Direct discourse is the exact words of what a person said. Indirect discourse simply reports on what someone said.
Indirect discourse:
Jeb noted that if we didn’t act soon, the whole system would implode.
Direct discourse:
Jeb yelled, “If we don’t act soon, the whole system will implode.“
In English, quotation marks are used to set off direct discourse.
In Greek, οτι is often used to set off direct discourse (GGBB 454).
In Hebrew, the infinitive לֵּאמֹֽר is used (Christo Van der Merwe et al., A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar, 156).
