."
Quoting one sentence
- Alex said, "My husband is a doctor."
- "My husband is a doctor," Carlota said.
- "My husband," Carlota said, "is a doctor."
Quoting more than one sentence
- Carlota said, "My husband is a doctor. He works at the hospital."
- "My husband is a doctor," Carlota said. "He works at the hospital."
Quoting a question
- Carlota asked, "When will you be at the pharmacy?"
- "When will you be at the pharmacy?" Carlota asked.
Quoting an exclamation
- Carlota said, "Be careful!"
- "Be careful!" Carlota said.
In quoted speech, the verbs say and ask are the most commonly used. However, other verbs can be used. Some examples are:
- added
- agreed
- announced
- begged
- commented
- complained
- explained
- promised
- replied
- responded
- shouted
- suggested
- whispered
- The patient begged, "Please help me, doctor!"
- "Absolutely!" the woman responded.
- "We will do the med test after break time this afternoon," the teacher announced.
Exercise
Using what you have learned about quoted speech, complete the activity.