REPORTED SPEECH
Look at the following sentences.
My friend' said, "I am going tomorrow."
Alice said, "I know him well."
Tom said to me, "I will meet you here."
The sentences above report the speaker's exact words.
The first sentence, for example, reports the words of my friend. These words have been put into inverted commas. This is one way of reporting a speech. This is called Direct Speech or Direct Reporting. But this is a way not commonly used in spoken language.
Now look at these sentences:
My friend said that he was going the next day.
Alice said that she knew him well.
Tom said to me that he would meet me there.
The sentences above also report the speakers' words, but without using their exact words. Here we faithfully give the substance of the words used by the speaker. This is called Indirect Reporting or Reported Speech. No inverted commas are used here. This method of reporting is normally used in everyday conversation. Most of the time we are either reporting a speech to others or hearing others report to us.
An incorrect or an ambiguous reporting can often lead to
misunderstanding, and worse.
Hence the need to learn to report conversation correctly and faithfully.
Changes Necessary in Indirect Speech.
We make several changes while turning direct speech into indirect speech.
Look at the following sentences:
George said, "I like him." Direct.
George said that he liked him. Indirect.
Note that while the direct speech is enclosed within inverted commas, the indirect speech is not. Also, there is no comma separating the reporting verb (said) from the reported speech (that he liked him).
(A) TENSE CHANGES
We have used the simple present tense in direct speech here and the simple past in indirect speech.
There are two rules for change of tenses.
You have already studied them under the Sequence of Tenses. To repeat.
(A) TENSE CHANGES
We have used the simple present tense in direct speech here and the simple past in indirect speech.
There are two rules for change of tenses.
You have already studied them under the Sequence of Tenses. To repeat.
RULE1.
If the tense in the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense in the reported speech will also be in one or the other form of the past tense.
We must change,
Simple present to Simple past (except in the case of universal truths, habits etc.)
Present continuous to Past continuous.
Present perfect to Past perfect.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous.
Simple past to past perfect( there are some
exceptions).
Past continuous to past perfect continuous.
MODAL AUXILIARIES
We must change,
Simple present to Simple past (except in the case of universal truths, habits etc.)
Present continuous to Past continuous.
Present perfect to Past perfect.
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous.
Simple past to past perfect( there are some
exceptions).
Past continuous to past perfect continuous.
MODAL AUXILIARIES
Will, can, may etc. are put in their past form would. could, might etc. But remember that Past Perfect in direct speech remains Past perfect in indirect speech.
Direct Indirect
Direct George said, "I like him." George said that he liked him
(Simple present) simple present
The teacher said, The teacher said that the
no change in tense sun is a star.
"The sun is a star." ( universal truth hence no change)
no change in tense)
(Simple present).
He said, "I am going tomorrow." He said that he was going
(Simple Present continuous) next day. ( P.AST CONT.)
She said, "He has come." she said she had come
( present perfect ) ( Past perfect)
They said, " we have been they said that they had been
working since morning." Working since morning
(Present Perfect continuous) (Past perfect continuous)
He said to me, "The gentle he told me that the. gentleman in white was my brother
man in white was my. ( no change in past tense )
brother." (Past tense)
He said, "I knew him." He said he had known him
(Past tense) (Past perfect)
She said, "I was writing. She said she been writing
letters all the morning." letters all the morning
(Past continuous) ( Past perfect continuous)
The teacher said, " the teacher said that the school
The school will open on the would open on 16th
16th." (Future) (future in the past)
She said, "I shall leave tomorrow". She said that she would
leave the following day.
He said, "I can wait." He said that he could wait
He said to me, "You may go" he said to me that I might go
The boy said, "I must go now. The boy said he had to go
(Compulsion at the time of
speaking)
He said, "I must go tomorrow." He said he would have to
the following day
(Compulsion in the future)
He said to us, he said to us you obey
"You must obey the traffic laws." The traffic laws.
(Permanent command) ( no change)
He said to me, "The gentle he told me that the. gentleman in white was my brother
man in white was my. ( no change in past tense )
brother." (Past tense)
He said, "I knew him." He said he had known him
(Past tense) (Past perfect)
She said, "I was writing. She said she been writing
letters all the morning." letters all the morning
(Past continuous) ( Past perfect continuous)
The teacher said, " the teacher said that the school
The school will open on the would open on 16th
16th." (Future) (future in the past)
She said, "I shall leave tomorrow". She said that she would
leave the following day.
He said, "I can wait." He said that he could wait
He said to me, "You may go" he said to me that I might go
The boy said, "I must go now. The boy said he had to go
(Compulsion at the time of
speaking)
He said, "I must go tomorrow." He said he would have to
the following day
(Compulsion in the future)
He said to us, he said to us you obey
"You must obey the traffic laws." The traffic laws.
(Permanent command) ( no change)
(B) CHANGE IN ADVERBS OF PLACE AND TIME
The following adverbs expressing nearness of place or time are often changed into those expressing distance or remoteness.
Here to there now to then
This to that yesterday to the day before
These to those tomorrow to the next day or the following day
Tonight to that night
Last to the previous night
Next week to the following week, ago to before.
(C) CHANGE OF PERSON
(i) Look at the following sentences
Direct: He said, " I don't know the place ".
Indirect: He said that he didn't know the place
Here the I of the spoken sentence stands for the speaker.
He, so I changes to he in the indirect speech.
Now look at the sentences.
Direct: she said to the boys " I can't come to your meeting this evening.
Direct: he said to me " I will not give you my book"
Indirect: he told me that he would not give me his book.
In the first sentence, the 'I' of the spoken sentence is changed to she because she is the speaker.
In the second sentence I is changed to he and my I'd changed to his because he is the speaker. In other words, the first person pronouns ( I, we, me, us) and possessive (my, our, mine, ours) change to the pronoun and possessive of the same person as that of the speaker ( or the subject of the reporting verb).
(ii)look the following sentences
1.
Direct: she said to the boy, " I can't come to your meeting this evening "
Indirect she said to the boy that she couldn't come to their meeting
2.
Direct: he said to me, " You must finish your work today".
Indirect: he said to me that I had to finish my work that day.
3.
The manager said to us, " You will get your salaries on Monday "
Indirect: the manager told us that we would get our salaries on Monday.
4.
Direct: He said to you, " you are afraid of your wife"
Indirect: he said to you that you were afraid of your wife.
In the direct speech sentences above the second person pronouns and possessive refer to the person addressed or the object of the reporting verb.
So in indirect speech you or your changes according to the person addressed. In the first sentence, Your refers to the boys'. So in indirect speech your meeting is changed to their meeting.
In sentence 2, you and your are changed to I and my respectively the person addressed is me. In short, second person pronouns (you) and possessives (your, yours) change to the pronoun of the person addressed.
(iii) Look at the following sentences:
Direct:
He said to me, "He works in an office."
Indirect:
He said to me that he worked in an office.
Direct:
The teacher said to Tom, "They shouldn't miss their classes."
Indirect:
The teacher said to Tom that they shouldn't miss their classes.
Direct:
He said to me," "She showed them her paintings."
Indirect:
He said to me that she had showed them her paintings.
Note that in the sentences given above the third person pronouns (he, she,they) and possessives (their) remain unchanged in indirect speech.
In sentence 2, you and your are changed to I and my respectively the person addressed is me. In short, second person pronouns (you) and possessives (your, yours) change to the pronoun of the person addressed.
(iii) Look at the following sentences:
Direct:
He said to me, "He works in an office."
Indirect:
He said to me that he worked in an office.
Direct:
The teacher said to Tom, "They shouldn't miss their classes."
Indirect:
The teacher said to Tom that they shouldn't miss their classes.
Direct:
He said to me," "She showed them her paintings."
Indirect:
He said to me that she had showed them her paintings.
Note that in the sentences given above the third person pronouns (he, she,they) and possessives (their) remain unchanged in indirect speech.
RULE2.
If the reporting verb is in the present tense or in the future tense, the tense of the reported speech remains unchanged.
Examples
Direct:
She says, " I am sorry I can't do anything ".
She will say, " I was not well".
She will say, " I have not received the letter "
Indirect:
She says, that she is sorry she can't do anything.
She will say, that she was not well.
She will say, that she has not received the letter.
REPORTING STATEMENTS
Examples
Direct:
She says, " I am sorry I can't do anything ".
She will say, " I was not well".
She will say, " I have not received the letter "
Indirect:
She says, that she is sorry she can't do anything.
She will say, that she was not well.
She will say, that she has not received the letter.
REPORTING STATEMENTS
All the sentences that we have taken as examples so far are statements. And we have discussed the various changes necessary in turning them into indirect speech. One or two things, however, remain to be told.
(a) Use of the connective 'that'
The connective that is placed
immediately after the reporting verb.
Examples:
Direct
He said, "I am not interested in games."
Indirect: He said that he was not interested in games."
However, the conjunction is not essential and could be omitted.
(b) Use of the reporting verbs say and tell
immediately after the reporting verb.
Examples:
Direct
He said, "I am not interested in games."
Indirect: He said that he was not interested in games."
However, the conjunction is not essential and could be omitted.
(b) Use of the reporting verbs say and tell
The reporting verb say is changed to tell in indirect or reported speech only if there is an object after it.
Examples:
Direct:
He said, "I have already read the book."
Indirect:
He said that he had already read the book.
We can't say, he told that he had already read the book.
Direct:
He said to her, "You are looking pretty."
Indirect:
He told her that she was looking pretty.
We could also say,
He said to her that she was looking pretty.
We use other verbs also as reporting verbs to convey the meaning of the spoken words faithfully. Some of these verbs are: announce, declare, state, inform, explain, admit, confess, assume, deny, assert, protest, reply, assume, propose.
Examples:
Direct:
The Principal said in the meeting, "There will be a holiday tomorrow."
Indirect:
The Principal announced in the meeting that there would be a holiday the next day.
Direct:
The Minister said at a public meeting, "We will remove
poverty in ten years."
Indirect:
The Minister declared at a public meeting that they would remove poverty in ten years.
Examples:
Direct:
He said, "I have already read the book."
Indirect:
He said that he had already read the book.
We can't say, he told that he had already read the book.
Direct:
He said to her, "You are looking pretty."
Indirect:
He told her that she was looking pretty.
We could also say,
He said to her that she was looking pretty.
We use other verbs also as reporting verbs to convey the meaning of the spoken words faithfully. Some of these verbs are: announce, declare, state, inform, explain, admit, confess, assume, deny, assert, protest, reply, assume, propose.
Examples:
Direct:
The Principal said in the meeting, "There will be a holiday tomorrow."
Indirect:
The Principal announced in the meeting that there would be a holiday the next day.
Direct:
The Minister said at a public meeting, "We will remove
poverty in ten years."
Indirect:
The Minister declared at a public meeting that they would remove poverty in ten years.
Direct: She said to her boss, "I have got another job and wish to resign."
Indirect:
She informed her boss that she had got another job and wished to resign.
Direct:
He said, "I have made a mistake."
Indirect: he admitted that he had made a mistake.
Direct:
The Minister said to the members in the Parliament, "The murderers will soon be arrested."
Indirect:
The Minister assured the members in the Parliament that the murderers would soon be arrested.
Direct:
The boy said, "I haven't broken the window pane."
Indirect:
The boy denied that he had broken the window pane.
(Note that the use of the reporting verb deny (= say that something is not true) takes care of the negative in the direct speech. It would be wrong to use not in the indirect speech.
Direct: The Chairman said, "The company should spend more money on advertising."
Indirect:
The Chairman proposed that the company should spend more money on advertising
Tags:
Grammar