We often have to give information about what people say or think.
In order to do this you can use direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech.
1. Direct Speech/ Quoted Speech
~ saying exactly what someone has said.
~ what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word.
Example:
She said, "Today's lesson is on presentations." or "Today's lesson is on presentations," she said.
2. Indirect Speech/ Reported Speech
~ refers to a sentence reporting what someone has said.
~ 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:
| "I'm going to the cinema", he said. | He said (that) he was going to the cinema. |
Tense change
As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right):
Changing Pronouns and Time Signifiers
♦ When changing from direct speech to indirect speech, it is often necessary to change the pronouns to match the subject of the sentence.
For example:
She said, "I want to bring my children." → She said she wanted to bring her children.
Jack said, "My wife went with me to the show." → Jack said his wife had gone with him to the show.
Changing Time Signifiers
♦ It is also important to change time words (signifiers) when referring to present, past or future time to match the moment of speaking.
For example:
She said, "I want to bring my children tomorrow." → She said she wanted to bring her children the next day.
Jack said, "My wife went with me to the show yesterday." → Jack said his wife had gone with him to the show the day before.
Indirect Questions
♦ When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention to sentence order. When reporting yes/ no questions connect the reported question using 'if'. When reporting questions using question words (why, where, when, etc.) use the question word.
For example:
She asked, "Do you want to come with me?" → She asked me if I wanted to come with her.
Dave asked, "Where did you go last weekend?" → Dave asked me where I had gone the previous weekend.
He asked, "Why are you studying English?" → She asked me why I was studying English.
Exercises:
Instructions: Change to indirect speech.
I.
1.) Tom said, "I want to visit my friends this weekend."
a. Tom said he wants to visit his friends that weekend.
b. Tom said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.
c. Tom said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend.
2.) Jerry said, "I'm studying English a lot at the moment."
a. Jerry said he was studying English a lot at that moment.
b. Jerry said he was studying English a lot at the moment.
c. Jerry said I was studying English a lot at that moment.
3.) They said, "We've lived here for a long time."
a. They said they have lived there for a long time.
b. They said they lived here for a long time.
c. They said they had lived there for a long time.
4.) He asked me, "Have you finished reading the newspaper?"
a. He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper.
b. He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
c. He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper.
5.) "I get up every morning at seven o'clock.", Peter said.
a. Peter said he got up every morning at seven o'clock.
b. Peter said I got up every morning at seven o'clock.
c. Peter said he had got up every morning at seven o'clock.
6.) Susan reassured me, "I can come tonight."
a. Susan told me I could come that night.
b. Susan told me she could come that night.
c. Susan told me she could come tomorrow evening.
7.) She said, "I really wish I had bought that new car."
a. She told me she really wished she bought that new car.
b. She told me she really had wished she had bought that new car.
c. She told me she really wished she had bought that new car.
8.) Jack said, "He must be guilty!"
a. Jack said he must have been guilty.
b. Jack said he must have be guilty.
c. Jack said he must has been guilty.
9.) Cheryl asked her, "How long have you lived here?"
a. Cheryl asked her how long she has lived there.
b. Cheryl asked her how long she lived there.
c. Cheryl asked her how long she had lived there.
10.)He said, "I must get going. Otherwise, I'm going to be late."
a. He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.
b. He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, I was going to be late.
c. He told me he has to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.
II.
1.) She said, "I've worked here since I left my last job."
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
2.) You said, "I will help you!"
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
3.) She asked me, "When are we going to leave?"
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
4.) Peter said, "I may bring someone with me to the party."
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
5.) My friend said, "I will have finished my homework by the time you arrive."
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
6.) Mark asked me, "Why do you want to study Russian?"
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
7.) Marcia said, "I have been waiting for you for over an hour."
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
8.) Alison said, "I had eaten before you arrived."
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
9.) Lenny sang, "I want to get away, I want to fly away.'
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
10.) Jason asked me, "Are you coming with me?"
Indirect Speech: ______________________________________
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