REPORTED SPEECH(INDIRECT SPEECH)

Revision. 12th form

Basic categories

Statements;Questions;Requests. Commands. Advice.

Suggestions. Offers.

Commands, requests, advice, suggestions, offers

Changes requiredReported construction:

object+infinitive with TOe.g. He said: “Claire, stand up!” –

He told Claire to stand up.Add the pronoun in the reported

construction: Barbara said: “Don’t touch!” –

Barbara asked me not to touch.

Verbs used in commands

Tell InviteAsk OrderAdvise RemindCommand RequestForbid Warn

Say and tell

“tell somebody”e.g. Sonia told me that you were in hospital.

“say”e.g. Sonia said that you were in hospital.

“say smth. to smb.”e.g. Ann said goodbye to me and left.

Reporting suggestions

“suggest + noun clause” (with/without that)e.g. “Why not have your hair cut?” – He/She suggested (that) I should get my hair cut.

“Let’s go for a swim.” – John suggested (that) we could go for a swim.

Reporting suggestions

X  Mary suggested us to postpone the meeting.

Mary suggested (that) we should postpone the meeting.

Mary suggested (that) we postpone the meeting.

Reporting offers/refuses

“Can I help you?” – She offered to help me.

“I won’t do it.” – He refused to do it.

Verbs that could be used:agree, promise, swear, threaten, volunteer

(pasisiūlyti),vow (pasižadėti)

Statements

From direct into indirect

Some changes are required: Verb tenses for both regular

& modal verbs; Pronouns & adjectives; Adverbs.

Personal pronouns

Possessive Objective pronounsPossessive

adjectivesPossessive pronouns

I My Mine Me

You Your Yours You

He His His Him

She Her Hers Her

It Its Its It

We Our Ours Us

You Your Yours You

They Their Theirs Them

Verbs

There are tense changes when the reporting verbs (say, tell, ask, etc.) are in the past.

There are no tense changes when the reporting verb is not past.

Examples

Direct speech

He always says: "Jan works hard.”

He said: “Jan works hard.”

Indirect speech

He always says that Jan works hard.

He said that Jan worked hard.

Change of tenses 1

Direct speechIndirect speechPresent simple Past simplePresent continuous Past continuousPresent perfect Past perfectcan/may could/mightwill wouldhave to/must had to

Change of tenses 2

Direct speechIndirect speechPast simple Past perfect (or Past simple)

Past continuous Past perfect continuous (past continuous)

Past perfect Past perfect Could/might/should/would no

changes

Pronoun/adjective changes Direct speech Indirect speech

I he/sheMy his/herMine his/herYou I/he/she/we/theyYour my/his/her/our/theirYours mine/his/hers/ours/theirsWe theyOur theirOurs theirsThis/these that/those

Note

When the speaker is reporting his own speech, pronouns remain unchanged:

e.g. I said: “I am hungry.” – I said that I was hungry.

Adverb changes Direct speech Indirect speech

Here there/in that placeNow then/at that timeToday that dayYesterday the day beforeTomorrow the day afterAgo beforeNext the followingLast before

Reporting conditional sentences 1

Direct speech Indirect speech

TYPE 1Jo said: “If I listen Jo said if he

I will learn.” listened he would learn.

Reporting conditional sentences 2

Direct speech Indirect speech

TYPE 2Jo said: “If I listened Jo said if he

I would learn.” listened he wouldlearn.

Reporting conditional sentences 3

Direct speech Indirect speech

TYPE 3Jo said: “If I had Jo said if helistened I would had listened hehave learned. would have

learned.

Questions

The same changes as in statements are required. What are they?

Verb tenses for both regular & modal verbs;

Pronouns & adjectives; Adverbs.

Additional changes 1

Interrogative word order is changed into direct word order:e.g. Ellie said: “Where do you live?” -

Ellie asked where I lived. Mrs. Newton asked: “What does

he do?” – Mrs. Newton asked what he did.

Additional changes 2

‘Say’ into ask/ inquire/wonder‘

e.g. Matt said: “Why is he going to do it?” – Matt wondered why he was going to do it.

Additional changes 3 Use the same question word for

special questionse.g. I asked: ”Who did she go with?”

- I asked who she had gone with. Use ‘if/whether’ to introduce the

general (yes/no) questione.g. Mr. O’Brian asked: “Is Lucy at

home?” – Mr. O'Brian asked if/whether Lucy was at home.