If we report what another person has said, we usually do not
use the speaker’s exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech.
Direct Speech / Quoted Speech
Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech
(sometimes called quoted speech)
Here what a person says appears within quotation marks
("...") and should be word for word.
Indirect Speech / Reported Speech
Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn't
use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be
word for word.
When reporting speech the tense usually changes. This is
because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the
past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The
verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.
For example:
Direct speech / Quoted speech Indirect
speech / Reported speech
"I'm going to the cinema," he said He said he was going
to the cinema
"We could go to the cinema," he thought. He thought we could go to the
cinema.
Reporting verb
1. SAY
Let's look first at the verbs we've already talked about. The basic verb
pattern for using 'say' for reported speech is:
say + (that) + clause
She said (that) she had already eaten.
(The direct speech for this is "I've already
eaten".)
2. TELL
On the other hand, with 'tell' we need to use an object, a person who we tell
the information to. See also my
page about the difference between 'say' and 'tell' here.
tell + someone + (that) + clause
I told John (that) I had seen the new film.
(The direct speech for this is "I've seen the new
film".)
When we are reporting orders, we can also use another pattern with 'tell':
tell + someone + to + infinitive
She told the children to go to bed.
3 ASK
We use 'ask' to report questions or requests. For questions we use the pattern:
ask + someone + if / question word + clause
I asked my boss if I could leave early.
She asked them where the station was.
For requests we use the pattern:
ask + someone + to + infinitive
I asked Lucy to pass me the salt.
(Remember, my first two examples with 'ask' are no longer
real questions, so we use the normal sentence word order. We don't use
inversion. We say 'she asked them where the station was', NOT
'she asked them where was the station'. You can
read more about this on my page about
indirect
questions and on my page about
reported
speech.)
Other reporting verbs follow a variety of patterns. I'm afraid there aren't any
rules about which verbs follow which patterns. You need to learn each one.
4: ADVICE
(= Give someone advice. Notice the different spelling for the verb and the
noun.)
Advise + someone + to + infinitive
She advised him to see a doctor.
Advise + (that) + clause
The staff advise that you carry water at all times.
Advise + against + verb-ing
I'd advise against leaving early.
5: AGREE
Agree + to + infinitive
We agreed to meet the following day.
Agree + (that) + clause
I agreed that the children could do their homework later.
6: APOLOGIZE
Apologize + (to + someone) + for + verb-ing
They apologized to us for being late.
She apologized for forgetting the book.
Apologize (+ to + someone) + for + noun
She apologized for the delay.
7: DECIDE
Decide + to + infinitive
They decided to go to the cinema.
Decide + (that) + clause
They decided that they would go to the cinema.
8: ENCOURAGE
Encourage + someone + to + infinitive
She encouraged him to take the exam again.
The teacher encouraged the students to ask questions.
9: EXPLAIN
Explain + (that) + clause
The teacher explained that the course was finished.
Explain + noun + to + someone
She explained the grammar to the students.
NOT: She explained me the grammar.
Explain + question word + to + infinitive
They explained how to buy a train ticket on the internet.
John explained where to find the restaurant.
Explain + question word + clause
We explained what the exams would cover.
10: INSIST*
Insist + on + verb-ing
He insisted on paying.
Insist + (that) + clause
He insisted that we sit down.
11: PROMISE
Promise + to + infinitive
He promised to arrive early.
Promise + (someone) + (that) + clause
I promised him that I wouldn't do it again.
12: RECOMMEND*
Recommend + verb-ing
I recommend visiting the British Museum while you're in
London.
Recommend + (that) + clause
I recommend that you visit the British Museum
13: REMIND
Remind + someone + to + infinitive
She reminded him to take his keys.
Remind + someone + (that) + clause
They reminded me that there is a party tonight.
14: SUGGEST*
Suggest + verb-ing
I suggest leaving soon
Suggest + (that) + clause
I suggest that you come as soon as you can.
NOT: I suggest him to come.
15: WARN
Warn + someone + (not) + to + infinitive
I warned them not to go in the water.
Warn + someone + about + something
She warned us about the dangerous roads
Time Expressions with Reported Speech
Sometimes when we change direct speech into reported speech
we have to change time expressions too. We don't always have to do this,
however. It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the
reported speech.
For example:
It's Monday. Julie says "I'm leaving today".
If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".
If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".
If I tell someone on Wednesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving on
Monday".
If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that
day".
So, there's no easy conversion. You really have to think about when the direct
speech was said.
Here's a table of some possible conversions:
now
|
then / at that time
|
today
|
yesterday / that day / Tuesday / the 27th of June
|
yesterday
|
the day before yesterday / the day before / Wednesday /
the 5th of December
|
last night
|
the night before, Thursday night
|
last week
|
the week before / the previous week
|
tomorrow
|
today / the next day / the following day / Friday
|
kinds of direct and indirect
That
He said, “we will go to Singapore tomorrow”
He said that they would go to Singapore the next day.
Bob said, ” I’m a university student”
Bob said that he was a university student.
negative
Direct speech reported
speech
he said “ i want to meet your sister tonight” he said he wanted to meet my sister
that night
they said “ we aren’t studying today they said they weren’t studying that day.
Question
Ina asked me, “Do you really love me?”
Ina asked me if/whether I really loved her.
Indirect speech of imperative sentence.
A sentence which expresses command, request, advice or
suggestion is called imperative sentence.
For example,
• Open the door.
• Please help me.
• Learn your lesson.
To change such sentences into indirect speech, the word “ordered” or
“requested” or “advised” or “suggested” or “forbade” or “not to do” is added to
reporting verb depending upon nature of imperative sentence in reported speech.
Examples.
Direct
speech: He said to me, “please help me”
Indirect
Speech: He requested me to help him.
exercise
Complete
the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and tenses.
1.
“ where is my umbrella?”she asked.
She
asked……………………………………..
2. “ how are you?”Martin asked us.
Martin
asked us…………………………
3. he asked,”Do I have to do it?”
he
asked………………………………
4. “ where have you been?”the mother asked her daughter.
The
mother asked her daughter………………………………………
5. “ which dress do you like best?”she asked her boyfriend.
She
asked her boyfriend…………………………………………………
http://triicecsfabregas.blogspot.co.id/2012/03/direct-and-indirect-speech.html