REPORTED SPEECH

Direct speech is the exact words someone said or wrote, whilst reported speech is retelling exactly what someone said or wrote, without using their actual words. As in indirect speech you are generally informing someone else of what happened, often in a different place from the original happening and usually on a different day, all pronouns change, all verb tenses change, except conditionals and past perfects, and all words referring to a particular time or place change. Reported statements: tense changes When the main verb of the sentence is in the past tense, the tense in the reported statement is changed, e.g.: I have not seen anybody. !he said she had not seen anybody. I am leaving. "om announced that he was leaving. #r. !tevens, I merely said that I was tired tonight. $e said to #r. !teven that he had been tired that night. %utlers only truly exist in &ngland. It is sometimes said that butlers only truly exist in &ngland. "ense changes when the main verb is past tense, as follows: DIRECT SPEECH PRESENT SIMPLE $e said, I write a letter. PRESENT CONTINUOUS $e said, he is eating a sandwich. PRESENT PERFECT !he said, he has finished his wor'. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS $e said, I have been studying since ( o cloc'. PAST SIMPLE !he said, I didn t buy a car. PAST CONTINUOUS I said, It was raining. PAST PERFECT !he said, !he had visited a doctor. FUTURE TENSE WILL $e said, I will be wor'ing hard. WILL BE $e said, he will not be flying 'ite. INDIRECT SPEECH PAST SIMPLE $e said that he wrote a letter. PAST CONTINUOUS $e said that he was eating a sandwich. PAST PERFECT !he said that he had finished his wor'. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS $e said that he had been studying since ( o cloc'. PAST PERFECT !he said that she had not bought a car. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS I said that it had been raining. PAST PERFECT !he said that she had visited a doctor.

WOULD $e said that he would be wor'ing hard. WOULD BE !he said that he would not be flying 'ites. WILL HAVE WOULD HAVE $e said, I will have finished the $e said that he would have finished the wor'. wor'.

As well as tense changes, other words in direct speech need to be changed when they are reported. $ere are some examples: !pea'er s words "omorrow $ere "his "oday +ast night -ow "he day after tomorrow )eported statements "he next*following day "here "hat "hat day ,revious night then In two days time

Reported questions "he rules about tense changes apply in .uestions in the same way as they apply to statements. W$ .uestions: "he sub/ect and verb are not inverted in reported speech, e.g.: !hy did not you tell me the truth0 !he as'ed me why I had not told her the truth. 1es*no .uestions ,ut if or whether before the sub/ect 2 verb, e.g.: $ave I seen you before0 $e as'ed me if*whether he had seen me before. Reported commands and requests 3ommands are reported with tell and the infinitive, e.g.: 'Go away!' $e told me to go away. Close the window. !he told me to close the window. )e.uests are reported with ask and the infinitive, e.g.: 'Please help me.' $e as'ed her to help him. er!s used in reporting #any different verbs are used in reporting. We do not usually report every word that was said or written, and these different verbs can help to summari4e the original words, for example: Would you li'e to come and stay for the wee'end0 $e invited us to stay for the wee'end. $ere are some examples of verbs used in reporting: Advise someone, offer, promise, refuse, invite 2 infinitive, e.g.: !hall I help you0 Anna offered to help me. 3omplain about, recommend, suggest, apologi4e for 2 gerund, e.g.: I am sorry I missed the meeting $e apologi4ed for having missed the meeting. Agree, deny, announce, boast, insist, decide 2 than clause, e.g.: -o, I did not see the accident5 $e denied that he had seen the accident.

"odal #er!s in reporting When there is a modal verb in the original statement, suggestion, etc., this sometimes changes when we report what was said. #odal verb in original #odal verb in report
would, could, might will, can, may 6existing or future situations and present tense verb in reporting clause7 will or would, can or could, may or might 6existing or future situations and past tense verb in reporting clause7

will, can, may

could, would, should, might, ought to, used to

shall

could, would, should, might, ought to, used to

Would, should 8 with offers and suggestions

must

had to

We sometimes use a modal verb in a report when there is no modal verb in the original: 91ou9re not allowed to smo'e here.9 !he told me that I mustn9t smo'e there.

)eferences and examples ta'en from: :. &vans, ;irginia, <==<. $nglish %d#anced Grammar in &se' 3ambridge >niversity ,ress <. Ishiguro, ?a4uo, :@@=. (he Remains o) the *ay' ;intage InternationalA :st edition, pages: <B, <C, ::D. (. $ewings, #artin, :@@@. %d#anced Grammar in &se, 3ambridge >niversity ,ress B. !ide, )ichard, Wellman, Euy, :@@@. Grammar and oca!ulary )or Cam!ridge %d#anced and Pro)iciency, ,earson &ducation limited