When we report someone’s words we can do it in two ways. We can use direct speech with quotation marks (“I work in a bank”), or we can use reported speech (He said he worked in a bank.)In reported speech the tenses, word-order and pronouns may be different from those in the original sentence.
Otros cambios necesarios al pasar una frase a estilo indirecto son: 1. Los pronombres personales y los adjetivos o pronombres posesivos de 1ª y 2ª persona cambian según quien habla, pero los de 3ª persona no cambian. - “I am waiting for my sister,” Bill said. - Bill said (that) he was waiting for his sister.
2. Las expresiones de tiempo y de lugar. now then today / tonight that day / that night yesterday the day before, the previous day tomorrow the next / following day, the day after next week / month the following week / month last week / month the previous week / month, the week / month before a week / month ago the week / month before here there 3. Los demostrativos this that these those
REPORTING QUESTIONS PREGUNTAS DEL TIPO YES / NO 1. La pregunta se convierte en una frase y por tanto ya no hay inversión de sujeto y verbo. - “Did you speak to John last night?” she asked. - She asked if / whether I had spoken to John the night before. 2. Desaparece el signo de interrogación. 3. Detrás del reporting verb se pone if o whether (pueden usarse indistintamente) PREGUNTAS CON PARTÍCULA INTERROGATIVA (WH-QUESTIONS) Al poner en estilo indirecto este tipo de preguntas mantenemos la partícula interrogativa: what, who, where, when, how, why, etc, en lugar de poner if o whether. - “Who did you speak to last night?” He asked who I had spoken to the night before. - “Where are you working these days?” He asked where she was working those days. Si la particular interrogativa es el sujeto de la pregunta, el orden de las palabras de la oración se mantiene igual. - “Who told you this story?” He asked who had told us that story. Los verbos más frecuentes para introducir el estilo indirecto en preguntas son: ask, want to know, wonder, enquire
REPORTING COMMANDS, REQUESTS, WARNINGS, INVITATIONS, ETC Las órdenes se suelen expresar en imperativo pero al ponerlas en estilo indirecto: 1. El imperativo pasa a infinitivo manteniendo la forma afirmativa o negativa. - He said, “Go away, Mary!” He ordered Mary to go away. - She said, “don’t open the door.” She told me not to open the door. 2. El verbo que introduce el estilo indirecto debe indicar “mandar”, “pedir”, “rogar”, “invitar”, “advertir”, etc, por eso nunca se usa say (decir), sino tell, ask, order, beg, invite, warn, que deben llevar un complemento de persona, a quien se da la orden, se le pide, se le invita, etc. - He said, “Be quiet.” He told us to be quiet. - She said, “Please don’t shout.” She asked me not to shout. Nota: Al traducir las órdenes en estilo indirecto usamos el subjuntivo - He told me to be quiet. (Me dijo que me callara.)
Reported speech: indirect speechIndirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.‘I’m tired,’ I said.I told them (that) I was tired.that-clause question‘Are you ready?’ the nurse asked Joel.‘Who are you?’ she asked.The nurse asked Joel if/whether he was ready.She asked me who I was.if-clause/whether-clause wh-clause command‘Leave at once!’ they ordered.They ordered us to leave at once.to-infinitive clauseIndirect speech: reporting statementsIndirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that-clause. We often omit that, especially in informal situations:The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’)I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. (that-clause without that) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday.)Indirect speech: reporting questionsReporting yes-no questions and alternative questionsIndirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether. If is more common than whether. The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:She asked if [S] [V]I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’)The waiter asked whether [S]we [V]wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window?)He asked me if [S] [V]I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’)Reporting wh-questionsIndirect reports of wh-questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh-word (who, what, when, where, why, how). We don’t use a question mark:He asked me what I wanted.Not: He asked me what I wanted?The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:She wanted to know who [S]we [V]had invited to the party.Not: … who had we invited …Who, whom and whatIn indirect questions with who, whom and what, the wh-word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. (who is the subject of came; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’)He wondered what the repairs would cost. (what is the object of cost; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’)The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:She asked us what [S]we [V]were doing. (original question: ‘What are you doing?’)Not: She asked us what were we doing?When, where, why and howWe also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when, where, why and how:I asked her when [S]it [V]had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’).Not: I asked her when had it happened?I asked her where [S]the bus station [V]was. (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’)Not: I asked her where was the bus station?The teacher asked them how [S]they [V]wanted to do the activity. (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’)Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?Indirect speech: reporting commandsIndirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to-infinitive:The General ordered the troops to advance. (original command: ‘Advance!’)The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting. (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’)We also use a to-infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn:They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’)The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’)Indirect speech: present simple reporting verbWe can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)Newspaper headlinesWe often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOMPRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORMIndirect speech: past continuous reporting verbIn indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.Backshift‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.Comparedirect speechindirect speechI said, ‘I’m not very happy at work.’I told her I was not very happy at work.They said: ‘We’re going home.’They told us they were going home.He said, ‘Jane will be late.’He said that Jane would be late.‘I’ve been working,’ she said.She said she had been working.‘What happened to make her so angry?’ he asked.He asked what had happened to make her so angry.In these examples, the present (am) has become the past (was), the future (will) has become the future-in-the-past (would) and the past (happened) has become the past perfect (had happened). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.Backshift changesdirectindirectpresent simple→past simplepresent continuous→past continuouspresent perfect simple→past perfect simplepresent perfect continuous→past perfect continuouspast simple→past perfect simplepast continuous→past perfect continuousfuture (will)→future-in-the-past (would)past perfect↔past perfect (no change)The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:Direct speechIndirect speechHe asked: ‘Had the girls already left?’He asked if the girls had already left.Modal verbsSome, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.direct speechindirect speechchangewill‘We will be there,’ he promised.He promised they would be there.will becomes wouldshallShe said, ‘I shall need more money.’‘Shall I open it?’ she asked.She said she would need more money.She asked if she should open it.shall usually becomes wouldin reported questions, shall becomes shouldcan‘I can see you at 2.30,’ he added.He added that he could see me at 2.30.can becomes couldmay‘I may be back later,’ she said.‘You may wait in the hallway,’ he said.She said she might be back later.He said we could wait in the hallway.may (possibility) becomes mightmay (permission) becomes couldmustShe said, ‘You must pay by 30th April.’‘It must be awful to live in such a noisy place,’ she said.She said we had to pay by 30th April.She said it must be awful to live in such a noisy place.must (obligation) usually becomes had tomust (speculation) does not changecould‘We could sell it for about 2,000 euros,’ he said.He said they could sell it for about 2,000 euros.no changeshould‘You should go there immediately,’ she said.She said I should go there immediately.no changewould‘I would buy it if I had the money,’ he said.He said he would buy it if he had the money.no changemight‘It might snow tonight,’ he warned.He warned that it might snow that night.no changeneed‘You needn’t come till six o’clock,’ he said.He said we needn’t come till six o’clock.no changeWe can use a perfect form with have + -ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’)He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’)Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’)The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’)No backshiftWe don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)She said she’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)He said he’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)She promised she’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)Indirect speech: changes to pronounsChanges to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.directindirect‘I don’t want to shock people,’ Tom said.Tom said he didn’t want to shock people.different speakers (I changes to he)‘I’ll look after Toby,’ I said.I said I would look after Toby.same speaker (no change)‘You need to be here at nine o’clock,’ George told Beatrice.George told Beatrice she needed to be there at nine o’clock.different speakers (you changes to she)‘I hope you will join us tonight,’ I said to James.I told James I hoped he would join us that night.same speaker (no change to I; you changes to he)Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstrativesWe often change demonstratives (this, that) and adverbs of time and place (now, here, today, etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.Comparedirect speechindirect speechI said, ‘I’ll meet you here tomorrow.’I told her I would meet her there the next/following day.She said, ‘I do not wish to discuss it at this moment in time.’She said she did not wish to discuss it at that moment in time.He said, “I want it now.”He said he wanted it then/at that moment.‘I finished the job three weeks ago,’ the boy protested.The boy protested that he had finished the job three weeks before.Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressionsdirectindirectthis→thatthese→thosenow→thenyesterday→the day beforetomorrow→the next/following daytwo weeks ago→two weeks beforehere→thereIndirect speech: typical errorsThe word order in indirect reports of wh-questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:She always asks me where [S] [V]I am going.Not: She always asks me where am I going.We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh-questions:I asked him what he was doing.Not: I asked him what he was doing?
Write one example of every type of sentence, both in Direct and Reported Speech and give a short explanation of the Word Changes.
REPORTED SPEECHA) Podemos contar lo que alguien dijo de dos maneras: 1. Repitiendo sus palabras exactas, es decir, empleando el estilo directo. - “I have to go now,” she said. - “We lived in Paris for three years,” Peter said. 2. Contando la idea, pero no las palabras exactas, que es el “estilo indirecto”. - She said (that) she had to go. - Peter told us (that) they had lived in Paris for three years. B) En el estilo directo se utilizan comillas y mayúsculas al empezar la cita, pero en el estilo indirecto: 1. No hay comillas. 2. La frase se suele introducir con verbos como: say, tell, ask, advise, explain, order, etc, que se llaman reporting verbs. 3. El tiempo de la narración da una especie de “salto atrás” si el verbo que lo introduce va en pasado. 4. Las palabras que indican lugar o tiempo, los pronombres personales y posesivos, los demostrativos, etc, cambian lógicamente. 5. Las preguntas dejan de serlo.