direct speech

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Broadcaster Eamonn Holmes said: "He made direct speech entertaining. With that he was ahead of his time. I'm just sorry he hasn't had more time."

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025

The researchers observed that cortical activity tracks energy changes related to direct speech, despite the strong interference of the echo.

From Science Daily • Feb. 15, 2024

Smith, poet laureate of the United States and a Pulitzer Prize winner, shows tremendous range in these rich, humane poems as she shifts from lyricism to direct speech, from meditative passages to wry humor.

From Washington Post • Apr. 26, 2018

And in The New Yorker, Kenneth Goldsmith referred to its participants as having “produced a body of distinctive literature marked by direct speech, expressions of aching desire, and wide-eyed sincerity.”

From Salon • Oct. 6, 2014

Similarly, the narrative clause "said the schoolmaster" which interrupts the direct speech is read in lower pitch and is separated by a marked pause before and after.

From The Ontario High School Reader by Marty, A.E.