Direct Speech

A writer can present speech by their characters to us in three very different ways:

  summary uses the narrator's words ("he told us about his journey") and has no necessary relation to the character's tone or feeling

  direct speech uses the character's own words ("he said, 'It was a bloody long journey and I'm bushed!' ") and so carries their tone and feeling

  indirect speech uses the narrator's words ("he said that his journey was long and tiring").