INDIRECT QUOTATION

The speaker’s or writer’s words are reported indirectly,

without quotation marks���(“..........”)���  

Indirect Quotation are sometimes called

Reported Speech

   

Indirect Quotations are introduced by the same reporting verbs used for Direct Quotations.

The word ‘that’ is often added for clarity.

The tense of verbs in Indirect Quotations

is a!ected by The tense of The Reporting Verb.

changing

Direct Quotation to

Indirect Quotation

HOW ?@#$

1. omit the quotation mark

Pamella said, “I want ice cream”

I want ice cream

2. add the subordinate “that”

(you may omit that if the meaning is clear without it)

Pamella said,

I want ice cream

Pamella said that I want ice cream

3. change the verb tense if necessary

Pamella said that I want ice cream

I wanted ice cream

{Follow the sequence of tense rules}

4. change pronouns

(and time expression if necessary) to keep the sense of the original

Pamella said that I want ice cream

She wanted ice cream

“Do you want this ice cream, Pamella?”

past tense reporting verb may cause changes in

verbs, pronouns, and time expression

in an indirect quotation according to the following rules.

SEQUENCE of tenses rules

1 SIMPLE PRESENT

SIMPLE PAST

Susan said, “The exam is at eight

o’clock.”

Susan said (that) the exam was at eight

o’clock

2 Simple Past &

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

She said,

“We didn’t have time to eat breakfast.”

She said (that) they hadn’t had time

to eat breakfast.

He said,

“The exam has just started.”

He said (that) The exam had just

started.

3 WILL WOULD

CAN COULD

MAY MIGHT

MUST HAD TO

Sam mentioned, “Today, I will eat chinese food, and tomorrow I will eat french

food if I can find a good restaurant.”

Sam mentioned that Today he would eat chinese food and that tomorrow he would eat french food if he could find a

good restaurant.

4 TIME EXPRESSION MAY CHANGE IF THE MEANING REQUIRES IT.

The teacher said, “You must finish the

test right now.”

The teaher said that we had to finish the

test right then.

1 When the reporting verb is

simple present, present perfect, or future,

the verb tense in the quotation DOES NOT CHANGE.

1

He says, “I can finish it today.” He says that he can finish it today.

When the reporting phrase is according to, the verb tense DOES NOT CHANGE.

2

The lawyer said, “My client is

innocent.”

According to the lawyer, his client is

innocent.

When the quoted information is a fact or a general truth, the verb tense DOES NOT CHANGE

3

He said, “Water boils at a lower temperature in the mountains.” He said that water boils at a lower temperature in the mountains.

Changing direct quotation to indirect quotation

1.  omit the quotation marks. 2.  add the subordinator ‘that’ 3.  change the verb tense 4.  change pronouns and time

expression.

Sequence of tense rules

Simple present Simple past

Simple past & present perfect

Past perfect

Will, can, may, must

Would, could, might, had to

Time expression (right now)

Right then

exception

The verb tense in quotation

mark DOES NOT change

When ...

....the reporting verb is simple present,

present perfect, or future

...the reporting verb is according to

...the quoted information is a fact or

general truth.

THANK YOU, Friends

@alissafatma I alissafatma@gmail.com