Indirect speech, also known as reported speech or reported discourse, is a grammatical construction used to convey someone else’s words, thoughts, or ideas without directly quoting them. It is commonly used in English to report what someone said or thought, and it plays an essential role in conversation, storytelling, journalism, and various forms of writing. In this explanation, we will cover the basic principles and rules of indirect speech, provide example sentences, and guide you through the key aspects of this important aspect of English grammar.
What is Indirect Speech?
Indirect speech allows us to relay information about someone’s words or thoughts by transforming direct speech into a reported form. Instead of quoting the exact words, we convey the meaning or content of the original speech. It is important to note that when using indirect speech, we usually shift verb tenses, pronouns, time expressions, and adverbs to match the context of reporting.
Changing Verb Tenses
When converting direct speech to indirect speech, one of the key changes involves the verb tenses. The general rule is to shift the verb tenses back in time. Let’s consider some examples:
Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam,” she said.
Indirect speech: She said she was studying for her exam.
In the example above, the present continuous tense “am studying” is changed to the past continuous tense “was studying” because we are reporting something that happened in the past.
Direct speech: “I will meet you tomorrow,” he said.
Indirect speech: He said he would meet me the next day.
Here, the future tense “will meet” becomes the future in the past tense “would meet” to reflect that the original statement was made in the past.
Changing Pronouns
Another important aspect of indirect speech is the transformation of pronouns. We need to adjust the pronouns to match the perspective of the reporting person or entity. Here are a few examples:
Direct speech: “I love this song,” Lisa said.
Indirect speech: Lisa said she loved that song.
In this case, the first-person pronoun “I” is changed to the third-person pronoun “she” because the speaker is reporting what Lisa said.
Direct speech: “We need to finish the project,” they said.
Indirect speech: They said they needed to finish the project.
Here, the pronoun “we” is transformed into “they” to maintain consistency in the reported speech.
Changing Time Expressions and Adverbs
When reporting someone’s words or thoughts, it is necessary to modify time expressions and adverbs to accurately convey the context. Let’s look at a couple of examples:
Direct speech: “I saw him yesterday,” Sarah said.
Indirect speech: Sarah said she had seen him the previous day.
In this example, the time expression “yesterday” is changed to “the previous day” to match the past tense context.
Direct speech: “I can’t come today,” Tom said.
Indirect speech: Tom said he couldn’t come that day.
Here, the adverb “today” is altered to “that day” to reflect the change in the temporal perspective.
Reporting Questions and Imperatives
When reporting questions, we often introduce reporting verbs such as “ask” or “inquire” and use the word “if” or “whether” to indicate that it is a question. Imperatives, on the other hand, are usually reported using verbs like “tell” or “ask” followed by an infinitive form of the verb. Consider the following examples:
Direct speech: “Where are you going?” he asked.
Indirect speech: He asked where I was going.
In this case, the question “Where are you going?” is transformed into a reported question using the reporting verb “ask” and rearranging the word order.
Direct speech: “Please close the door,” she said.
Indirect speech: She asked me to close the door.
Here, the imperative “close the door” is reported by using the reporting verb “ask” and changing it to an infinitive form with the pronoun “me.”
Indirect speech plays a crucial role in effective communication, enabling us to accurately report what others have said or thought while maintaining grammatical coherence. By following the rules outlined above, you can confidently use indirect speech in your spoken and written English. Practice and exposure to various examples will help you become more proficient in utilizing indirect speech in different contexts.
Quick quiz
Exercise 1:
Instructions: Choose the correct indirect speech transformation for each direct speech sentence.
Direct speech: “I am going to the party,” she said.
a) She said she is going to the party.
b) She said she was going to the party.
c) She said she had gone to the party.
Answer: b) She said she was going to the party.
Explanation: The verb tense should be shifted back in time when transforming direct speech into indirect speech. In this case, the present continuous tense “am going” is changed to the past continuous tense “was going.”
Example sentence: She said she was going to the party, not realizing it had been canceled.
Exercise 2:
Instructions: Choose the appropriate pronoun transformation for each direct speech sentence.
Direct speech: “We won the game,” they said.
a) They said we won the game.
b) They said they won the game.
c) They said we win the game.
Answer: b) They said they won the game.
Explanation: Pronouns need to be adjusted to match the perspective of the reporting person or entity. In this case, the pronoun “we” is changed to “they” to maintain consistency in the reported speech.
Example sentence: They said they won the game and celebrated their victory.
Exercise 3:
Instructions: Select the correct transformation for the time expression or adverb in each direct speech sentence.
Direct speech: “I saw her yesterday,” he said.
a) He said he saw her the previous day.
b) He said he has seen her yesterday.
c) He said he had seen her tomorrow.
Answer: a) He said he saw her the previous day.
Explanation: Time expressions and adverbs need to be modified to accurately convey the context. In this case, the time expression “yesterday” is changed to “the previous day” to match the past tense context.
Example sentence: He said he saw her the previous day when they went to the park.
Exercise 4:
Instructions: Determine the appropriate indirect speech transformation for each question.
Direct speech: “Are you coming with us?” she asked.
a) She asked if I come with them.
b) She asked if I was coming with them.
c) She asked if I had come with them.
Answer: b) She asked if I was coming with them.
Explanation: When reporting questions, we often introduce reporting verbs like “ask” or “inquire” and use the word “if” or “whether” to indicate that it is a question.
Example sentence: She asked if I was coming with them, wondering if I had made other plans.
Exercise 5:
Instructions: Select the appropriate transformation for each imperative sentence.
Direct speech: “Please close the window,” he said.
a) He asked me to close the window.
b) He said to me to close the window.
c) He requested to close the window.
Answer: a) He asked me to close the window.
Explanation: Imperatives are usually reported using verbs like “ask” or “tell” followed by an infinitive form of the verb.
Example sentence: He asked me to close the window as it was getting chilly inside.
Exercise 6:
Instructions: Choose the correct indirect speech transformation for each direct speech sentence.
Direct speech: “I have finished my homework,” she said.
a) She said she finished her homework.
b) She said she had finished her homework.
c) She said she finishes her homework.
Answer: b) She said she had finished her homework.
Explanation: The verb tense should be shifted back in time when transforming direct speech into indirect speech. In this case, the present perfect tense “have finished” is changed to the past perfect tense “had finished.”
Example sentence: She said she had finished her homework and was ready to watch a movie.
Exercise 7:
Instructions: Determine the appropriate pronoun transformation for each direct speech sentence.
Direct speech: “I will call you later,” he said.
a) He said he would call me later.
b) He said he calls me later.
c) He said he will call me later.
Answer: a) He said he would call me later.
Explanation: Pronouns need to be adjusted to match the perspective of the reporting person or entity. In this case, the pronoun “I” is changed to “he” and the future tense “will call” is changed to “would call.”
Example sentence: He said he would call me later to discuss the upcoming meeting.
Exercise 8:
Instructions: Select the correct transformation for the time expression or adverb in each direct speech sentence.
Direct speech: “I visited Paris last year,” she said.
a) She said she visited Paris the previous year.
b) She said she has visited Paris last year.
c) She said she had visited Paris the next year.
Answer: a) She said she visited Paris the previous year.
Explanation: Time expressions and adverbs need to be modified to accurately convey the context. In this case, the time expression “last year” is changed to “the previous year” to match the past tense context.
Example sentence: She said she visited Paris the previous year and had an amazing time exploring the city.
Exercise 9:
Instructions: Determine the appropriate indirect speech transformation for each question.
Direct speech: “Are you ready for the presentation?” he asked.
a) He asked if I am ready for the presentation.
b) He asked if I was ready for the presentation.
c) He asked if I have been ready for the presentation.
Answer: b) He asked if I was ready for the presentation.
Explanation: When reporting questions, we often introduce reporting verbs like “ask” or “inquire” and use the word “if” or “whether” to indicate that it is a question.
Example sentence: He asked if I was ready for the presentation and reminded me to double-check my slides.
Exercise 10:
Instructions: Select the appropriate transformation for each imperative sentence.
Direct speech: “Please bring me a glass of water,” she said.
a) She requested me to bring her a glass of water.
b) She asked me to bring her a glass of water, please.
c) She told me to bring her a glass of water, please.
Answer: a) She requested me to bring her a glass of water.
Explanation: Imperatives are usually reported using verbs like “ask,” “tell,” or “request” followed by an infinitive form of the verb.
Example sentence: She requested me to bring her a glass of water, as she was feeling thirsty.
Originally posted 2023-07-18 22:10:20.