In literary works, we often encounter dialogues spoken by characters. Thus, while writing a book, the writer must take care of the narrative portion and dialogues. What options are there for reproducing the speech or thoughts of interlocutors or characters in the text? Direct speech, indirect speech and free indirect speech are language techniques used in the narrative genre to present the lines and thoughts of characters. Their use varies depending on the intention of the narrator. This is why it is important to understand the difference between direct speech and indirect speech. Keep reading and see how to performindirect speech exercise.
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What is direct and indirect speech?
Direct speech is characterized by the fact that it is an accurate transcription of the speech of the characters, without the participation of the narrator. This is the text, oral or written, of someone's entire speech. This is when the words of another person or character are played back and separated from the narrator's lines. This means that the character himself speaks in the story.
Here are two simple examples:
Anton said: “You are judging this girl without knowing the whole story!”
“You are judging this girl without knowing the whole story,” Anton said.
Note that the same passage may be represented using quotation marks or dashes. The transition from one to the other is purely stylistic, without changing the meaning of what is being said.
Words that introduce or explain what is expressed in direct speech (said, answered, objected, approved, etc.) are called “verbs of speech.” These verbs can come before or after what characters speak.
Indirect speech is characterized by the narrator's intervention in speech by using his own words to play out the characters' lines. Indirect speech is used when the narrator himself says what another person or character said. Therefore, the narrator uses his words to convey the speech of the characters. This type of speech is always spoken in the third person.
Example: Anton said that they are judging the girl without knowing the whole story.
Note that in the case of indirect speech, speech verbs are also used. However, they are separated from the speech of the characters by the use of adverbial conjunctions such as “that”, “if”, “where”, etc.
But there is a third form of speech, which is considered a type of indirect speech.
Free indirect speech
In free indirect speech, in addition to speaking the lines of another person or character, the narrator also takes the place of another person to communicate his feelings and desires. He does this at the same time as posting his own narrative.
Example:Anton was sure that they were judging the girl without knowing the whole story. He declared this to those present in all his letters, but they ignored him. How unfair!
That is, for a few moments the narrator seems to step into the role of the character in order to portray his point of view so accurately that both seem to be the same person, at least for that moment.
Please note that free indirect speech does not use colons, quotation marks or dashes. It is also not necessary to use participial conjunctions. Free indirect speech is widely used in modern literature.
When to use direct and indirect speech?
Direct speech allows characters to speak in the first person, while indirect speech is characterized by third-person narration.
In the first case, time is the time of action that the character sees. In the second case, the past tense is almost always used, since the narrator is telling how something happened, and therefore his distance, both emotional and temporal. Direct speech best brings the reader closer to the characters, allowing them to speak for themselves in the story. Indirect discourse, on the other hand, is colder and more direct, giving the story more flow and rhythm.
Almost any passage written in direct speech can be converted into indirect speech and vice versa. So choosing one or the other is a matter of style.
Features of direct speech and indirect speech
Direct speech:
- introduced by a verb of eloquence, followed by a colon and a new line in a new paragraph;
- it begins with a dash, indicating a change in the narrator's voice to a character's voice;
- this is done in 1st person speech (I or we).
Indirect speech:
- is introduced by a verb of eloquence, followed by a preposition indicating a change in the narrator's voice to an imitation of the character's voice, also done by the narrator.
- it is constructed in the same sentence without changing the line or paragraph;
- this is done in 3rd person speech (he, she, they, they).
The transition from direct speech to indirect
When moving from direct to indirect speech, several transformations occur, thanks to which the character's voice can be reproduced by the voice of the narrator.
Examples of the transition from direct speech to indirect
- Direct speech: I went on a diet yesterday.
- Indirect speech: She said that she started a diet the day before.
- Direct speech: I’ll go now and come back quickly.
- Indirect speech: He said that he was going there at the moment and that he would return soon.
- Direct speech: We will go tomorrow.
- Indirect speech: They said that they would go the next day.
In addition to direct speech and indirect speech, there is another type of speech - free indirect speech, characterized by the fact that the speech is dynamic, in which the speech of the characters (in the 1st person) is inserted into the speech of the narrator (in the 3rd person).
Free indirect speech has no structure, with no indication of the introduction of characters' speeches into the narrative. Thus, the character's voice can easily be confused with the narrator's voice.
Thus, direct speech quotes the exact words of the speaker. Indirect speech conveys meaning without using the original words. Direct speech uses quotation marks, but indirect speech does not. Direct speech maintains the original time; indirect speech may require time shifts to maintain accuracy. The difference between direct speech and indirect speech is that natural speech exactly repeats the words of the speaker. In contrast, indirect speech is the retelling of the speaker's expression in his own words.