....

lndirect Speech:
Statements (2)

I CHECK I POINT
Check the weather iorecaster's
exact words.
O "It would be windy."
O "It will be windy."

CHARTCHECK DIRECT SPEECH

Check the moda/s that REPORTING
do not chan9e when SUBJECT VERB DIRECT STATEMENT
you go from direct to
''1'11 leave now."
índirect speech.
"l'm going to drive."
Owm "Traffic may be bad."
:J ought to "She might move."
O might He said, "He can help."
O must "They have to stay."
"You must be careful."
O may "They ought to buy batteries."
O should have "We should have left sooner."

INDIRECT SPEECH

REPORTING NOUN/
SUBJECT VERB PRONO UN INDIRECT STATEMENT

he would leave then.

he was going to drive.
traffic might be bad.
Jim
He told me she might move.
(thot)
he could help.
them
they had to stay.
1/we had to be careful.
they ought to huy batteries.
said they should have left sooner.

322
 lndirect Speech: Statements (2) • 323

EXPRESS�
Read lim's words. Check the sentence that correctly reports what he said.
JIM: "I may move soon."

i:J .Iim said that I may move soon. n Jim said that he might move soon.

Grammar Exptanatfons Examples

1. As you learned in Unit 73, when the reporting DIRECT 5PEECH INOIRECT SPEECH
verb is in the simple past tense, in the She said, She said
indirect speech statement the verb tense often "lt's windy." it was windy.

1 cbangfS.

Modals often change in indirect speech too.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH DIRECT SPH.CH INDIRECT SPEECH

wí/1 would I said, "The winds I said the winds
will be strong." would be strong.
can could They told us, "You They told us we
can stay with us." could stay with them.
may might He said, "The storm He said that the storrn
may last ali night." might last ali night.
must had to She told us, She told us

-----·--� -s_•.t _., ,__, s

"You rnust leave."
,. , . we had to leave.
,,_r��.,r;io�'Wi·9 :�,----�
•

2. Some verbs do not change in indirect speech.

DIRECT SnECH INDIRECT 5PEECH
a. Do not change should, couid, might, and "You should listen He told us that we
ought to in indirect speech. to the weather should listen to
report," he told us. the weather report.

b. Do not change the past perfect in indirect "I had [ust moved She saíd she
speech. here a week befare," had just moved there
she said. a week before.

c. Do not change verbs in present and "lf I knew, Jim said if he knew,
past unreal conditional sentences in I would tell you." he would tell me.
indirect speech.
"lf I had known, He said if he
I would have told had known, he
you," said Jim. would have told me.
d. Do not change past modals in "I should have He said that he
indirect speech. left." should hove left.

3. REMEMBER! � pronouns, time phrases, • "I just got here yesterday."

here, and thl« in indirect speech to keep the • Sam told me he had just gotten there
speaker's original meaning. the day befare.
 324 • Unit 74
,• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••

a
1

CHOOSE • Read what someone reported about the weather forecast. Then check the
sentence that shows the weather torecaster's exact words.

1. She said it was going to be a terrible storm.

CJ "It was a terrible storm."
0 "It's going to be a terrible storm."
2. She said the winds might reach 170 miles per hour.
O "The winds may reach 170 miles per hour."
O "The winds would reach 170 miles per hour,"
3. She said ihere would be more rain the next day.
O "There will be more rain the next day."
O "There will be more rain tomorrow."
4. She told people that they should try to leave the area.
O "You should have tried to leave the area." "The Weother Watch" on Channel 5
O "You should try to leave the area."
s. Shc said that they could expect a lot of damage.
O "We can expect a lot of damage."
O "We could expect a lot of damage."

� REPORT • You are in New York. Imagine you heard these rumors about a hurricane in
flíiiil
Florida yesterday, and you are reporting them today. Use They said to report the rumors.

1 .. "The hurricane will change direction tonight."

They said that the hurricane would change direction last night.

2. "It's going to pass north of here."

They said that it was going to pass north of there.

3. "It may become a tropical storm when it lands here."

They said that it might become a tropical storm when it landed there.

4. "They had to close sorne bridges yesterday because of high tides."

They said that they had had to close some bridges the day before because of high tides.

5. "They won't restore electricity until tomorrow."

They said that they would not restore electricity until today.

6. "The schools here may be closed for a while."

They said that the schools there might be closed for a while.

7. "We ought to use bottled water for a few days."

They said that they ought to use bottled water for a few days.
 lndirect Speech: Statements {2) • 325

l!IJ REWRITE • Read this interview with a meteorologist. Rewrite his answers as indirect
llil speech. Change verb tenses when possible.

1. Q:A hurricane is just a bad storm, right'?

A: To be a hurricane, a storm has to have winds of at least 7 4 miles per hour.
He saia that to be a hurricane, a storm had to have winds of at least 74 miles per hour.

2. Q: We seem to be having more of these big storms,

A: It's true, and they will probably become more frequent.
He said that it was true, and that they would probably become more frequent.

3. Q: Why is that?
A: The planet may be getting warmer, and that can cause more severe storms.
He said that the planet might be getting warmer, and that could cause more severe storms.

4. Q:What went wrong after the last storm?

A: Emergency workers should have arrived much more quickly.
He said that emergency workers should have arrived much more quickly.

5. Q:Is there an upside to a11 this?

A: The new satellites will help. Ifwe didn't have them, we wouldn't be able to warn people.
He said that the new satellites would help. He said that if we did not have them, we would
not be able to warn people.

EDIT • Read Rita's e-mail to her friend Emily. Find and correct twelve misiakes in the use
of reported speech. The first mistake is already corrected.

We had sorne excitement here because of the hurricane last week. Jim's mother called
was
just before the storm. She said she is- listening to the weather report and that she was
we would
worried about us. She told Jim that if you two weren't so stubborn, we will pack up and

leave immediately. Jim's father told us how to get ready for the storm. He said we should
then
have put tape on our windows right now and that we ought to fill the bathtub with water.
that night
He also told Jim that we should buy a lot of batteries befare the storm hit tonight. Sue
there
) called. She said that her place was too clase to the coast and that she coulcn't stay here.
she should have called
She told me I wanted to stay with me and Jim. She said she should called us sooner.
then
I told her she should come right now. Then we listened to the weather advisory, and the
was would not
ILforecaster said that the storm is going to go out to sea. She said it won't hit this area at ali!
 lndirect Questions
:"erha!?S vo.i
didr.'t hear �¡.,e'a,t...es".;íon.
tv1s. Be'1tíey aske� ��y
were still sin�
you)

I CHECK I POINT
Check Ms. Bentley's exact words.
O "Why were you still single?"
O "Why are you still single?"
The Stress lnterview

CHART CHECK 1 DIRECT SPEECH: YES/NO QUESTIONS

Circle T (True) or REPORTING
F (False). SUBIECT VERB DIRtCT QUESTION
T F You can leave "Do you have any experíence?"
out if or He asked,
"Can you use a computer?"
whetherin
indirect yes/no
questions. INDIRECT SPEECH: YES/NO QUESTIONS
T F You do not REPORTING (NOUN/
use do to form SUBIECT VERB PRONOUN) INDIRECT QuunoN
indirect yes/no
quostions. (Melissa) if she had any experience.
He asked
(her) whether she could use a computer.

CHART CHECK 2 --..� DIRECT SPEECH: WH- QUESTIONS

Circle T (True) or REPORTING
F (False). SUBJECT VERB DtRECT QUESTION
T F An indirect "Who told you about the job?"
question always He asked,
"When do you want to start?"
ends in a
question mark.
T F You do not INDIRECT SPEECH: WH- QUESTIONS
use do to REPORTING (NouN/
form indirect SUBJECT VERB PRONOUN) INDIRECT QUESTION
wh- questions.
(Melissa) who had told her about the job.
He asked
(her) when she wanted to start.

326
 lndirect Questions • 32 7

EXPRESS�
Unscramble these words to complete the índirect question.
why • he • job • his • quit • had
Why he had quit his job?
He asked him ------------------------------

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use if, whether, or whether or not to form DIRECT SPEECH
indlrect yes/no questions. • "Can you type?" she asked.
INOIRECT 5PEECH
• She asked if I could type.
UsAGE Non: Whether is more formal than if. • She asked whether (or not) 1 could type.

2. In indirect yes/no questions, the subject DIRECT SPEECH

comes before the verb, the sarne as in • "Can I start tomorrow?"
statement word order. INOIRECT SPEECH
• He asked if he could start tomorrow.
Nor He asked coula Ae start tomorrow.
Because of the statement word order, DIRECT SPEECH
do not use do, does, or did to form • "Does the job provlde benefits?"
indirect questions. INOIRECT 5PEECH
• He asked if the job provided benefits.
Nor He asked aoes the jo19 13re ... iae benefits.

3. Use question words to form indirect DIRECT SPEECH

wh- questlons. • "Where Is your office?" 1 asked.
INOIRECT 5PEECH
• 1 asked where his office was.

4. In indirect wh- questions, the subject also D1RECT SPEECH

comes before the verbas in statements, and you "Why did you leave your job?"
do not use do. does or did. INOIRECT SPEECH
• She asked me why I had left my job.
Nor She asked me why elia I lea ...e my job.
In indlrect wh- questions about the DIRECT SPEECH

subject, the question word is the subject and • Bob asked, "Who got the job?"
the verb follows as in ill!ement '{IIOrd Q�. INOIRECT SPEECH
• Bob asked who had gotten the job.

5. lndirect questions often end in a period, • 1 asked why I didn't get the job.
not a question mark. Nor I asked wl=t)' elielA't I get t:he job?

Check il out! For a list of common verbs used to report questions, see Appendix 13 on page 340.
328 a

a
Unít 75

IDENTIFY • Read this article about stress interviews. Underline ali the indirect questlons.

The str���· lnterview Suppose, for example, that there is an

accident in a nuclear power plant. The plant's
A few weeks ago, Melissa Morrow had a stress public relations officer must remain calm
interview. one which featured tough, tricky when reporters ask how the accident could
questions and negative evaluations. First. the havc happened. Be aware. however, that in
interviewer asked why she couldn't work sorne countries, like the United States, certain
under pressure. Before she could answer, he questions are not allowed un less they are
asked who had wrítten her application letter directly related to the job. If your interviewer
far her. Melissa was shocked, but she handled asks how old you are, you can refuse to
herself very well. She asked the interviewer answer. The interviewer also should not ask
whether he was going to ask her any serious whether you are married or how much money
questions. Then she left. you owe. lf you think a question is improper.
Companies give stress interviews in arder ask how the question relates to the job. If it
to watch how candidates handle pressure. doesn't, you don't have to answer.

MATCH• Check the direct questions that match the indirect questíons in the artic/e.
o 1. Can you work under pressure? o 4. Was thcre an accident in a nuclear
power plant?
� 2. Who wrote your application letter
for you? o s. How old are you?
o 3. Are you going to ask me any serious o 6. When were you married?
questions?
� 7. Is the question improper?

� REPORT • Claire's friend Jaime wants to know ali about her interview. Report
l!iil
bis questions.

1. "What kind of job is it?" He asked wha� kind of jot, it was.

2. "When is thc interview?" He asked when the interview _

was.
3. "Where's the company?" He asked where the company
_ was.
He asked if she needed directions.
4. "Do you need directions?" --------------------------
He asked how long it took to get there.
5. "How long does it take to get there?" ---------------------
He asked if she was going to dirve.
6. "Are you going to drive?'' ---------------------------
He asked who was going to interview her.
7. "Who's going to interview you?" -----------------------
He asked when they would let her know.
8. "When will they let you know?" ---------------------
 lndirect Questions • 329

REWRITE • These questions were asked at Claire's interview. Decide which ones
Claire asked and which ones Pete, the manager, asked. Rewrite each question as
indirect speech.

1. "What type of training is available for the job?"

Claire asked what type of train!n� was avallable for the job.

2. "What kind of experiencc do you have?"

Pete aslced what kind of experience she had.

3. "Are you interviewing with other companies?"

Pete asked if she was interviewing with other companies.

4. "What will my responsibilities he?"

Claire asked what her responsibilities would be.

5. "How is job performance rewarded?"

Claire asked how job performance was rewarded.

6. "What was your starting salary at your last job?"

Pete asked what her starting salary at her last job had been.

7. "Did you get along well with your last employer?"

Pete asked if she had gotten along well with her last employer.

8. "Do you hire many women?"

Claire asked if they hired many wormen.

EDIT • Read part of a memo an interviewer wrote. Find and correct eight mistakes in the
use of indirect questions. The first mistake is already corrected. Check punctuation!

Jnter-Office Memo
I did sorne stress questíoníng in my interview with Carl Treng this morníng. I asked
he couldn't why his
Mr. Treng why cottld:n't he work under pressure. I also asked him why did his
disliked
supervisor dislike him. Finally, I ínquíred when he would quít the job with our
company.
company? Mr. Treng answered my questions calmly, and he had some excellent
if we expected changes on the job
questions of his own. He asked "if we expected changes on the job." He also wanted
how often we evaluated
to know how often do we evaluate employees. I was ímpressed when he asked why
I had decided
did I decide to joín this company. I think we should hire him .
. . ...... . . , ...