when we report what someone else has said we use the form of language called indirect or reported speech e g “lunch is ready” the actual words spoken direct speech “your mother told you lunch was re

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INDIRECT SPEECH

WHEN WE REPORT WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS SAID, WE USE THE FORM OF
LANGUAGE CALLED INDIRECT OR REPORTED SPEECH

<i><b>E.g: “Lunch is ready” the actual words spoken= Direct Speech</b></i>

<i><b>“Your mother told you lunch was ready ten minutes ago” </b></i> <i><b> the words reported=</b></i>
<i><b>indirect speech</b></i>

<b>Changing from direct to indirect speech</b>

<b>Direct SpeechIndirect SpeechPresent formschange toPast formsPresent Simple</b>
<b>E.g. “I love you.”Past Simple</b>

<b>He told her that he loved herPresent Progressive</b>
<b>E.g. “Be quiet. I´m talking on the phone.”Past Progressive</b>

<b>She told us to be quiet because she was talking on the phonePresent Perfect</b>
<b>E.g “The rain has stopped.”</b>

<b>Past Perfect</b>

<b>He said that the rain had stopped.Present Perfect Progressive</b>
<b>E.g. “She´s been having a wonderful time in Italy”Past Perfect Progressive</b>

<b>Mary´s mother said she´d been having a wonderful time in Italy.</b>

IMPORTANT: We don´t always have to change the verb from Present to Past
E.g. “I love Jane”---Jim admitted that he loved Jane

<b> loves</b>

<b>We can leave the verb in the Present form here because Jim probably still loves Jane at the</b>
<b>time when we are making the report</b>

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Direct SpeechIndirect SpeechPast Formschange toPast Perfect FormsPast Simple
E.g. “I met you when you were a student”Past Perfect

She told me she had met me when I was a student.Past Progressive

E.g. “I was driving carefully when the accident happened.”He told the police he had been driving
carefully when the accident happened.Note: if a Past Perfect form occurs in direct speech, it does not

change in indirect speech:

<i><b>“I phoned you yesterday to find out if my letter had arrived--- He claimed that he had phoned the </b></i>
<i><b>previous day to find out if his letter had arrived.</b></i>

<i><b>Modals</b></i>

Direct SpeechIndirect SpeechWILL, CAN
MAY, SHALL

E.g. “I´ll meet you at 10”

“I can fly”

“What shall we give Bill?”

“The train may be late”change toWOULD, COULD

MIGHT, SHOULD

He promised that he would meet her at 10.
He said he could fly.

They asked what they should give Bill.

She agreed that the train might be late.Note: if the modal auxiliaries MUST, OUGHT TO, USED TO occur
in direct speech they do not change in indirect speech.

E.g. “ You must relax”--- The doctor said you must relax

“You ought to give up smoking”---The doctor said I ought to give up smoking

Other changes in indirect speech

First and second person pronouns usually change to third person
E.g. “I like icecream”---He said he liked icecream.

Other words which talk about here and now may change:
This---that

These----those
Here----there

Now----then
Today----that day
Yesterday---the previous day

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