Direct and indirect statements

A direct statement reproduces the exact words of a speaker or writer.
Direct statements are usually introduced by a verb of saying, such as λέγει (he/she says) or εἶπεν (he/she said).
They are often set off from the rest of the sentence by quotation marks or some other punctuation mark.
Since they preserve the original words, direct statements maintain the grammatical person of the speaker or writer (first, second, or third person).
Example: ὁ διδάσκαλος εἶπεν, “ἐγώ σοι βιβλίον δίδωμι” (The teacher said, “I am giving you a book”).

An indirect statement reports the content of a speaker’s or writer’s words or thoughts, without quoting them verbatim.
Indirect statements in Greek are introduced by a verb of saying, thinking, knowing, or perceiving, such as οἴδαμεν (we know) or ἰδόντες ἔφαμεν (having seen, we said).
In indirect statements, the content of the original speech or thought is rendered as an infinitive phrase.
The subject of the infinitive phrase, if expressed, is in the accusative case.
The verb of the infinitive phrase agrees in tense with the tense of the original reported speech or thought.
Example: ὁ διδάσκαλος εἶπεν οἱ μαθηταί ἐθέλειν βιβλίον λαβεῖν (The teacher said that the pupils want to receive a book).

The most significant difference between a direct statement and an indirect statement in Greek concerns the representation of speech or thought: verbatim in the former, not so in the latter.
The subject of the reported speech or thought in an indirect statement is often in the accusative case, while in a direct statement the subject retains its original case.
The verb tense in an indirect statement reflects the tense of the original statement, while in a direct statement it is governed by the main verb of speaking or writing.