Direct and Indirect Speech

[chimera]

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.

Direct Speech

Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech)

Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word.

For example:

She said, "Today's lesson is on presentations."

or

"Today's lesson is on presentations," she said.

Indirect Speech

Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word.

When reporting speech 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:
Direct speech Indirect speech
"I'm going to the cinema", he said. He said 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):

Direct speech Indirect speech
Present simple › Past simple
Present continuous › Past continuous
Present perfect simple › Past perfect simple
Present perfect continuous › Past perfect continuous
Past simple › Past perfect
Past continuous › Past perfect continuous
Past perfect › Past perfect (no change)
Past perfect continuous › Past perfect continuous (no change)

Modal verb forms also sometimes change:

Direct speech Indirect speech
will would
can could
must had to
shall should
may might

!Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.

You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:

Direct speech Indirect speech
"My name is Lynne", she said. She said her name was Lynne.
or
She said her name is Lynne.

You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event.

Direct speech (exact quote) Indirect speech (not exact)
"Next week's lesson is on reported speech ", she said. She said next week's lesson is on reported speech.

Time change

If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting.

For example we need to change words like here and yesterday if they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting.

Expressions of time if reported on a different day
this (evening) › that (evening)
today › yesterday ...
these (days) › those (days)
now › then
(a week) ago › (a week) before
last weekend › the weekend before last / the previous weekend
here › there
next (week) › the following (week)
tomorrow › the next/following day

In addition if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there).

For example:-

At work "How long have you worked here?"
At home She asked me how long I'd worked there.

Pronoun change

In reported speech, the pronoun often changes.

"I teach English online." >She said she teaches English online.

Reporting Verbs

Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech.

We use asked to report questions:-

For example: I asked Lynne what time the lesson started.

We use told with an object.

For example: Lynne told me she felt tired.

!Note - Here, me is the object.

We usually use said without an object.

For example: Lynne said she was going to teach online.

If said is used with an object we must include to ;

For example: Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China.

!Note - We usually use told.

For example: Lynne told me that she'd never been to China.

There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked.

These include: {accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought.}

Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative.

For example:

He asked me to come to the party:-

He invited me to the party.
He begged me to come to the party.
He ordered me to come to the party.
He advised me to come to the party.
He suggested I should come to the party.

Use of 'That' in reported speech

In reported speech, the word that is often used.

For example: He told me that he lived in Greenwich.

However, that is optional.

For example: He told me he lived in Greenwich.

!Note - That is never used in questions, instead we often use if.

For example: He asked me if I would come to the party.




Here is the link http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/reportedspeech.htm

[blue sky 19]

thanks for your sharing......i think you are really interesting in English....

[chimera]

thanks for your sharing......i think you are really interesting in English....

You're welcome! I'm in Business English Major, so I must be interested in English

[blue sky 19]

oh really....that's great!!!!!
I like English so much....so if I have some mistakes....I hope I can get your help