Direct and Indirect Speech

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Direct speech
: we give the exact words that were said. We use quotation
marks and a comma or colon is placed immediately before the remark.
Direct speech is mainly used in written stories but also in conversation to
give a more dramatic effect.
Indirect speech
: we give the exact meaning without necessarily using the
speakers exact words.
Words spoken or thought in one place by one person may be reported in
another place at a different time and perhaps by another person.
Therefore,
some logical
modifications are often needed in aspects such as
the verb tenses, the time and place references, the personal pronouns
and the demonstratives
.
The conjunction that is used when reporting. It is generally dropped
but not after certain verbs such as
reply and
shout or after nouns
: he
disagreed with her view that
st
nd
rd
Pronoun shift
: 1
and 2
persons to 3
person (except when reporting
his/her own words).
Time references
: The person reporting uses tenses that relate to the
time s/he is making the report.
Yesterday --changes to --- the day before, the previous day
Today --------------------that day
Tomorrow ------------------the day after, the following day, the next day.
Next week/year --------- the next week, the following week.
Last week ------------------ the previous week, the week before
Now-------------------------- then.
Place references:
sometimes have to be specified.
She said, you can sit here / she said (that) I could sit on the sofa.
Demonstratives:
this becomes
that and
these become
those (or the
reverse if there is a greater proximity at the time of the reported
utterance)
This / that
when used as adjectives may become
the
This /these
may become
it/them.
He said, I hate this / He said (that) he hated it.
Tenses the change of verb forms is termed
backshift
. Sometimes this
means that past verbs are used to talk about the present or the future:
Your mother said that I could play here today
or
I knew you were Irish.
General rules:
Direct speech
Simple present
Present continuous
Simple past
Indirect speech
simple past
past continuous
past perfect
Past continuous
Present perfect
Present perfect continuous
Future
past perfect continuous

past perfect
past perfect continuous
conditional
Exceptions to backshift.
After present, future and present perfect reporting verbs, tenses are
usually the same as in the original because there is no important change
of time:
The government
has announced
that taxes
will be raised
.
I
do
nt want to play anymore /he
says
he
does
nt want
Ill tell her your idea
is
great
./
he said he would tell her my idea
is
great
Present tense
: if sby talked about a situation that has still not changed
the reporter can choose whether to keep the original tense or change it:
D:
The earth goes round the sun.
I: He proved that the earth goes/went round the sun.
We do not keep the original tenses if we do not agree with the statement,
if we are not certain of its truth, or if we wish to make it clear that the
information comes from the original speaker, not from ourselves.
Past tenses
A speakers present perfect and past tenses are often reported using
past perfect tenses. However,
if the time relationship is clear the change
is not needed.
The man said that dinosaurs were around for a long time.
But in,
He said, I loved her // he said he had loved her
otherwise there
would be a change in meaning.
Past tenses in
time clauses
remain unchanged.
He said, when I lived/was living in // he said (that) when he
Conditional
Would/should
remain unchanged.
After past reporting verbs, conditional sentences referring to unreal
situations are often reported with past conditionals.
He said, If I had any money I would buy you a drink
He said that if he had /had had any money he would buy/have bought me
Modals
Would, should, could, might, ought, must, need, had better are usually
unchanged.
Must
when used for
obligation
:
The doctor said I must (Br.E) /had to / would have to stop smoking.
Must becomes
had to when the time of fulfillment of the action has been
fixed or is not remote.
He said he had to be there by 9 oclock.
Could
used as a request is reported by
ask + infinitive
:
He said, Could you get the tickets?
He asked me to get the tickets.

Could as present permission does not change but as past permission we
may change it into
was/were allowed
to
or
had been allowed to
:
He said he couldnt/wasnt allowed to interrupt his mum
As a past ability we may keep
could
or use
had been able to
:
He said he had been able to read when he was three.
Neednt usually remains unchanged but it can become
didnt have to or
wouldnt have to
.
Introductory verbs: To say, to tell, to think.
In direct speech:
Say and
think can introduce or follow the statement: (Ann said), Ive just
arrived (Ann said or said Ann). But,
Ann said to
me
, only in end position.
Tell
must be placed after the remark.
Say
and
think
can also go between clauses or after discourse markers:
. Well, I thought, if thats the case, I said, what are you
Other introductory:
add, admit, answer, complain, reply, assure
Questions in indirect speech
The form changes to the affirmative, so the subject comes before the
verb. However, after
What / which / who + be + complement
be can go
before or after the complement:
She asked me who was the best student / the best student was.
Note that negative questions often express emotions such as surprise or
enthusiasm and these are reported in special ways:
Isnt she lovely? He remarked how lovely she was.
Dont they like ice-cream? She was surprised that they didnt like
Yes/no questions are reported with
if or
whether
. However
Whether is
preferred when we emphasize that a choice has to be made:
she asked whether I went by train or by bus.
Or if the question contains a conditional (wed have two ifs):
She asked whether if I got the job I would move to NY.
COMMANDS
Verbs of command:
tell, order, command, order, request, urge, ask
In direct speech the person addressed is often not mentioned but it must
be included in indirect speech.
The imperative form of the verb changes to the infinitive form.
she told me (not) to eat it.
Other ways of expressing commands:

Was/were + infinitive
:
He said that John was to sit down.
Order + should + infinitive: he ordered that John should sit down.
Promises, agreements, offers, requests, advice and suggestions are
often reported with
infinitives or object + infinitive as well..
She has offered to baby-sit tonight /I advise you to think about it.
The structure
question word + infinitive
is common:
She asked her mother how to make an omelet.
Lets
becomes
suggest + gerund / that + subject + should(BrE)
He suggested trying/that I (should) try the main car park.

When
lets means a call for action it is reported by
urge/advice sby+
infinitive.
The boss urged/advised the workers to work more
.
Exclamations
Usually become statements in R.S.
He said, good luck/he wished me luck.
Yes /no
Are expressed by
subject + appropriate auxiliary verb
in reported speech.
He said,can you swim? and I said, no / He askedand I said I couldnt.
In British media the indirect speech construction is often used with very
few reporting verbs. The use of tenses is enough. A similar situation
exists in literary narrative.

Direct and Indirect Speech

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DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

past perfect continuous

He asked me to get the tickets.

Other ways of expressing commands:

He suggested trying/that I (should) try the main car park.

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