Indirect speech is a form of utterance in which speaker's words are reported.
· If the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense, demonstrative pronouns and adverbails expressing nearness are replaced by words expressing distance:
Here is replaced by there
This by that, these by those
Now by then, at that time(moment) or no adverb is used at all.
Today is replaced by that day, yesterday by the day before or on the previous day
Ago by before, year ago by a year before
Last night by the previous night .
· If the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense, the tenses are changed according to the rule of the sequence of tenses.
· The verb that introduces direct speech is replaced be another verb which shows if the indirect speech is a statemnet, a question, an order, request or exclamation.
1. She said, “I’ve never seen a man like this” – Shedeclared she had never seen a man like that.
2. She said to him, “Do you know them?” – She asked him if he knew them.
3. She said to him, “Come here at once!” – She told him to come at once.
4. She said, “Why, I never expected him to do such a thing” – She exclaimedshe had never expected him to do such a thing.
· It’s necessary to remember that there is a certain difference between the style of direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is more emotional than indirect speech.
· If there no conjunctions used in direct speech, they must be introduced in indirect speech: e.g. She said, “I am so tired!I have been writing for five hours”. – She said she was very tired asshe had been writing for five hours.
· The words so and such are replaced by very, exceedingly, etc. in exclamatory sentences: надзвичайно: e.g. She said, “Jane plays the piano so well!” – She said Jane played the piano very well;
She said, “Jane is such a good pianist!– She said Jane was an exceedingly good pianist
· Interjections (вигуку) must be replaced by suitable adverbial modifiers (обставина): e.g. She said, “Alas!I’ll never be happy again!” – She exclaimed in despair she would never be happy again.
· Must, as a rule, remains unchanged in indirect speech if it expresses advice (order) or a supposition bordering on assurance ( повинне бути): e.g. She said to him, “Youmust be more careful.” (advice) – She told him he must be more careful.
She said, “You must be very fond of music if you hgo to concerts so often.” (supposition) – She said he mustbe very fond of music if he went to concerts so often.
Indirect Statements
· According to the character of the statement, the verbs to promise, to remark, to remind, to assure, to admit, to deny, etc. are used: e.g. He said to me, “I hope you have not forgotten that there will be a meeting tonight.” – He reminded me that there would be a meeting that night.
He said, “The text is rather difficult”- He remarked that the text was rather difficult.
The child said to his mother, “I’ll never disobey you again” – The child promised his mother never to disobey her again.
· We can use the verbs to say and to tell both in direct and reported speech. Say is used with or without a personal object. When used with a personal object, it is always followed by the preposition to: Tell is always followed by a personal object.
Expressions with say and tell:
· Say good morning/afternoon etc, something/nothing etc, a prayer, so, a few words, etc.
· Tell the truth, a lie, a secret, a story, a joke, the time,, the difference, sb one’s name, sb the way, one from another, one’s fortune, sb so, etc.
Ex. 1. Fill in say or tell in the correct form:
1 She decided to ______ the truth.
2 He used to________his children a story every night.
3 He_______ good morning as he came into the office.
4 Helen______me that she was going to be late.
5 The little boy_______his prayers and went to bed.
6 They are twins; it's hard to______one from the other.
The way tenses change in Reported speech:
Present Simple Past Simple"He drives to work," she said. She said (that) he drove to work.
Present Continuous Past Continuous"He is driving o work," she said. She said (that) he was driving to work.
Past Simple Past Perfect"He drove to work," she said. She said (that) he had driven to work. Past Simple does not change in time clauses.
Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous "He was driving to work," she said. She said that ho had been driving to work. Past Continuous does not change in time clauses.
Future simple would + bare infinitive"He will drive to work," she said. She said (that) he would drive to work.
Future Continuous would + continuous present infinitive"He will be driving to work," she said.She said (that) he would be driving to work.
Present Perfect Past Perfect"He has driven to work," she said. She said (that) he had driven to work.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous"He has been driving to work," she said. She said (that) he had been driving to work.
Ex.2. Rewrite the sentences in Reported speech:
1 "I'm in a hurry because my bus is leaving in 10 minutes," Cindy said.
2 "I saw Steve a month ago," James said.
3 "She will talk to the entire class," he said.
4 "Jason is having a birthday party at his house tomorrow," Melinda said.
5 "You'll never believe what happened yesterday!" Kathy said.
6 "Helen has been revising for her exams all day," Mrs Jacobs said to me.
7 "I'll be flying to Rome at this time tomorrow," Paula said to us.
8 "Sally was working hard in the lab yesterday," Ann said to me.
Indirect Questions
· Word order in an indirect question is tha same as in a statement.
· An indirect general question is introduced by the conjunction if or whether.
· An indirect special question is introduced by the same adverb or pronoun that introduces a direct question
· They are generally introduced by the verb to ask, in more official style the verb to inquire is used with the preposition of.
e.g. She said to him, “Where does Mrs. Brown live?” – She inquired of him where Mrs.Brown lived.