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Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech

Direct and reported speech are used to express what someone said. Direct speech uses quotation marks to report the exact words. Reported speech does not use quotation marks and involves changing the tense and words like here and now if reporting something said in the past. For example, changing "I don't understand this question" to "He said that he didn't understand that question". Reported speech is important in legal and news reporting where the exact words are not needed.

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75 views11 pages

Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech

Direct and reported speech are used to express what someone said. Direct speech uses quotation marks to report the exact words. Reported speech does not use quotation marks and involves changing the tense and words like here and now if reporting something said in the past. For example, changing "I don't understand this question" to "He said that he didn't understand that question". Reported speech is important in legal and news reporting where the exact words are not needed.

Uploaded by

kasandra_style3751
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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 Direct and Indirect(Reported) Speech

1
 Use:
 In Direct Speech we give the exact words
of the speaker, while in Indirect Speech
we explain/report what the speaker has
said.

2
REPORTED SPEECH

is very important for legal language,


because it is used in newspaper reports
of crimes and investigations, in reports
on trials, in judicial procedure…
3
General rule:
1. When the introductory verb (say, tell, inform, state,
claim…) is in the present, present perfect or
future tense, no change in tense or adverbs of
time and place is necessary

Direct speech:
He says: “I don’t understand this question”.
Reported speech:
He says that he doesn’t understand this question.
4
2. When the introductory verb is in the Past
Tense, there is a change of tense and
adverbs of time and place.

Direct speech:
He said: “I don’t understand this question”.
Reported speech:
He said that he didn’t understand that
question.

5
CHANGE OF TENSES:

 DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH


 present  past
 present perfect  past perfect
 past  past perfect
 future  past future

6
CHANGE OF ADVERBS OF
TIME & PLACE

 DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH


 yesterday  the day before
 tomorrow  the next/following day
 next day/week  the following day/week
 today  that day
 here  there

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CHANGE OF IMPERATIVE
(COMMANDS, WARNINGS, REQUESTS)
 Direct speech:
He said: “Go home.”
 Reported speech:
He told me to go home. (Infinitive)

 “Stay in bed for a few days”, the doctor said to


me.  The doctor told me to stay in bed for a
few days.
 “Don’t shout”, I said to Jim.  I told Jim not to
shout.
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CHANGE OF QUESTIONS
a) WH-questions: WH-word stays as conjunction
b) YES-NO-questions: we introduce conjunction if
or whether
Important: Word order changes into that of a
statement.
 D.S. He asked me: “Do you find law
interesting?”
 R.S. He asked me if I found law interesting.

9
 D.S. The police officer said to us: “Where
are you going?”
 R.S. The police officer asked us where we
were going.

 D.S. Clare said: “What time do the banks


close?”
 R.S. Clare wanted to know what time the
banks closed.

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SAY and TELL
 If you say who you are talking to, use tell:
 Sonia told me that you were ill. (not “Sonia said me”)
 What did you tell the police? (not “say the police”)
 Otherwise use say:
 Sonia said that you were ill. (not “Sonia told that..”)
 What did you say?
 But you can “say something to somebody”:
 Ann said goodbye to me and left. (not “Ann said me
goodbye.”)
 What did you say to the police?

11

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