Quoting Speech

Level 6

Direct speech reproduces a speaker's own wording and uses the corresponding person and tense.

How It Works

Direct speech reproduces a speaker's own wording and uses the corresponding person and tense. Quotation punctuation differs from reporting the same content in a da-clause.

Inside a quotation, pridem retains the quoted speaker's first person and jutri their time perspective. Reporting it indirectly may require explaining whose tomorrow is meant. Direct quotation punctuation also marks where the reporting clause ends or resumes.

Examples (3)

  1. Ana je rekla: »Pridem jutri.«

    Ana said, "I will come tomorrow."

  2. »Nimam časa,« je odgovoril Marko.

    "I have no time," Marko replied.

  3. Vprašal je: »Kje živiš?«

    He asked, "Where do you live?"

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Quoting SpeechLevel 6

Learn This First

Contrast directly reproduced wording with a reported content clause.