Direct speech is the name given to a way of informing or disseminating a message or content as it was originally expressed. It is a style in which, both orally and in writing, information is reproduced (from a sentence to phrases ) without commenting on it or modifying anything.
When quoting a statement using direct speech, it is essential to include two periods and quotation marks. Sometimes, as happens when developing literary materials, there are dialogue scripts that indicate what each of the participating characters are saying in the story being told.
Opposing the features of direct speech that is limited to a communication that is limited to the repetition of what a certain speaker generated, the so-called indirect speech is a discursive modality that does not require the application of signs since it is not propagated textually. a message, but rather it paraphrases what another individual expressed.
Applications of direct speech
Direct speech has multiple applications, especially in environments linked to the news media and artistic disciplines in which creativity , inspiration and imagination are key.
It is interesting to note that this variety of expression is not limited to the field of literature . Nor is it exclusive to works of fiction , since in the field of non-fiction this type of resource can also be given space.
If it is used in the exercise of journalism cultivated on a television channel or a radio station, to add data of interest, it is necessary that, before proceeding to share a verbatim phrase using direct speech , someone clarifies to the audience who is the author of the message in order to avoid confusion or misunderstandings. In reports and interviews, it is even possible to find (and use) this alternative to reconstruct the conversation that has been had with a particular personality and that is disseminated through a printed magazine, a digital newspaper or a television broadcast. Although in the introduction, or even in the development of the note, more than one description is allowed with the aim of reconstructing the atmosphere of the talk or enriching the work with constructive clarifications, the direct style should be limited to textual quotations or to the transcription of the dialogue as it occurred.
It cannot be overlooked either that the characters of a story, if the author of the work chooses the modality of direct style , appear throughout the pages of the story maintaining a conversation (or more) without the narrator transforming the characters. sayings of the protagonists of the dialogue in question or influence them. This happens, for example, in stories , novels and even in scenes that someone has written in a film script , a television sketch or in a theatrical script to offer a comedy , a science fiction film, a work of fantasy intended for the public. children, etc.
Tips when implementing direct style
Those who specialize in the art of writing and experts in issues related to spelling often share very useful suggestions, for example, when implementing direct speech in a formal text, the plot of a fictional plot or even in the monologue of a stand-up comedian.
The essential thing is to never forget that a direct quote accurately discloses the voice of another, which is why the rules indicate the importance of putting said words in quotation marks . The statements, in this context , belong to a neighbor and that must be made clear to the reader , the listener or the viewer using that code that marks differences between the person writing or speaking and the person responsible for the phrases stated.
There is also the option of reproducing the message verbatim, accompanying it with a comma and mentioning, along with some conjugation of verbs such as 'say' , 'explain' , 'mention' or 'confirm' , who has declared such content. Two examples of this structure: "I'm pregnant," the actress confirmed. / The singer revealed: "I am retiring from the stage due to health problems."
To give an idea of dialogue , the line cannot be missing. Therefore, there is an appearance like the one shared below:
— Shall we see you tomorrow night?
— I would love to, but I have a family commitment that is impossible to postpone.
You also have to be educated in language and differentiate well between direct and indirect speech in order to acquire sufficient tools to convert sentences from direct style to indirect format and vice versa. As a reference for this alternative we propose: «I am on vacation until next week. If you agree, when I return to the office we will coordinate a meeting," the executive responded. / The executive told me that he was on vacation until next week and that, if I agreed, we could meet when he returned to his office.