the presentation of reported speech or indirect speech in structure

1. Nur yahya/ yahya choy
1034 0003
Reported speech / indirect speech

2. definition
 Indirect speech, also called reported speech or
indirect discourse, is a means of expressing the
content of statements, questions or other utterances,
without quoting them explicitly as is done in direct
speech.
 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.

3. Statements
 The reported speech is typically introduced by
verbs such as say, tell, admit, complain,
explain, remind, reply, think, hope, offer,
refuse etc. in the past tense.
 He said (that) he didn't want it.
 She explained that she had been at the seaside.
 If these verbs are in the past tense, we change
the following:
 a)verb tenses and verb forms,
 b) pronouns,
 c) the adverbs of time and place.

4. Type and example
direct speech “I speak English.”
reported speech
(no backshift)
He says that he speaks
English
reported speech
(backshift)
He said that he spoke
English.

5. Questions
 When transforming questions, check whether you
have to change:
 pronouns
 present tense verbs (3rd person singular)
 place and time expressions
 tenses (backshift)
 Also note that you have to:
 transform the question into an indirect question
 use the interrogative or if / whether

6.  Ex:
 Direct: “why don’t you speak English?”
 Reported: he asked me why I did not speak
English
 Direct: “do you speak English?”
 Reported: he asked me whether/if I spoke English

7. Commands, requests and advice
 The commands, requests and advice mostly have
the same form in English: verb + object + infinitive
(advise, ask, beg, forbid, order, persuade,
recommend, tell, urge, warn etc.).
 Unlike the direct speech the person addressed must
be mentioned in the indirect speech.

8.  "Get up!" he said. - He told me to get up.
 "Please, revise for the test," he said. - He urged me
to revise for the test.
 "Put on your coat," I said. - I advised him to put on
his coat.
 “Sam, open the door.”- he told me to open the door.

9.  Negative commands, requests and advice are
made by verb + object + not + infinitive.
 "Don't hesitate," he said. - He persuaded me not to
hesitate.
 "Don't smoke," the doctor warned my father. - The
doctor warned my father not to smoke.

10. Use of tell
 Tell can introduce statements, commands,
requests or advice. The form is different,
however.
 Statements with tell
 "I'm leaving," he told me. - He told me that he was
leaving.
 Commands, requests or advice with tell
 "Leave the room," he told John. - He told John to
leave the room.
 "Don't give up," the teacher told her students. - The
teacher told the students not to give up

11. example
type Example
with interrogative direct speech “Why don’t you speak
English?”
reported
speech
He asked me why I didn’t
speak English.
without interrogative direct speech “Do you speak English?”
reported
speech
He asked me whether / if I
spoke English.

12. Requests
 When transforming questions, check whether you
have to change:
 pronouns
 place and time expressions
type example
Direct speech “Carol, speak English.“
Indirect speech He told Carol to speak Englis

13. Changes in time and place words
now then, at that time
today that day
tomorrow the following day, the next day, a day later
yesterday the previous day, the day before
Next month the following month, the next month, a month later
Next ear the following year, the next, year, a year later
last month the month before, the previous month, the preceding
month
Last year the year before, the previous year, the preceding year
in two days
weeks)
two days from then, two weeks from then
5 das ago five days before, five days earlier
five weeks ago five weeks before, five weeks earlier
here There

14. pronoun

15. Tense transformation table
Quoted speech Later reporting
present tense verb simple past
present continuous past continuous
present perfect
simple past
past perfect
past perfect
simple future (will) would
future (be going to) was/were going to
Past continuous , present perfect
continuous, past perfect continuous
Past perfect continuous

16. Exception
 If the reported sentence deals with a fact or general
truth, the present tense is (can be) retained. She said
that the moon causes the tides.
 If the speaker reports something immediately or
soon after it was said, the noun clause verb often
remains as spoken.
A: What did the conductor say?
B: He said that the next stop is Northgate.
 If will is the modal in the reported utterance and
expresses future time, and if the situation described
in the quote still holds true at the time of the indirect
report, the will may not be changed to would even
though the reporting verb is in the past tense:
Mr. Arden said that a volcanic eruption will occur next
year.