“Direct / quoted speech AND indirect/ reported
speech.
AL-AKHY MUBARAKA GHULAAM
Direct and Indirect Speech
v
We often, have to give information
about what people say or think. In order
to do this you can use direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech.
Direct
Speech / Quoted Speech
v
Means saying exactly what someone
has said (sometimes called quoted speech). It is quoting the exact words of the
speaker. Here what a person says appears within quotation marks
("...") and should be word for word. For example:
She said, "Today's lesson is on
presentations.“ or "Today's
lesson is on presentations", she said.
Rules of direct speech
i.
Put a quotation marks or inverted comma around what has
been spoken or quoted.
ii.
Quotation marks may be single or double and are placed
highly above the first and the last words of quotation. Example;
“Have
you finished?” the teacher asked. “What
a surprise!” he exclaimed.
iii.
a) If you start with “He said”, a comma must come after HE SAID and
what is quoted must starts with a capital letter.
Example:
He said, “Everybody must work”.
b)
If He said comes at the end, the comma must come before
the closed quotation mark. Example;
“I
am tired,” he said.
iv.
The Quotation always starts with a capital letter if not
placed at the end. Example:
He said, “We should work hard!”
“We should work hard!” he said
v.
If the quotation ends with an exclamation mark (!) or
question mark (?) a comma is not used and the word that follows must not start
with a capital.
Example:
“Is there a bar around?” the thief
asked Indirect Speech / Reported Speech
Indirect speech
(sometimes called reported speech). In indirect speech doesn't a use quotation
mark to enclose what the person said, and it doesn't have to be word for word.
Rules For changing Direct Speech into Indirect
Speech
Rule number one, tense changing
1) Present simple to Past simple
v
She said, "It's cold.”
v
She said that it was cold.
v
Johnsi said, “I write a letter”.
v
Johnsi said that she wrote a letter.
Note: When reporting states, facts or
habits, there will be no change of tense. Example, reporting a scientific fact:
v
“Water freezes at 0°” the teacher
said.
v
The teacher said that water freezes
at 0° C
v
“Magnet attracts iron” the student
said.
v
The student told us that magnet
attracts iron.
2. Present continuous to Past continuous
v
She said, "I'm teaching English
online.“
v
She said that she was teaching
English online.
v
John said, “I am going to church”.
v
John said that he was going to
church.
3 Present perfect to Past perfect simple
v
She said, "I've been on the web
since 1999
v
She said that she had been on the
web since 1999.
4. Present perfect continuous to Past
perfect continuous.
v
She said, "I've been teaching
English for seven years.“
v
She said that she had been teaching
English for seven years.
5. Past simple to Past perfect
v
She said, "I taught online
yesterday. “
v
She said that she had taught online
yesterday
v
Angel said, “I brought a pen
yesterday”.
v
Angel said that she had bought a pen
the day before.
6. Past continuous to Past perfect
continuous or remain past continous
v
She said, "I was teaching
earlier. “
v
She said that she had been teaching
earlier.
v
Nelson said, “I was playing cricket”.
v
Nelson said that he had been playing
cricket.
7. Past perfect to Past perfect (No change)
v
She said, "The lesson had
already started when he arrived. “
v
She said that the lesson had already
started when he arrived
8. Past perfect continuous to Past
perfect continuous (No
change)
v
She said, "I'd already been
teaching for five minutes”.
v
She said that she'd already been
teaching for five minutes
9. Future becomes conditional
v
He said “Kombe will be in Mbeya on
Monday”
v
He said that Komba would be in Mbeya
on Monday.
RULE NUMBER 2. The
adverbs of nearness should be put into those of distance.
Direct Speech Indirect
Speech
•
Now then
•
Here
there
•
here after there after
•
This
that
•
These those
•
Ago before
•
Thus so
•
To-day that day
•
To-night that
night
•
Last night the
previous night
•
Yesterday the day before (or) the previous day
•
Tomorrow the
next day (or) the following day
•
last week the week before (or) the previous week
•
next week the week after (or)
the following week
•
last month the month before
(or) the previous month
•
next month a month after
•
Hither thither
•
Hence thence
Rule number 3. MODEL VERBS
Modal verb forms also sometimes
change:
a)
Will to would
v
She said, "I'll teach English
online tomorrow."
v
She said that she would teach
English online tomorrow.
b)
Can to Could
v
She said, "I can teach English
online.“
v
She said she could teach English
online.
c) Must
to had to
v
She said, "I must have a
computer to teach English online.“
v
She said that she had to have a
computer to teach English online.
c)
Shall to should
v
She said, "What shall we learn
today? “
v
She asked what we should learn
today.
e) May
to might
v
She said, "May I open a new
browser? “
v
She asked if she might open a new
browser.
Ø
Note - There is no
change to; could, would, should, might and ought to.
Example
v
"I might go to the
cinema", he said
v
He said that he might go to the
cinema
Rule nUMBER 4. Time change
If the reported
sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the
time of reporting. For example we need
to change words like here and yesterday if
they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting.
For example
v
"Today's lesson is on
presentations. “
v
She said yesterday's lesson was on
presentations.
Expressions of time if reported on a
different days
v
This (evening) That (evening)
v
Today Yesterday ...
v
These (days) Those (days)
v
Now Then
v
(A week) ago (A week) before
v
Last weekend The weekend before last / the previous
weekend
v
Here There
v
Next (week) The following (week)
v
Tomorrow The next/following day
Rule number 5. Pronoun change
I he/
she
We they
You him/
her/ me
My your/his/her
Your his/her
Example
v
“I have left my book in your car”
Ifada said
v
Ifada said that he had left his book
in his car.
v
She said, "I teach English
online."
v
"I teach English online",
she said.
v
She said she teaches English online.
•
or
v
She said she taught English
Rule number 6. Reporting Verbs
Said, told and asked are the most
common verbs used in indirect speech.
i.
We use asked to report questions:-
For example: I asked
Lynne what time the lesson started.
ii.
We use told with an object.
For example:
Lynne told me she felt tired.
iii.
We usually use said without an object.
For example:
Lynne said she was going to teach online.
If “said” is used with an object we must include “to”
;
For example:
Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China.
Note - We usually use told.
For example:
Lynne told me (that) she'd never been to China.
Other verbs we use apart from said, told and asked.
These include:
“accused, admitted,
advised, alleged, agreed, apologized, begged, boasted, complained, denied,
explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and
thought”. Using
them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative. For example:
ü
He asked me to come to the party:-
ü
He invited me to the party.
v
He begged me to come to the party.
v
He ordered me to come to the party.
·
He advised me to come to the party.
·
He suggested I should come to the
party.
Use of 'That' in reported speech
In reported speech, the word that is
often used. For example:
ü
He told me that he lived in
Greenwich.
However, that is optional.
For example: He
told me he lived in Greenwich.
Note
- That is never used
in questions, instead we often use if. For example:
He asked me if
I would come to the party.
Rule number 7. Statement (or) Assertive
Sentence Rule:
- Remove the quotation marks in the statement
- Use the conjunction ‘that’
- Change the reporting verb ‘say to’ into ‘tell’
- Change the reporting verb ‘said to’ into ‘told’
Note :
•
He said that (correct)
•
He told me that (correct)
• He
told that (Incorrect)
Rule number 8. Imperative Sentence (Order or
(Request) Rules:
- Remove the quotation mark in an Imperative sentence.
- Use ‘to’ if it is an affirmative sentence. (without don‘t)
- Use ‘not to’ if the sentence begins without Don‘t.
- Don‘t use ‘that’
- Omit the word ‘please’. Use the word ‘request’ instead of ‘say’.
- If the direct speech contains a request or a command, the reporting verb (say, said) change to tell, request, order, command etc. In its correct tense.
Example:
v
“Don‘t talk in the class” said the
teacher to the boys.
v
The teacher advised the boys not to
talk in the class.
v
“Please give me something to eat. I am hungry”
the old man said to them.
v
The old man requested them to give
him something to eat and said that he was hungry.
v
“Be careful” said he to her.
v
He ordered her to be careful.
v
“Bring me a cup of tea” said Nelson to
Andriya.
v
Nelson asked Andriya to bring him a
cup of tea.
Rule number 9. Interrogative Sentence
(Questions) Rules
:
- Remove the quotation marks and question mark in the interrogative sentence.
- Use ‘if’ or ‘whether’ if the sentence inside the quotation marks begins with a helping verb (Auxiliary verb).
- Use the given interrogative word (what, when, where, why, who, whom, whose, which, now etc.) if it does not begin with the helping verb.
- Don‘t use ‘that’
- Changing the reporting verb (say, said) into ‘ask’ or ‘enquire’ in its correct tense.
- Omit helping verb like ‘do, does, and did’. But don’t omit them when they are with ‘not”
v
“Won’t you help me to carry this
box?” said I to my friend.
v
I asked my friend if he would not
help me to carry that box.
v
Mohan said to Stalin, “Why did not
you attend the meeting yesterday”?
v
Mohan asked Stalin why he had not
attended the meeting the day before. (I.S.)
v
“How often do you go to the
theatre?” said David to John.
v
David asked John how often he went
to the theatre.
v
Mohamed said to Sultan, “Do you like
mangoes?”
v
Mohamed asked Sultan if he liked
mangoes.
Rule number 10. Exclamatory Sentence Rules:
- Change the exclamatory sentence into statement or Assertive
- Remove the quotation marks and exclamatory mark.
- Use the conjunction ‘that’
- Omit the interjections such as Oh, O, Alas, how, what, hurrah.
- Add the word ‘very’ to the adjective or adverb if necessary.
- If the verb is not given, use ‘Be’ form verb (is, was, are, were, am) in its correct tense according to the subject.
- Change the reporting verb (say, said) to ‘exclaim joyfully’
- Use ‘exclaim’ sorrowfully for sorrowful incidents.
Example:
v
“O, what a beautiful flower that
is!” said she.
v
She exclaimed joyfully that that was
a very beautiful flower.
v
“What a horrible sight!” we all exclaimed.
v
We all exclaimed that it was a very
horrible sight.
v
“Alas! I have broken my brother’s
watch” said he.
v
He exclaimed sorrowfully that he had
broken his brother’s watch.
v
“How beautiful she is!” said Boon.
v
Boon exclaimed joyfully that she was
very beautiful.
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