Direct and Reported Speech (El estilo

directo y indirecto)
Cuando queremos comunicar o informar de lo que otra persona ha dicho, hay dos maneras
de hacerlo: utilizando el estilo directo o el estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech (El estilo directo)

Cuando queremos informar exactamente lo que otra persona ha dicho, utilizamos el estilo
directo. Con este estilo lo que la persona ha dicho se coloca entre comillas y deber ser
palabra por palabra.

Ejemplos:
Play
"I am going to London next week," she said.("Voy a Londres la semana que viene," ella dijo.)
Play
"Do you have a pen I could borrow," he asked. ("Tienes un bolgrafo que puedas prestarme," l
pregunt.)

Play
Alice said, "I love to dance." (Alice dijo, "Me encanta bailar.")
Play
Chris asked, "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" (Chris pregunt, "Te
gustara cenar conmigo maana por la noche?")

Reported Speech (El estilo indirecto)

El estilo indirecto, a diferencia del estilo directo, no utiliza las comillas y no necesita ser
palabra por palabra. En general, cuando se usa el estilo indirecto, el tiempo verbal cambia. A
continuacin tienes un explicacin de los cambios que sufren los tiempos verbales.
A veces se usa "that" en las frases afirmativas y negativas para introducir lo que ha dicho la
otra persona. Por otro lado, en las frases interrogativas se puede usar "if" o "whether".
Direct Speech

Reported Speech

Present Simple

Past Simple

Play
"He's American" she said.

Play
She said he was American.

Play
"I'm happy to see you", Mary said.

Play
Mary said that she was happy to see me.

Play
He asked, "Are you busy tonight?"

Play
He asked me if I was busy tonight.

Present Continuous

Past Continuous

Play
"Dan is living in San Francisco," she said.

Play
She said Dan was living in San Francisco.

Play
He said, "I'm making dinner"

Play
He told me that he was making dinner.

Play
Play
"Why are you working so hard?" they asked. They asked me why I was working so hard.
Past Simple

Past Perfect Simple

Play
Play
"We went to the movies last night," he said. He told me they had gone to the movies last

night.
Play
Greg said, "I didn't go to work yesterday."

Play
Greg said that he hadn't gone to work
yesterday.

Play
"Did you buy a new car?" she asked.

Play
She asked me if I had bought a new car.

Past Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous

Play
"I was working late last night," Vicki said.

Play
Vicki told me she'd been working last night.

Play
They said, "We weren't waiting long."

Play
They said that they hadn't been waitinglong.

Play
He asked, "Were you sleeping when I
called?"

Play
He asked if I'd been sleeping when he called.

Present Perfect Simple

Past Perfect Simple

Play
Heather said, "I've already eaten."

Play
Heather told me that she'd already eaten.

Play
"We haven't been to China," they said.

Play
They said they hadn't been to China.

Play
"Have you worked here before?" I asked.

Play
I asked her whether she'd worked there
before.

Present Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous

Play
"I've been studying English for two
years,"he said.

Play
He said he'd been studying English for two
years.

Play
Steve said, "We've been dating for over a
year now."

Play
Steve told me that they'd been dating for
over a year.

Play
Play
"Have you been waiting long?" they asked. They asked whether I'd been waiting long.
Past Perfect Simple

Past Perfect Simple (*NO CHANGE)

Play
"I'd been to Chicago before for work," he
said.

Play
He said that he'd been to Chicago before for
work.

Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous (*NO CHANGE)

Play
Play
She said, "I'd been dancing for years before She said she'd been dancing for years before
the accident."
the accident.
Nota: Cuando hablamos de algo que no ha cambiado (todava es verdad) o que es en el
futuro, no tenemos que cambiar el tiempo verbal.

Ejemplos:
Play
"I'm 30 years old," she said. She said she is 30 years old.
Play
Dave said, "Kelly is sick." Dave said Kelly is sick.
Play
"We are going to Tokyo next week," they said. They said they are going to Tokyo next
week.
Play
"I'll cut my hair tomorrow," Nina said. Nina said she is cutting her hair tomorrow.

Modal Verbs (Los verbos modales)

El tiempo verbal cambia en el estilo indirecto tambin con algunos de los verbos modales:
Direct Speech

Indirect Speech

Will

Would

Play
"I'll go to the movies
tomorrow," John said.

Play
John said he would
go to the movies
tomorrow.

Play
"Will you help me
move?" she asked.

Play
She asked
me if I would
help her move.

Can

Could

Play
Debra said, "Allen can
work tomorrow."

Play
Debra said
Allen could
work tomorrow.

Play
Play
He asked
"Can you open the window,
me if I could
please?", he asked.
open the window.
Must

Had to

Play
"You must wear your
seatbelt," mom said.

Play
My mom said I had
to wear my
seatbelt.

Play
She said, "You must
work tomorrow."

Play
She said I had to
work tomorrow.

Shall

Should

Play
"Shall we go to the beach
today?" Tom asked.

Play
Tom
asked if we should
go to the beach
today.

Play
Play
She asked me what
"What shall we do tonight?"
we should
she asked.
do tonight.
May

Might/Could

Play
Play
Jane said she might
Jane said, "I may not be in
not be in class
class tomorrow."
tomorrow.
Play
"May I use the bathroom,
please?" the boy asked.

Play
The boy
asked if he could
use the bathroom.

Nota: Con "would", "could", "should", "might" y "ought to", el tiempo no cambia.

Say vs. Tell

En espaol podemos traducir "say"o "tell" como "decir", pero en ingls se usan estos verbos
de maneras distintas. Hay unas reglas que indican el uso de uno sobre el otro en ingls,
aunque en general usamos "say" para "decir algo" y "tell" para "decir algo a alguien."

Say
Se usa "say" en el estilo directo y el indirecto. Si queremos usar "say" con un objeto
personal, necesitamos usar el preposicion "to".

Ejemplos:

Estilo directo

Play
"I'm hungry," he said. ("Tengo hambre," l dijo.)
Play
"I need your help," Glen said to Mike. ("Necesito tu ayuda," Glen dijo a Mike.)
Play
She said, "Do you like to dance?" (Ella dijo, "Te gusta bailar?")

Estilo indirecto
Play
He said he was hungry. (l dijo que tena hambre.)
Play
Glen said to Mike that he needed his help. (Glen dijo a Mike que necesitaba su ayuda.)
Play
She asked me if I liked to dance. (Me pregunt si me gustaba bailar.)

Tell
Tambin se puede usar "tell" con el estilo directo y el indirecto, aunque el uso con el estilo
directo no es tan comn. Cuando usamos "tell" necesitamos usar un objeto indirecto que va
detrs del verbo.

Ejemplos:

Estilo directo

1.

o
o
o
2.

Play
He told me, "I'm hungry." (Me dijo, "Tengo hambre.")
Play
Glen told Mike, "I need your help." (Glen dijo a Mike, "Necesito to ayuda.")
Estilo indirecto
Play
He told me that he was hungry. (Me dijo que tena hambre.)
Play
Glen told Mike that he needed his help. (Glen dijo a Mike que necesitaba su ayuda.)
Otros usos de "tell":
Se usa "tell" con ordenes o instrucciones.
Ejemplos:
Play
I told him, "Stop complaining." (Le dije, "Deja de quejarte.")
Play
She told us to hurry. (Nos dijo que nos diramos prisa.)
Usamos "tell" cuando damos o pedimos informacin.

Ejemplos:

Play

o
3.

"Can you tell me your name please." ("Dme tu nombre, por favor.")
Play
You told him the address of the office? (Le dijiste la direccin de la oficina?)
Se usa "tell" con cuentos o bromas. En esto caso, se puede traducir "tell" como
"contar" en espaol.
Ejemplos:

o
o
o
4.

Play
He told us a great story. (Nos cont un cuento maravilloso.)
Play
"Tell me a joke," she said. ("Cuntame un chiste," dijo ella.)
Con la verdad y las mentiras, se usa "tell."
Ejemplos:

o
o
o
5.

Play
"Tell me the truth," she said. ("Dime la verdad," dijo ella.)
Play
Keith never tells lies. (Keith nunca miente.)
Usamos "tell" con el tiempo o la fecha.
Ejemplos:

o
o
o

Play
"Could you tell me the time, please?" she asked. ("Podras decirme la hora, por favor?" me pregunt.)
Play
Bob told me the date. (Bob me dijo la fecha.)

La Voz Activa y Pasiva

Ir a Gramtica >>>
Podemos enfocar la accin del verbo en el sujeto (voz activa) o en el objeto (voz
pasiva).
Ejemplos :

Voz Activa : The porter carries the bags. = el portero lleva los bolsos
Voz Pasiva : The bags are carried by the porter. = los bolsos son llevados por el
portero

Reglas gramaticales
La voz pasiva se forma utilizando el verbo to be + el verbo principal en
participio (past participle)
Para transformar una oracin activa a pasiva tenemos en cuenta los siguientes
puntos:
El objeto de la oracin activa pasa a ser el sujeto de la pasiva
El verbo principal se sustituye por el auxiliar "to be", en su mismo tiempo, junto al
verbo principal en participio.
El sujeto de la oracin principal pasa a ser complemento agente de la pasiva
Si hacemos mencin en la oracin al sujeto que realiza la accin (sujeto agente), ste ir
normalmente introducido por la preposicin by.

Tabla de cambios verbales en la transformacin de Voz Activa a Voz

Pasiva
Tomando en cuenta los puntos anteriormente mencionados, en este esquema vemos los
cambios que sufre el tiempo verbal de una oracin activa al ser transformada a
oracin pasiva.
Tiempo
present
present continuous
past
past continuous
present perfect
past perfect
future
future II
modals
modals
modals

Frase Activa
I write a letter
I'm writing a letter
I wrote a letter
I was writing a letter
I've written a letter
I had written a letter
I will write a letter
I'm going to write a letter
I have to write a letter
I should write a letter
I must write a letter

Frase pasiva
The letter is written
The letter is being written
The letter was written
The letter was being written
The letter has been written
The letter had been written
The letter will be written
The letter is going to be written
The letter has to be written
The letter should be written
The letter must be written

Conditional sentences - type I

Use
It is possible to fulfil a condition which is given in the if-clause.

Form
if clause

main clause

Simple Present

will-future
or
infinitive
or
Modal + infinitive

Examples
If I study,

I will pass the exams.

If you see John tonight,

tell him to e-mail me.

If Ben gets up early,

he can catch the bus.

The if-clause can be at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

If I study,

I will pass the exams.

I will pass the exams

if I study.

Conditional sentences
The conditional sentences are sometimes confusing for learners of English.
Watch out:
1) Which type of the conditional sentences is used?
2) Where is the if-clause (e.g. at the beginning or at the end of the conditional sentence)?
There are three types of the if-clauses.

type

condition

condition possible to fulfill

II

condition in theory possible to fulfill

III

condition not possible to fulfill (too late)

Form
type

if clause

main clause

Simple Present

will-future (or Modal + infinitive)

II

Simple Past

would + infinitive *

III

Past Perfect

would + have + past participle *

Examples (if-clause at the beginning)

type

if clause

main clause

If I study,

I will pass the exam.

II

If I studied,

I would pass the exam.

III

If I had studied,

I would have passed the exam.

Examples (if-clause at the end)

type

main clause

if-clause

I will pass the exam

if I study.

II

I would pass the exam

if I studied.

III

I would have passed the exam

if I had studied.

Examples (affirmative and negative sentences)

type

Examples
long forms
+ If I study, I will pass the exam.

If I study, I will not fail the exam.

If I do not study, I will fail the exam.

+ If I studied, I would pass the exam.

II

III

short/contracted forms
If I study, I'll pass the exam.
If I study, I won't fail the exam.
If I don't study, I'll fail the exam.
If I studied, I'd pass the exam.

If I studied, I would not fail the exam.

If I did not study, I would fail the exam.

If I had studied, I would have passed the

If I'd studied, I'd have passed the exam.
exam.

If I had studied, I would not have

failedthe exam.
If I had not studied, I would have
failedthe exam.

If I studied, I wouldn't fail the exam.

If I didn't study, I'd fail the exam.

If I'd studied, I wouldn't have failed the

exam.
If I hadn't studied, I'd have failed the
exam.

* We can substitute could or might for would (should, may or must are sometimes
possible, too).
I would pass the exam.
I could pass the exam.
I might pass the exam.
I may pass the exam.
I should pass the exam.
I must pass the exam.

Mixed Conditionals
Unreal conditionals (type II + III) sometimes can be mixed, that is, the time of the if clause
is different from the one of the main clause.
Past --> Present
If I had taken an aspirin, I wouldn't have a headache now.

Past --> Future

If I had known that you are going to come by tomorrow, I would be in then.

Present --> Past

If she had enough money, she could have done this trip to Hawaii.

Present --> Future

If I were you, I would be spending my vacation in Seattle.

Future --> Past

If I weren't flying to Detroit, I would have planned a trip to Vancouver.

Future --> Present

If I were taking this exam next week, I would be high-strung.