Direct - Indirect Speech
You can answer the question "What did he/she say?" in two ways:
· by
repeating the words spoken (direct speech)
· by
reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).
Direct Speech
Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between inverted commas ("....") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous conversation
Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between inverted commas ("....") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous conversation
Examples:
She says "What time will you be home?"
She said "What time will you be home?"
and I said "I don't know! "
"There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."
She said "What time will you be home?"
and I said "I don't know! "
"There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."
Reported Speech
Reported speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.
Reported speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.
She said, "I saw him." She said that
she had seen him.
a. 'That' may be
omitted:
She told him that she was happy.
She told him she was happy.
She told him that she was happy.
She told him she was happy.
b. 'Say' and 'tell':
Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.
Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
'Talk' and 'speak' are used:
- to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
- with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.
Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.
Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
'Talk' and 'speak' are used:
- to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
- with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.
REPORTED SPEECH
HOPES, INTENTIONS, PROMISES
When we report an intention, hope or promise, we use an appropriate
reporting verb followed by a that-clause or a to-infinitive:
"I'll pay you the money tomorrow."
He promised to pay me the money the next day.
He promised that he would pay me the money the next day.
He promised to pay me the money the next day.
He promised that he would pay me the money the next day.
Other verbs used in this pattern include:
hope, propose, threaten, guarantee, swear.
Examples:
hope, propose, threaten, guarantee, swear.
Examples:
a. "I'll be back by
lunchtime."
He promised to be back by lunchtime.
He promised that he would be back by lunchtime.
He promised to be back by lunchtime.
He promised that he would be back by lunchtime.
b. "We should arrive in London
before nightfall."
They hoped to arrive in London before nightfall.
They hoped they would arrive in London before nightfall.
They hoped to arrive in London before nightfall.
They hoped they would arrive in London before nightfall.
c. "Give me the keys to
the safe or I'll shoot you!"
He threatened to shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
He threatened that he would shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
He threatened to shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
He threatened that he would shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
REPORTED
SPEECH
ORDERS, REQUESTS,
SUGGESTIONS
1. When we want to report an order or request, we can use a verb like 'tell' with a to-clause.
1. When we want to report an order or request, we can use a verb like 'tell' with a to-clause.
Examples:
He told me to go away.
The pattern is verb + indirect object + to-clause.
(The indirect object is the person spoken to.)
He told me to go away.
The pattern is verb + indirect object + to-clause.
(The indirect object is the person spoken to.)
Other verbs used to
report orders and requests in this way are: command, order, warn, ask, advise,
invite, beg, teach, forbid.
Examples:
a. The doctor said
to me, "Stop smoking!".
The doctor told me to stop smoking.
The doctor told me to stop smoking.
b. "Get out of
the car!" said the policeman.
The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.
c. "Could you please be quiet," she said.
She asked me to be quiet.
d. The man with the gun said to us, "Don't move!"
The man with the gun warned us not to move.
(See also section on Verbs followed by infinitive and Verbs followed by gerund)
The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.
c. "Could you please be quiet," she said.
She asked me to be quiet.
d. The man with the gun said to us, "Don't move!"
The man with the gun warned us not to move.
(See also section on Verbs followed by infinitive and Verbs followed by gerund)
2. Requests for objects are reported using the pattern
ask + for + object: Examples:
ask + for + object: Examples:
a. "Can I have
an apple?", she asked. She asked for an apple.
b. "Can I have the newspaper, please?"
He asked for the newspaper.
c. "May I have a glass of water?" he said.
He asked for a glass of water.
d. "Sugar, please."
She asked for the sugar.
e. "Could I have three kilos of onions?"
He asked for three kilos of onions.
b. "Can I have the newspaper, please?"
He asked for the newspaper.
c. "May I have a glass of water?" he said.
He asked for a glass of water.
d. "Sugar, please."
She asked for the sugar.
e. "Could I have three kilos of onions?"
He asked for three kilos of onions.
3. Suggestions are usually reported with a that-clause. 'That' and 'should' are optional in these clauses:
She said: "Why
don't you get a mechanic to look at the car?" She suggested that I should get a
mechanic to look at the car. OR She suggested I get a mechanic to look
at the car.
Other reporting
verbs used in this way are: insist,
recommend, demand, request, propose.
Examples:
a. "It would be a good idea to see the dentist", said my mother. My mother suggested I see the dentist.
b. The dentist said, "I think you should use a different toothbrush". The dentist recommended that I should use a different toothbrush.
c. My manager said, "I think we should examine the budget carefully at this meeting." My manager proposed that we examine the budget carefully at the meeting.
d. "Why don't you sleep overnight at my house?" she said. She suggested that I sleep overnight at her house.
Examples:
a. "It would be a good idea to see the dentist", said my mother. My mother suggested I see the dentist.
b. The dentist said, "I think you should use a different toothbrush". The dentist recommended that I should use a different toothbrush.
c. My manager said, "I think we should examine the budget carefully at this meeting." My manager proposed that we examine the budget carefully at the meeting.
d. "Why don't you sleep overnight at my house?" she said. She suggested that I sleep overnight at her house.
Notes:
Suggest can also be followed by a gerund: I suggested postponing the visit to the dentist.
REPORTED SPEECH
SUMMARY OF REPORTING VERBS
Note that some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following
groups.
1. Verbs followed by 'if' or 'whether'
+ clause:
ask
know remember |
say
see |
2. Verbs followed by a that-clause:
add
admit agree announce answer argue boast claim comment complain confirm consider deny |
doubt
estimate explain fear feel insist mention observe persuade propose remark remember repeat |
reply
report reveal say state suggest suppose tell think understand warn |
3. Verbs followed by either a that-clause or a to-infinitive:
decide
expect guarantee hope |
promise
swear threaten |
4. Verbs followed by a that-clause containing should
(but note that it may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):
(but note that it may be omitted, leaving a subject + zero-infinitive):
advise
beg demand |
insist
prefer propose |
recommend
request suggest |
5. Verbs followed by a clause starting with a question word:
decide
describe discover discuss explain forget guess |
imagine
know learn realise remember reveal say |
see
suggest teach tell think understand wonder |
6. Verbs followed by object + to-infinitive
advise
ask beg command |
forbid
instruct invite |
teach
tell warn |
REPORTED SPEECH
TENSE CHANGES
Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the
tense in direct speech:
She said, "I am tired." She
said that she was tired.
The changes are shown below:
Simple present
|
Simple past
|
|
"I always drink coffee",
she said
|
She said that she always drank coffee.
|
|
Present continuous
|
Past continuous
|
|
"I am reading a
book", he explained.
|
He explained that he was reading a
book
|
|
Simple past
|
Past perfect
|
|
"Bill arrived on
Saturday", he said.
|
He said that Bill had arrived on
Saturday
|
|
Present perfect
|
Past perfect
|
|
"I have been to
Spain", he told me.
|
He told me that he had been to
Spain
|
|
Past perfect
|
Past perfect
|
|
"I had just turned out
the light," he explained.
|
He explained that he had just turned
out the light.
|
|
Present perfect continuous
|
Past perfect continuous
|
|
They complained, "We have been waiting for
hours".
|
They complained that they had been
waiting for hours.
|
|
Past continuous
|
Past perfect continuous
|
|
"We were living in
Paris", they told me.
|
They told me that they had been living in
Paris.
|
|
Future
|
Present conditional
|
|
"I will be in Geneva on
Monday", he said
|
He said that he would be in
Geneva on Monday.
|
|
Future continuous
|
Conditional continuous
|
|
She said, "I'll be using the
car next Friday".
|
She said that she would be using the
car next Friday.
|
NOTE:
1. You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the
present, or if the original statement was about something that is still true,
e.g.
He says he has missed the train
but he'll catch the next one.
We explained that it is very difficult to find our house.
2. These modal verbs do not change in reported speech:
might, could, would, should, ought to, e.g.
We explained that it is very difficult to find our house.
2. These modal verbs do not change in reported speech:
might, could, would, should, ought to, e.g.
We explained that it could be
difficult to find our house.
She said that she might bring a friend to the party.
She said that she might bring a friend to the party.
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