MS: Lesson - Direct and Indirect Speech Review

Direct Speech vs. Indirect Speech - Review

When reporting the words spoken by a person, a speaker or writer has two options:

1. Report the Speech Directly (called Direct Speech)
   • A form of reporting in which the exact words of the speaker are recorded.
   • In English, a speech act which is direct is marked with quotation marks.
2. Report the Speech Indirectly (called Indirect Speech)
   • A form of reporting in which the words of the speaker are paraphrased or described.
   • In English, an act of speech which is indirect is never marked with quotation marks.

Indirect Statement Review

When a statement is reported, rather than quoted, Latin forms an indirect statement by using the following three parts:

• The statement is introduced by a head verb
• The subject of the statement is in the accusative case
• The verb of the statement is an infinitive form

Examples

• Direct Statement: 
  • Dux dixit, "Prima luce, oppugnabimus."
  • The general said, "We will attack at dawn."
• Indirect Statement:
  • Dux dixit nos prima luce oppugnaturi esse.
  • The general said that we would attack at dawn.
  • Nota Bene:
    • nos must be written as the subject of the indirect statement
    • The infinitive matches the tense of the direct statement: here, we used future.

Indirect Speech Basics Summary

Indirect speech reports speech acts rather than quoting them. There are three types of indirect speech in both Latin and English:

• Indirect Statement
  • a reported statement
    • Caesar says that he will march to Gaul.
• Indirect Question
  • a reported question
    • Caesar wonders if he will march to Gaul.
• Indirect Command
  • a reported command
    • Caesar orders the troops to march to Gaul.