This document discusses two methods for reporting speech: direct speech and indirect (or reported) speech. Direct speech uses quotation marks to report a speaker's exact words, while indirect speech does not use quotation marks and reports the gist of what was said without using the exact words. The document provides examples of how to punctuate direct speech correctly and advises writers to primarily use indirect speech in their writing for clarity and to avoid slowing down the pace, only occasionally employing direct speech for emphasis.