DIRECT AND REPORTED SPEECH

You can answer the question "What did he/she sa !" in two wa s"

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 !"W (#or 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."

Reported Speech
$eported speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense o# the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say' 'tell' 'ask' and we may use the word'that' to introduce the reported words. %nverted commas are not used.

She said "I saw him." 'That' may be omitted&

She said that she had seen him.

She told him that she was happy. She told him she was happy. 'Say' and 'tell':

'se 'say' when there is no indirect ob(ect& !e said that he was tired. )lways use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect ob(ect)& !e told me that he was tired. 'Talk' and 'speak' are used& * to describe the action o# communicating&

!e talked to us.

She was speakin" on the telephone.

* with 'about' to re#er to what was said&

!e talked #to us$ about his parents.

REPORTED SPEECH
Tense Changes When Using Reported Speech
!ormally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time #rom the tense in direct speech& She said "I am tired." She said that she as tired.

+he changes are shown below& Si#$%e $resent "I always drink coffee" she said Present continuous "I am reading a book" he e%plained. Si#$%e $ast "&ill arri!ed on Saturday" he said. Present $er&ect "I ha!e been to Spain" he told me. Past $er&ect "I had "ust turned out the li"ht " he e%plained. Present $er&ect continuous They complained "We ha!e been aiting for hours". Past continuous "We me. 'uture "I ill be in (ene)a on *onday" he said ere li!ing in 'aris" they told Si#$%e $ast She said that she always drankcoffee. Past continuous !e e%plained that he book Past $er&ect !e said that &ill had arri!ed on Saturday Past $er&ect !e told me that he had been to Spain Past $er&ect !e e%plained that he had "ust turned out the li"ht. Past $er&ect continuous They complained that they had been aiting for hours. Past $er&ect continuous They told me that they had been li!ing in 'aris. Present conditiona% !e said that he on *onday. ould be in (ene)a as reading a

'uture continuous She said "#'ll be using the car ne%t +riday".

Conditiona% continuous She said that she car ne%t +riday. ould be usingthe

NOTE" ,. -ou do not need to change the tense i# the reporting verb is in the present, or i# the original statement was about something that is still true, e.g.

!e says he has missed the train but he'll catch the ne%t one. We e%plained that it is )ery difficult to find our house. .. +hese modal verbs do not change in reported speech& mi"ht could would should ou"ht to e.".

We e%plained that it could be difficult to find our house. She said that she might brin" a friend to the party.

REPORTED SPEECH" CHAN(E O' TI)E AND P*ACE

Time$place re%erences change Example

"% will see you here to#orrow", she said. methere the ne+t da . The #ost co##on o& these chan,es are shown -e%ow" Toda "I saw him today" she said. Yesterda "I saw him yesterday" she said. The da -e&ore esterda "I met her the day be%ore yesterday" he said. To#orrow "I'll see you tomorro " he said that da She said that she had seen him that day. the da -e&ore She said that she had seen him theday be%ore. two da s -e&ore !e said that he had met her t o days be%ore. the ne+t/&o%%owin, da !e said that he would see me the ne%t /he said that she would see

hen using reported speech

day. The da a&ter to#orrow "We'll come the day a%ter tomorro " they said. Ne+t wee./#onth/ ear "I ha)e an appointment next she said. *ast wee./#onth/ ear "I was on holiday last us. a,o "I saw her a eek ago " he said. eek" he told eek" in two da s ti#e/ two da s %ater They said that they would come in t o days time$ t o days later. the &o%%owin, wee./#onth/ ear She said that she had an appointmentthe %ollo ing

eek.

the $re/ious/wee./#onth/ ear !e told us that he had been on holidaythe pre!ious eek. -e&ore !e said he had seen her a be%ore. that She said she was "ettin" a new carthat week. the !e asked if I liked the shirt. there !e told me he li)ed there. eek

this 0&or ti#e1 "I'm "ettin" a new car this week" she said. this/that 0ad2ecti/es1 ",o you like this shirt?" he asked here !e said "I li)e here".

&ther changes:
%n general, personal pronouns change to the third person singular or plural, except when the speaker reports his own words&

#$me$my$mine' you$your$yours e$us$our$ours' you$your$yours

him$his$her$hers they$their$theirs:

0e said& "% like your new car." 0e told her that he liked her new car. % said& "% m going to my #riend s house." % said that % was going to my #riend s house.

3uestion 'or#s and Re$orted S$eech

(uestion )orms and Reported Speech

45 Nor#a% word order is used in reported questions, that is, the sub(ect comes be#ore the verb, and it is not necessary to use 'do' or 'did'&

"Where does 1eter live2"

/he asked him where Peter %i/ed.

65 Yes / no questions& +his type o# question is reported by using 7as.7 8 'i% $ hether 8 c%ause&

"Do you speak 3nglish2" 0e asked me i& I s$o.e En,%ish. ")re you 4ritish or )merican2" 0e asked me whether I was 9ritish or A#erican5 "%s it raining2" /he asked i& it was rainin,. "0ave you got a computer2" 0e wanted to know whether I had a co#$uter. "5an you type2" /he asked i& I cou%d t $e. "Did you come by train2" 0e enquired whether I had co#e - train. "0ave you been to 4ristol be#ore2" /he asked i& I had -een to 9risto% -e&ore. :5 3uestion words& +his type o# question is reported by using ask (or another verb like ask ) 6 question word 6 clause. +he clause contains the question, in normal word order and with the necessary tense change.

"What is your name2" he asked me. 0e asked me what # na#e was. "0ow old is your mother2", he asked. 0e asked how o%d her #other was. +he policman said to the boy, "Where do you live2" +he policeman asked the boy where he %i/ed. "What time does the train arrive2" she asked. arri/ed. "When can we have dinner2" she asked. dinner. 1eter said to 7ohn, "Why are you so late2" so %ate. /he asked what ti#e the train cou%d ha/e

/he asked when the

1eter asked the 7ohn wh he was

Re$orted S$eech" orders; requests < su,,estions

&RDERS' RE(UESTS' SU**EST#&+S
45 When we want to report an order or request; we can use a verb like 'tell' with a to= c%ause.

Example

!e told me to "o away. +he pattern is !erb , indirect ob"ect , to-clause.

(+he indirect ob(ect is the person spoken to.) "ther verbs used to report orders and requests in this way are& command' order' ask' ad!ise' in!ite' beg' teach' %orbid. arn'

Examples

a. +he doctor said to me, "/top smoking8". s#o.in,. "9et out o# the car8" said the policeman. +he doctor to%d #e to sto$ +he policeman ordered hi# to ,et

out o& the car. "5ould you please be quiet," she said. /he as.ed #e to -e quiet. +he man with the gun said to us, "Don t move8" +he man with the gun warned us not to #o/e. (/ee also section on :erbs #ollowed by in#initive and :erbs #ollowed by gerund) .. Requests &or o-2ects are reported using the pattern ask , %or , ob"ect-

Examples

"5an % have an apple2", she asked. /he asked %or an apple "5an % have the newspaper, please2" 0e as.ed &or the news$a$er. ";ay % have a glass o# water2" he said. 0e as.ed &or a ,%ass o& water. "/ugar, please." /he as.ed &or the su,ar. "5ould % have three kilos o# onions2" 0e as.ed &or three .i%os o& onions. <. Su,,estions are usually reported with a that.clause. 'That' and 'should' are optional in these clauses&

/he said& "Why don t you get a mechanic to look at the car2"

/he suggested

that % should get a mechanic to look at the car. OR /he suggested % get a mechanic to look at the car. "ther reporting verbs used in this way are& insist' recommend' demand' re.uest' propose.

Examples

"%t would be a good idea to see the dentist", said my mother. mothersu,,ested I see the dentist. +he dentist said, "% think you should use a di##erent toothbrush". ;y +he

dentistreco##ended that I shou%d use a di##erent toothbrush. ;y manager said, "% think we should examine the budget care#ully at this meeting." ;y manager $ro$osed that we e+a#ine the budget care#ully at the meeting. "Why don t you sleep overnight at my house2" she said. /he suggested that I s%ee$ overnight at her house.

+otes

Su""est can also be #ollowed by a gerund& % su""ested postponing the visit to the dentist. /ee also /ummary o# $eporting :erbs.

REPORTED SPEECH" ho$es;intentions < $ro#ises

/&0ES' #+TE+T#&+S 1 0R&2#SES
When we report an intention, hope or promise, we use an appropriate reporting verb #ollowed by a that.clause or a to.infiniti)e"% ll pay you the money tomorrow." !e promised to pay me the money the ne%t day. !e promised that he would pay me the money the ne%t day. "ther verbs used in this pattern include& hope' propose' threaten' guarantee' s ear.

Examples

"% ll be back by lunchtime." !e promised to be back by lunchtime. !e promised that he ould be back by lunchtime. "We should arrive in =ondon be#ore night#all." They hoped to arri!e in /ondon before ni"htfall. They hoped they ould arri!e in /ondon before ni"htfall. "9ive me the keys to the sa#e or % ll shoot you8" !e threatened to shoot me if I didn't "i)e him the keys to the safe. !e threatened that he ould shoot me if I didn't "i)e him the keys to the safe.

Re$orted S$eech" Su##ar o& re$ortin, /er-s

Summary o% reporting !erbs
!ote that some reporting verbs may appear in more than one o# the #ollowing groups. ,. :erbs #ollowed by 7i%' or 7 hether' , clauseask know remember say see

.. :erbs #ollowed by a that-clause-

add admit agree announce answer argue boast claim comment complain con#irm consider deny

doubt estimate explain #ear #eel insist mention observe persuade propose remark remember repeat

reply report reveal say state suggest suppose tell think understand warn

<. :erbs #ollowed by either a that-clause or a to-in%initi!e-

decide expect guarantee hope

promise swear threaten

>. :erbs #ollowed by a that-clause containing should (but note that it may be omitted, leaving a sub(ect 6 ?ero*in#initive)&

advise beg demand

insist pre#er propose

recommend request suggest ith a .uestion ord&

@. :erbs #ollowed by a clause starting

decide describe discover discuss explain #orget guess

imagine know learn realise remember reveal say

see suggest teach tell think understand wonder

A. :erbs #ollowed by ob"ect , to-in%initi!e

advise ask beg command

#orbid instruct invite

teach tell warn