Direct and Indirect Sentences

Understanding Direct Sentences

Direct sentences are sentences that are spoken directly or quoted directly from a conversation where the form and content of the sentence are the same exactly "without being changed in the slightest" as stated, the characteristic of a direct sentence is that it begins and ends with a tick (“…”).

Examples-of-Direct-and-Indirect-Sentences

Characteristics of Direct Sentences

The following are several characteristics of direct sentences, consisting of:

  1. Quoted or spoken words begin and end with double quotation marks (“…”).
  2. The intonation of the quoted part has a higher pitch than the supporting part.
  3. The first letter after the tick mark is a capital letter and ends with punctuation according to the type of sentence "For example, if it is a news sentence, it ends with a period or if it is a question sentence, it ends with a sign ask".
  4. The closing quotation mark is written after the punctuation mark that ends the sentence.
  5. The accompanying or supporting parts are immediately separated by commas from the quotation or sayings.
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  7. Direct sentences that are in the form of sequential "reciprocal" dialogue must use colon punctuation before the direct sentence.
  8. If there are two sentences in the quotation, the initial letter in the first sentence is capitalized, while the initial letter in the second quotation is in small letters except for people's names or greetings.

How to Write Direct Sentences

Below are several ways to write direct sentences, consisting of:

  1. Arrangement of accompanying quotes
  • If the quote is at the beginning of a sentence, insert an opening quotation mark and write the quote starting with a capital letter.
  • Add a period, exclamation mark or question mark at the end of the quote.
  • Insert a closing quotation mark at the end of the quotation.
  • Follow with a space.
  • Enter the accompaniment without inserting commas and capital letters.
  • End the accompaniment with a period.

Example: "What should I do?" muttered Ratu Gading Mas.


  1. Accompaniment-quotation arrangement
  • If the quotation is at the end of a sentence, write the accompanying sentence first as if you were writing a normal sentence.
  • Insert a comma before adding the quote.
  • Insert a space.
  • Insert opening quotation marks and begin the quotation with a capital letter.
  • Add a period, exclamation mark or question mark at the end of the quote.
  • Insert a closing quotation mark at the end of the quotation.

Example: Then the Queen said to her guards, "Tell the two women to face me!"


  1. Arrangement of quotes, accompaniments and more quotes
  • Repeat how to write a direct sentence with the accompaniment-quote structure, but don't put a period after the accompaniment.
  • Put a comma after the accompaniment.
  • Insert a space
  • Insert opening quotation marks and but Don't start the quote with a capital letter.
  • Add a period, exclamation mark or question mark at the end of the quote.
  • Insert a closing quotation mark at the end of the quotation.

Example: “Wait!” shouted the queen's advisor, "we'd better investigate the matter first."


Understanding Indirect Sentences

Indirect sentences are sentences that are quoted from a conversation or someone's speech and the form of the sentence has been changed but the content has not changed. This means that this indirect sentence contains the same information as that conveyed by the source but the sentence structure is different.


Characteristics of Indirect Sentences

The following are several characteristics of indirect sentences, consisting of:

  1. Don't use quotation marks.
  2. The reading intonation is flat, not much different between the accompanying sentence and the content of the quoted sentence.
  3. There are changes in personal pronouns due to changes in the delivery of direct sentences to indirect sentences, these changes include, among others.
  • Changes in first person pronouns to third person pronouns, for example "I" or "I" change to "he" or "it".
  • Changing second person pronouns to first person pronouns, for example "you" becomes "me".
  • Change the second plural pronoun to us or them according to the context "you" to "us" or "us" to "they" or "us" to "us".
  • All indirect sentences are in the form of news sentences.
  • Usually there are the words "that", "because", "for", "so", "about" and certain other words after the accompanying sentence.

Difference between Direct and Indirect Sentences

Differentiator Direct sentence Indirect speech
Use of punctuation a. The quoted sentence is marked with quotation marksb. The quoted sentence and accompanying sentences are separated by commas (,).

c. Direct sentences in the form of sequential dialogue must use a colon (:) before the direct sentence

a. Don't use quotation marks
Intonation How to read a quoted sentence, the intonation is slightly stressed The reading intonation is flat
Other thing 1. Arrangement pattern: Accompaniment, “quote”

“quote,” accompaniment

“quote,” accompaniment, “quote”

2. The first letter in the quoted sentence is capitalized

There are changes in personal pronouns, namely: · 1st person pronouns change to 3rd person.

– “I”, “me” becomes “He” or “It”.

· 2nd person pronouns change to 1st person.

– “you” “He” becomes “I” or the person's name.

· The plural 2nd and 1st oaring pronouns change to:

– “we”, “us” and “them”

– “you” “we” become “they” “us”


Examples of Direct Sentences and Indirect Sentences

Examples of direct sentences and indirect sentences include:


1. Direct Sentence Examples

  1. Mother asked, Have you eaten yet?”
  2. Mr. Yono said, "Tomorrow there will be an exam."
  3. "We have named him as a suspect," said the police.
  4. Dad said, “Clean your room now!”
  5. "I am very grateful, "I hope our family will always be like this."
  6. “You are indeed a good boy.” Mother said to Budi
  7. Webby said, "I'll be at your house in the afternoon."
  8. Dad said, "Take this letter to your office!"
  9. "Come on, come in one by one!" The police shouted at the three pickpockets who had just been caught
  10. "Who was the culprit of the Bali bombing?" The journalist asked the Kadispen Polri
  11. "Sis, you are called mother!" Lilis said, "I was told to eat."
  12. Mother said, "Anis, don't just play around, you have to learn!"
  13. Mother said, "You have to study hard!"
  14. "I really really love you." Mother said to father.
  15. Dhani said, "Try it You help complete this task!”
  16. Uncle said, "Go home as soon as possible because it will rain soon."
  17. Said the Head of the Group, "Thank you for your welcome to us during our visit."
  18. "Inner contact between mother and child," he said, "is God's priceless grace."
  19. "When will you return my book?"Asked Samid.
  20. "Buy me a new car!" Tria asked.
  21. "I'll come tonight,Hamid said.
  22. D.J Schwartz emphasized, "The important thing is not whether we move forward, but how we move forward!"
  23. "Angel, I'll take you home later, okay?" Desmon said.
  24. Ida said, "My sister won first place!"
  25. Mother said, "I will go to grandma's house for a while."
  26. "Do you know this picture?" Ask Mr Jamari.
  27. "I am not ready!" said Mira, “Wait a minute!”
  28. "Where do you live? Asked the Ambassador.
  29. Mother said, "Iwan was looking for you."
  30. Uncle asked, "When are you leaving for Solo?"
  31. Nina said, "Come to my house!"
  32. Grandpa Basir said, "I want to plant longans."
  33. ”Do you still have a stomach ache? Dad asked.
  34. Mom said, “Tonight you have to study!”
  35. Akbar said, "I will leave for Jakarta tomorrow afternoon."

2. Examples of Indirect Sentences

  1. Mother asked me if I had eaten.
  2. Mr Yono said that tomorrow there would be an exam.
  3. The police said that he had been identified as a suspect by them.
  4. Dad told me to immediately clean my room.
  5. He is very grateful and hopes that his family will always be like this.
  6. Mother told me that I was a good child.
  7. Webby said that she would come to my house this afternoon.
  8. Dad told me to take this letter to his office.
  9. The police bullied three pickpockets who had just been caught so that they entered one by one.
  10. Journalists asked the Head of the National Police Department about who was the culprit behind the Bali bombing.
  11. Lilis said to her sister that she was called by mother to eat.
  12. Mother said that I shouldn't play around and that I should study.
  13. Mother said that I had to study hard.
  14. Mom told dad that she really loved him.
  15. Dhani said yes petrified he completing the task.
  16. Uncle said that we should go home as soon as possible because it would rain soon.
  17. The head of the group said thank you for welcoming us to them at their visit.
  18. He said that inner contact between mother and child is a priceless gift from God.
  19. Samid asked when I would return the book.
  20. Tria asked him to buy a new car.
  21. Hamid said that he would come later tonight.
  22. D. J Schwartz emphasized that what is important is not why we do not progress, but how we must progress.
  23. Desmon asked Angel that he would take her home later.
  24. Ida said that her sister won first place.
  25. Mother said that she would go to grandmother's house for a while.
  26. Mr. Jamari asked me if I knew this picture.
  27. Mira says that she is not ready yet so wait a moment.
  28. The ambassador asked where I lived.
  29. Mother said that Iwan had been looking for me.
  30. Uncle asked when I was leaving for Solo.
  31. Nina asked me to come to her house.
  32. Grandpa Basir said that he wanted to plant longans.
  33. Dad asked if I still had a stomach ache.
  34. Mom said that tonight I have to study.
  35. Akbar said that he would leave for Jakarta tomorrow afternoon.

That's the discussion regarding 70 Examples of Direct and Indirect Sentences – Definition, Characteristics, Methods and Differences Hopefully this review can broaden your insight and knowledge, thank you very much for visiting.


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