Riandi Barzaman: Direct and Indirect Speech

Pages

Minggu, 10 Januari 2016

Direct and Indirect Speech

Published : 07.51 Author : Unknown

Direct and indirect speech can be a source of confusion for English learners. Let's first define the terms, then look at how to talk about what someone said, and how to convert speech from direct to indirect or vice-versa.

You can answer the question What did he say? in two ways:

by repeating the words spoken (direct speech)
by reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).

Direct Speech

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous conversation.

Examples

She says, "What time will you be home?"
She said, "What time will you be home?" and I said, "I don't know! "
"There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."

Indirect Speech

Reported or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.

She said, "I saw him." (direct speech) = She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)

'That' may be omitted:
She told him that she was happy. = She told him she was happy.

'Say' and 'tell'

Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.

Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.

'Talk' and 'speak'

Use these verbs to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.

Use these verbs with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.

Reporting Verbs

Reporting verbs are used to report what someone said more accurately than using say & tell.

PATTERN

1: SAY
Let's look first at the verbs we've already talked about. The basic verb pattern for using 'say' for reported speech is:

say + (that) + clause

She said (that) she had already eaten.

(The direct speech for this is "I've already eaten".)

The introductory sentence in the Simple Present

If the introductory sentence is in the Simple Present, there is no backshift of tenses.

Direct Speech → Susan: “Mary works in an office.”
Reported Speech → Susan says (that)* Mary works in an office.

The introductory sentence is here: Susan says … → this sentence is in the Simple Present, so there is no backshift of tenses.

The introductory sentence in the Simple Past

If the introductory sentence is in the Simple Past, there is mostly backshift of tenses.

Direct Speech → Susan: “Mary works in an office.”
Reported Speech → Susan said (that)* Mary worked in an office.

The introductory sentence is here: Susan said … → this sentence is in the Simple Past, so there is backshift of tenses.

2: TELL

On the other hand, with 'tell' we need to use an object, a person who we tell the information to. tell + someone + (that) + clause

I told John (that) I had seen the new film.

(The direct speech for this is "I've seen the new film".)

When we are reporting orders, we can also use another pattern with 'tell':

tell + someone + to + infinitive

She told the children to go to bed.

3: ASK

We use 'ask' to report questions or requests. For questions we use the pattern:

ask + someone + if / question word + clause

I asked my boss if I could leave early.
She asked them where the station was.

For requests we use the pattern:

ask + someone + to + infinitive

I asked Lucy to pass me the salt.

In Reported speech the question becomes a statement. Mind the word order: subject – verb

The introductory sentence is in the Simple Present

If the introductory sentence is in the Simple Present, there is no backshift of tenses.

Direct Speech → Susan: “Does Mary work in an office?”
Reported Speech → Susan asks if/whether Mary works in an office.

The introductory sentence: Susan asks … → is in the Simple Present. There is no backshift of tenses. The auxiliary do is dropped in the Reported speech.

The introductory sentence in the Simple Past

If the introductory sentence is in the Simple Past, there is usually backshift of tenses.

Direct Speech → Susan: “Does Mary work in an office?”
Reported Speech → Susan asked if/whether Mary worked in an office.

The introductory sentence: Susan asked… → is in the Simple Past. There is backshift of tenses.

Followed by a gerund.

- verb + gerund
deny, recommend, suggest

They recommended taking the bus.
She suggested meeting a little earlier.

- verb + object + preposition
accuse, blame, congratulate

He accused me of taking the money.
They congratulated me on passing all my exams.

- verb + preposition + gerund
apologise, insist

They apologised for not coming.
He insisted on having dinner.

Backshift of tenses

If the introductory sentence in in the Simple Past, there is backshift of tenses in Reported Speech. We shift the tense used in Direct Speech one step back in Reported Speech. If we use Past Perfect or the modals would, could, should, might, must, ought to and needn't in Direct Speech there is possibility to shift the tense back in Reported Speech.

Simple Present → Simple Past.

Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect → Past Perfect.

Auxiliaries, Modals.

Present Progressive → Past Progressive.

Past Progressive, Present Perfect Progressive, Past Perfect Progressive → Past Perfect Progressive

Question Sentences

When turning questions into indirect speech, we have to pay attention to the following points:

As in a declarative sentence, we have to change the pronouns and the time and place information, and set back the tense (backshift).
Instead of that (as in a declarative sentence), we use a question word. If there is no question word, we use whether/if instead.

Example:

She asked him, “How often do you work?”
→ She asked him how often he worked.
He asked me, “Do you know any famous people?”
→ He asked me if/whether I knew any famous people.

We put the subject before the verb in question sentences. (The subject goes after the auxiliary verb in normal questions.)

Example:

I asked him, “Have you met any famous people before?”
→ I asked him if/whether he had met any famous people before.

We don’t use the auxiliary verb do for questions in indirect speech. Therefore, we sometimes have to conjugate the main verb (for third person singular or in the simple past).

Example:

I asked him, “What do you want to tell me?”
→ I asked him what he wanted to tell me.

We put the verb directly after who or what in subject questions.

Example:

I asked him, “Who is sitting here?”
→ I asked him who was sitting there.

Demands/Requests

When turning demands and requests into indirect speech, we only need to change the pronouns and the time and place information. We don’t have to pay attention to the tenses – we simply use to + the basic form of the verb.

Example:

He said, “Watch the TV presenter’s show tonight.”
He told me to watch the TV presenter’s show that evening.

If it is a negative demand, then in indirect speech we use not to + the basic form of the verb.

Example:

He said, “Don’t watch the TV presenter’s show tonight.”
He told me not to watch the TV presenter’s show that evening.

Expressions with who/what/how + infinitive

When we talk about what someone should or can do in reported speech, we can leave out the subject and the modal verb. Instead we use a who/what/where/how + infinitive.

Example:

Just tell me when I should stop.
→ Just tell me when to stop.

She doesn’t know what she should do.
→ She doesn’t know what to do.

I asked him how I could get to the post office.
→ I asked him how to get to the post office.

Typical Changes of Time and Place