Identifying Direct and Indirect Statements in 'Skippin' Out' by Bilyea

This assignment analyzes direct and indirect statements within the context of Nicole Bilyea's short story, "Skippin' Out." The student identifies and categorizes ten statements from the text as either directly stated or indirectly implied, providing justifications for each classification. The analysis demonstrates an understanding of how authors use language to convey information explicitly and implicitly. The student explains the nuances of indirect statements, which often involve interpreting the author's intent through character actions, dialogue, and implied meanings. The assignment requires close reading and critical thinking skills to differentiate between direct and indirect communication styles, and the student's responses reflect an understanding of the literary techniques used in the story. The student's work provides a valuable resource for students seeking to understand the difference between the two statement types.

Statement Directly stated or Indirectly stated?
We had been standing outside in the
smoking section since the city bus had
dropped us off there at 8 o’clock that
morning.
Directly stated
Zack had the same coat, but neither of
us ever really pointed that out.
Indirectly stated. It implies that it would
be uncomfortable if Zack or C.J.
mentioned that they own the same coat
so they don’t say anything about it.
1. I loved using the machines in the
weight room in gym class, which I
would be going to next period.
Directly stated
2. [S]ome girls sitting on a bench with
black makeup smudged and dripping
around their eyes because of the rain,
looked up at him. He caught their
glance, spit, and continued loudly,
letting out a forceful guffaw.
Indirectly stated. It implies that girls were
looking and C.J and were giggling which
made him a little embarrassed and he felt
the need to show that he had somewhere
to go and that he wasn;t wasting time.
3. It looked like a little wind could knock
it off but I wore my hat this way too, and
I fixed it as well.
Directly Stated
4. He knew I couldn’t go because my
grandpa was a crossing guard on his
street for the primary school kids.
Indirectly Stated. C.J here is trying to imply
that he cannot go to Q-Tip’s house as his
grandpa was a guard on the same street.
5. The mall was empty. Directly Stated.
6. I thought about crying out a loud,
“Yee Haw!” but instead I stupidly rode
the horse without saying another word.
Indirectly Stated. It implies that C.J wanted
to do something else but instead he kept
quiet instead of saying out what he wanted
to.
7. I could feel my cheeks burning. Directly Stated.
8. Without looking up, I sped quickly out
of the store.
Directly Stated.
9. I finally stopped when I reached the Directly Stated.

smoking section.
10. I looked down at my feet, pulled my
hands inside my jacket sleeves and
flicked my hat up. “Dude, I totally just
got kicked out of the mall.”
Indirectly Stated. It implies that C.J wanted
to convey to his friends that he was as cool
as they were and he also got kicked out of
the mall for causing trouble. Also, his act of
pulling the hat up signifies he was happy in
telling this to his friends.