UNIT 30 – THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH.

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

THE DIRECT SPEECH

THE INDIRECT SPEECH

THE TENSE

OTHER CHANGES

WAYS OF SPEAKING IN REPORTED SPEECH

VERBS AND EXPRESSIONS INTRODUCING REPORTED SPEECH

FREE INDIRECT SPEECH

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE DIRECT SPEECH
The reported clause represents or attempts to recreate the exact words someone
used, as they occurred at the moment of speaking, with the same pronouns,
tenses, clause types, etc. which the original speaker used. The reported clause is
separated by punctuation from the reporting clause, usually by means of commas
and speech marks (normally single or double inverted commas):

Direct speech is normally signaled and enclosed in quotation marks.

Position of the reporting clause
A reported speech sentence consists of a reporting clause and one or more reported
clauses. We can find the latter before or after the reported clause:
The reporting clause may occur before, within or after the direct speech. Medial
position is very frequent. When the reporting clause is positioned medially or
finally, subject-verb inversion may occur if the verb is in simple present or simple
past.
Ex: “I wonder” – John said/said John – “whether he will come or not”.
Omission of the reporting clause
Sometimes the reporting clause is omitted:
- When the document they appear is a play.
- In formal reports, meetings and some types of headlines.
- In fiction writings when the identity of the speakers is obvious because of the
context.
Functions of the reporting clause
- As a subordinate clause: Dorothy said “my mother´s on the phone”.
- As subject complement in pseudo-cleft construction: What Dorothy said was
“my mother´s on the phone”.
3. THE INDIRECT SPEECH
We are dealing with indirect speech when we express with other words what someone
has uttered or utters in a speech or in a writing context. In this case we do not use
quotation marks.

3.1. The tense (Backshift).

The first element we have to take into account is the verbal tense, due to the fact
that depending on the tense the action is carried out, we´ll have to use one or
other tenses.

Example: “I´m English”. This sentence can be reported into two options: He says
that he´s English or He said that he was English. The differences are that in the first
one, the speaker is repeating in loud voice what someone else has uttered,
whereas in the second one is the reported clause.
 Apart from this exceptional case, we have to bear in mind different changes in
verb tenses:

Direct speech Indirect speech

Simple present Simple past
Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Past simple Past Perfect
Past continuous Past continuous/Past perfect
continuous
Past perfect Past perfect
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
Will Would
Future Conditional
Can Could
May Might
Must Must/had to
Shall Should/Would

Other modal verbs do not change: could, might, should, would, ought to and used
to.

EXAMPLES WITH EVERY TENSE

Anyway, we have to consider some exceptions:

- When it refers to universal truth, the tense change is optional. Ex: “The Earth
is round” He said the Earth is/was round.

3.2. Other changes.

When an action is being carried out in reports speech we have to consider other
changes.
3.2.1. Pronouns.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

I He/she
Me Him/her
My His/Her
Mine His/hers
We They
Our Their
Ours Theirs
Us them

3.2.2. Adverbials and demonstrative determiner/pronoun.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Now Then
This That
These Those/the
Here There
Ago Before
Today That day
Tonight That night
Tomorrow The next/the following day
Yesterday The previous day/the day before

3.3. Ways of speaking in reported speech.

3.3.1. Statements. They can be negative or affirmative, and they are normally
transformed through a noun clause introduced by “that”.
Ex: “I´ll go to the cinema tomorrow” – He said
He said he would go to the cinema the following day.
3.3.2. Questions: we have to distinguish three types of questions.

1st – Yes/No questions (verb questions). They are introduced by an “if” or

“whether” clause. Ex: “Has the teacher arrived?”- Ana asked  Ana asked
if/whether the teacher has arrived.

When the questions is introduced by “shall”, this mentioned “shall” can be

changed into “would” or “should”, depending if it indicates future or
request of instructions.

Future: “Shall I pass the exam”- Ana asked  Ana asked if she would pass
the exam.
Request: “Shall I open the door?” – Ana asked  Ana asked if she should
open the door.

2nd – Wh-questions. They are clauses starting by an interrogative adverb,

and when they are transformed into reported speech, they take the same
interrogative adverb.

Ex: “Where do you live” – Ana asked Ana asked where I lived.

3rd – Alternative questions. They are normally changed using the word
“whether”, although “if” is sometimes possible as well. Ex: “Did you like
the novel or not?”- Ana asked  Ana asked whether she had liked the
novel or not.

3.3.3. Orders. Orders are normally changed using the infinitive “to” or “not to”
(TO INFINITIVE CLAUSE), using the first one in affirmative orders and the
second one in negative ones.

“Be quiet” – Ana ordered  Ana ordered to be quiet.

“Don´t shout” – Ana ordered  Ana ordered not to shout.

When we are talking about a request, this can be changed with the
infinitive “to” or with the noun clause introduced by “if”.
 “Will you lend me the car” – Ana ordered  Ana ordered to lend her the
car/Ana ordered if I would lend her the car.

3.3.4. Suggestions.
When we use suggestions, they are normally followed by an – ing form.
The modal should is also possible although less frequent.

“Let´s go to the cinema”- Ana suggested  Ana suggested going to the

cinema/Ana suggested that they should go to the party.

3.3.5. Exclamations.
The exclamations are normally headed by the same “exclamatory word”.
“What a wonderful day!” – Chris said  Chris said what a wonderful day it
was.
“How pretty you are!” – Chris said  Chris said how pretty she was.
3.3.6. Other ways of reporting.

If direct speech represents the actual words of the speaker, indirect speech recreates
the speaker’s words through some changes. However, we may also find the case of
reporting the content of what someone said. In this matter we may want to use nouns
to report such as argument, comment, complaint, observation or remark or adjectives
such as certain, sure, grateful, and so on:

Mary didn’t like his comment that they were spending too much money.
My biggest complaint was that there was no air conditioning in the rooms.
The teacher is sure that her students will pass the course.

3.4. Verbs and expressions introducing reported speech.

3.4.1. Reporting verbs.

Although the two most common reporting verbs are say and tell, here there is a
list of the most common verbs used in reported speech:
 3.4.2. Difference between say and tell.

Both say and tell have a similar meaning, but the main difference is that
tell must obligatorily convey “to”, whereas in the case of say it is possible
or not.

I told him nothing/ I said nothing to him/ I said nothing.

When say conveys an indirect object, it is followed by to. To tell is used

without preposition when the indirect object precedes the direct object.
(Ex: I told him nothing; I told nothing to him).

The verb “say” normally introduces subordinate clauses with “that”,

generally without indirect object. (He said that it was too late).
The verb “tell” introduces subordinate clauses with that, generally with
indirect object, and also infinitives indicating order: He told her that it was
too late; He told her to hurry.
3.4.3. Other expressions.
As he have commented above the two most common verbs are say and
tell, but there are other expressions which have the same aim.

He declared that…
He insisted that…
He denied that…
He wanted to know if/whether…
He demanded that…
He suggested that…

There are other expressions which are complicated to report:

Hello! - He greeted him and…

Help!  He yelled for help.

3.5. Free indirect speech.

Free indirect speech is commonly used in contemporary literature, and sometimes both direct
and indirect speech can take place. The same changes that we deal with common indirect
speech are done: verbs, pronouns, etc. But it is similar to the direct speech in the sense it does
not use introductory sentences and respect the inversion of subject-verb in questions.

3.6. The voice in the reporting clause.

Most of the times we find that reporting speech is expressed in the active voice.
Nevertheless, the passive voice can also occur and it is, as a matter of fact, quite
frequent, especially indirect reports with ask and tell:

I was asked if the price of housing would continue to increase.

The passive voice can include a number of tenses, the same that can also be used in
reporting speech. Modal verbs can also be expressed by using passive voice. In these
cases we must take into account the fact that modal verbs will need auxiliary verbs to
be or to get but without the particle to.

One question teachers often get asked is, ‘What do I need to pass the course?’

4. CONCLUSION
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY