Direct and Indirect Speech

 When do we use direct speech ?

- We use direct speech whenever we speak. Ex.

a. ’Is that you, Jane?’ Bob asked.

b. ’It`s good to see you again,’ John said.

c. I told him ’Don`t go away !’

d. ’Can you possibly lend me $10?’ Sue asked.

e. ’Get out of here !’ Mr Jones said angrily.

f. ’This is a serious offence,’ the judge said.

 When do we use indirect speech ?

- We use indirect speech ( also called reported speech ) when we are telling
someone what another person says or said. The reporting verbs ( say, tell )
are in the present or the past ( most often in the past ) and the tenses in the
sentece in reported speech are often affected by this.

 Reporting verbs say, tell, ask

- Some rules :

’It`s good to see you again,’ John said.

’You`re a liar !’ Gina said to John.

’You`re a liar !’ Gina told me.

-INDIRECT STATEMENTS-
 Reporting verbs in the present
- The tenses are the same as those used in direct statement . Ex.

a. ’I’ve read Gina’s book.’ John tells me. ( direct speech )

John tells me that he has read Gina’s book. ( indirect speech )

b. ’ I don’t like horror movies,’ David says.

David says that he doesn’t like horror movies.

c. ’I didn`t talk to that man,’ Tom says to me.

Tom says to me that he didn`t talk to that man.

  Reporting verbs in the past
- When the reporting verbs is in the past, one of the most important rules is
that we should move back tenses from the direct statement. Rules :

Present Simple > Past Simple

Present Continuous > Past Continuous

Present Perfect > Past Perfect

Past Simple > Past Perfect

Past Continuous > Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect > Past Perfect ( no change here )

Ex.

1. I make a cake for Tom. > She said that she made a cake for Tom.

2. I’m waiting for John. > He said that he was waiting for John.

3. I’ve moved to another flat. > She said that she had moved to another flat.

4. I called Jim last night. > She said that she had called Jim the previous night.

5. I was working there for 20 years. > He said that he had been working there...

6. I had already gone there. > He said that he had already gone there.

Some other rules :

Will > would Can > could

1. I will help you with that. > He said that he would help me with that.

2. I can come to visit you. > She said that she could come and visit me.

Pronouns shift :

Ex. ’ I will send you a package, John,’ Ann said.

Ann said that she would send John a package. ( reported by someone else )

Ann said that she would send me a package. ( reported by John )

I told John that I would send him a package. ( reported by Ann )

Time and place changes :

Time :

Now > immediately / then ;

Two days ago > two days before

Today > that day

Tomorrow > the next day / the following day

Yesterday > the day before / the previous day

Place :

Here > there

This place > that place

These places > those places

Modal verbs :

Can, will, may > could, would, might

Should > should

Must > had to ( if there is an obligation )

’You must try harded,’ he told me. > He told me that I had to try harder.

Must > must ( prohibition )

You must not go over there ! > He told us that we must not go over there.

Must have + participle > unchanged

I must have overslept. > He said that he must have overslept.

Conditional sentences :

Type 1

’ If you pass the exam, I will buy you a car.’> He told me that if I passed my exam, he would
buy me a car.

Type 2

’If you passed the exam, I would buy you a car.’ > He told me that if I passed the exam, he
would buy me a car.

Type 3

’If you had passed the exam, I would have bought you a car.’ > He said that if I had passed
the exam, he would have bought me a car.
 - INDIRECT QUESTIONS -
Yes / No questions

1. ’Are you ready?’ > He asked me if / whether I was ready.

2. ’Have you finished?’ > He asked me if / whether I had finished.

3. ’Do you play chess?’ > He asked me if / whether I played chess.

4. ’Can you go there?’ > He asked me if / whether I could go there.

Rules :

a. We do not use question and quotation marks in indirect questions.

b. We change the word order into typical statement word order ( subject + verb )

c. Do / does / did – do not appear in indirect questions !

d. We use IF / WHETHER when making questions

e. We can use ASK, WANT TO KNOW, WONDER... as reporting verbs

Examples :

1. Did he go home ? > She wanted to know if / whether he had gone home.

2. Is John your friend ? > He asked me if / whether John was my friend.

3. Do you like coffee? > She asked me if / whether I liked coffee.

4. Will you be there tomorrow? > He asked me if / whether I would be there the
next day.

5. Would you like to live in the UK? > She asked me if / whether I would like to
live in the UK.

6. Are you angry ? > She asked me if /whether I was angry.

7. Do you want anything while I’m away? > She asked me if / whether I wanted
anything while she was away.

Wh- questions
1. Where are you going? > He asked me where I was going.

2. Why haven`t you finished? > He asked me why I hadn`t finished.

3. What do you think of it? > He asked me what I thought of it.

4. When I must be there? > He asked me when he had to be there.

 Rules:

a. We do not use question and quotation marks in indirect questions.

b. We change the word order into typical statement word order ( subject + verb )

c. Do / does / did – do not appear in indirect questions !

d. We use WH- words when making questions ( what, when, where, why...)

e. We can use ASK, WANT TO KNOW, WONDER... as reporting verbs

Examples:

1. When did you go there ? > He asked me when I had gone there.

2. How do you feel? > He asked me how I felt.

3. Where do you live? > He asked me where I lived.

4. How many people are there? > He asked me how many people there were.

5. What is her name? > He asked me what her name was.

6. Why do you like these stupid old movies? > He asked me why I liked those
stupid old movies.

Indirect subject-questions
1. Who is in charge here? > He asked me who was in charge there.

2. Which company makes these parts? > He wanted to know which company
made those parts.

3. What caused the accident? > He asked me what had caused the accident.
-INDIRECT ORDERS, COMMANDS, REQUESTS-

 Reporting verbs are usually : advise, ask, command, forbid, forbid, order,
recommend, remind, tell, warn...

 The usual pattern is : reporting verb + object + infinitive

Ex.
1. ‘Get out!’ he ordered. > He ordered me to get out.

2. ‘ Open that window,’ Jim said to me. > Jim said to me to open that window.

3. ‘ Don’t make noise, John!’ Sarah said. > Sarah told John not to make noise.

4. ‘Don’t go too far!’ Lisa warned us. > Lisa warned us not to go too far.

5. ‘You had better hurry!’ she said. > She advised him to hurry.

6. ‘ Can I see Tom, please?’ she asked. > She asked to see Tom.

PRACTICE :
1. You can phone from my office, he said. >

2. This will be a very hard work, she said. >

3. The sales are starting tomorrow, John said.>

4. Do you like your job?, she asked. >

5. Can you pick me up at 6?, Jim asked me.>

6. Don’t spend all your money!, my mother told me.>

7. How much money did you earn last week?, she asked me.>

8. Where did you go last summer?, Sarah wanted to know.>

9. Don’t forget to lock the door John, Sarah reminded him.>

10. There has been an accident and the road is blocked, said the policeman.>

11. We’ll try to find your passport, said the policeman.>

12. Could we speak to the manager?, the guest asked.>

13. I don’t like when someone tells me what to do, Jim said. >

14. My best friend bought me some really nice presents last night, Gina said.>

15. Jim wrote a book last January and it sold out very quickly, Sarah said.>
- Rewrite the sentences:

1. ‘It’s a three-star hotel”.

She said that

2. ‘What’s the time?’

The tourist asked us

3. ‘Open your case, please!’

The customs officer asked me

4. ‘I’ve just come back from Rome.’

She told me

5. ‘Don’t move!’
The man told us

6. ‘Do you want a double room?’

She asked us

7. ‘I’ll do it immediately.’
The receptionist said he
8. ‘Where have you been?’
He asked me

9. ‘Please help me.’

She asked me

10. ‘Do you smoke?’

He asked me

11. ‘The plane takes off at 14.30.’

She said

12. ‘We won’t be able to pay until next week.’

They said

13. ’She left the hotel at ten twenty.’

The receptionist said

13. ’Do you know New York well?’

He asked me

14. ‘Can you show me the way?’

She asked him

15. ‘Fasten your seat belts.’

The flight attendant told passengers

16. ‘I’m taking my holidays in August.’

Kate said

17. ‘Where’s the nearest bank?’

He asked

18. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it.’

He said

19. ‘You can take photos here.’

The guide told them

20. ‘How much is a subway ticket?’

She asked

21. ‘Take the lift to the second floor.’

The receptionist told us

22. ‘The lift doesn’t go to the top floor.’

The receptionist said

23. ‘Don’t go there in July or August.’

He told us

24. ‘Is it far to Fifth Avenue?’

He asked

25. ‘You should get to the airport early.’

The travel agent told them