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Reported Speech Tutorial

This document discusses the differences between direct and indirect speech. Direct speech uses quotation marks to report someone's exact words, while indirect speech conveys the general meaning without necessarily using the exact words. When changing direct speech to indirect speech, certain changes are usually made, such as changing pronouns, conjunctions, tenses of verbs, time/place expressions, and question/exclamation forms. The document provides numerous examples of how direct speech is altered when making these changes to report someone's words indirectly.

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Viktorija Jakimovska
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24 views

Reported Speech Tutorial

This document discusses the differences between direct and indirect speech. Direct speech uses quotation marks to report someone's exact words, while indirect speech conveys the general meaning without necessarily using the exact words. When changing direct speech to indirect speech, certain changes are usually made, such as changing pronouns, conjunctions, tenses of verbs, time/place expressions, and question/exclamation forms. The document provides numerous examples of how direct speech is altered when making these changes to report someone's words indirectly.

Uploaded by

Viktorija Jakimovska
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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D I R E C T & I N D I R E C T (REPORTED) S P E E C H

There are two ways of relating what a person has said: direct and indirect.

In direct speech we repeat the original speakers exact words: e.g. He said:”I am very tired”.
Remarks thus repeated are placed between inverted commas, colon before. Direct speech can
be found in conversations, in books, in plays (dramas) and quotations. It is used to give more
dramatic effect.

In indirect speech we give the exact meaning of a remark or speech,without necessarily using
the speaker’s exact words: e.g. He said that he was tired.

When we turn direct into indirect speech, some CHANGES are usually necessary.

1.The personal pronouns and possessive adjectives as well as punctuation.


e.g. She says: “I gave you my book.”
She says that she gave me her book.

2.The conjunction THAT is not essential; it is optional and we use it for more formal situations.
e.g. They said (that) he is a good student.

3.We leave out some unnecessary words.


e.g. Tom says:”Well , I really loved her!”
Tom says that he really loved her.

4.We introduce reporting (introductory) verb for indirect speech.

a) If this verb is in the present tense, there is NO CHANGE in the tense in indirect speech- it is
the same.
e.g. She says:”Ann will be in London on Monday”
She says that Ann will be in London on Monday.

b) if the reporting verb is in the past tense, we change the verbs in the direct speech to a tense
further back in the past; the basic rule is ONE TENSE BACK (SEQUENCE of TENSES)
e.g.He explained: “ I never eat meat.”
He explained that he never ate meat.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Present Simple …………………………...Past Simple


Present Continuous …………………… Past Continuous
Present Perfect……………………………Past Perfect
Past Simple……………………………….Past Perfect
Future Tense……………………………...Future in the Past

SUGS Rade Jovcevski Korcagin Teacher: Leonora Katalinic


We also change some present modals:
Can………………………………………..Could
May……………………………………….Might
Will……………………………………….Would
Shall………………………………………Should
Have to……………………………………Had to

5. Sometimes a noun must be inserted to avoid ambiguity (двосмисленост):


e.g.John said:”He came in through the window!”
John said that the burglar had come in through the window.

6.Adverbs and adverbial phrases of time and place change as follows:

Direct Indirect
Today ……………………………………That day/the same day
Yesterday………………………………. The day before/the previous day
The day before yesterday………………...Two days before
Tomorrow ……………………………….The next day/the following day/the day after
The day after tomorrow…………………..In two days’ time
Next week/year/………………………….The following week/year
Last week/year……………………………The previous week/year
A year ago………………………………...A year before/the previous year/
Now……………………………………….Then
Here………………………………………..There

7.Demonstrative pronouns are changed, too.


This………………………………………..That
These………………………………………Those

Sometimes if this and that are used as adjectives usually we change into the:
e.g.He said:”I bought this flower for my mother.”
He said that he had bought the flower for his mother.

8.The interrogative form of the verb changes to the affirmative form when we change direct
into indirect questions.

a) If the introductory verb is say, it must be changed to a verb of inquiry:ask,


inquire,wonder,want to know etc.
e.g.He said:”Where does she live?”
He asked where she lived.

b) If the direct question begins with the helping verb, modal, no question word, then if or
whether is placed after the introductory verb:
e.g.”Is anyone here?”he asked.
He asked if anyone was there.

SUGS Rade Jovcevski Korcagin Teacher: Leonora Katalinic


9.The introductory verb changes to a verb of command or request or suggestion etc.,such as:
tell, order, command, ask, offer, warn, remind, beg, advise, invite, refuse, accept, recommend
etc.
e.g.”Shall we meet at the theatre?”
He suggested meeting at the theatre.
“Would you like a drink?”
He offered me a drink.

10. The Infinitive construction follows immediately after the person addressed in indirect
commands:
e.g.”Get your pen, Mary!”
He told Mary to get her pen.

11.Exclamations and ‘yes’ and ‘no’ must become statements in indirect speech.
e.g. He said:”Thank you.” He thanked me.
He said:”Damn I!” He swore.
He said:”Can you swim?” and I said “ No.”
He asked me if I could swim and I said that I couldn’t.

12. TELL must be used with a direct object ( e.g. She told him…….) while
SAY doesn’t have a direct object, so it is used with an indirect object (e.g. She said to me….)

13. The past continuous in theory changes to the past perfect continuous but in practice usually
remains unchanged .
e.g. “When I saw them they were playing tennis”
He said that when he saw them they were playing tennis., or He said when he had seen
them they had been playing tennis.

14. The second conditional type of sentences remain unchanged.


e.g. He said,’If my children were older I would emigrate.’
He said that if his children were older he would emigrate.

15. Would, should, ought, had better, might, used to, could, must, mustn’t do not normally
change.
e.g.”People must obey their country’s laws.”
He said that people must obey their country’s laws. (it means obligation) but if not it
changes into WOULD HAVE TO / HAD TO.
e.g.”I have just received a telegram ”,he said ;”I must go home at once.”
He said that he had just received a telegram and would have to go.

16. If the speech is made and reported the same day the time changes are not necessary. It
depends on the day of report.
e. g.At breakfast this morning he said:”I’ll be very busy today.
At breakfast this morning he said that he would be very busy today.
Note: General statements about things that do not change often stay in the present .

SUGS Rade Jovcevski Korcagin Teacher: Leonora Katalinic

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