REPORTED SPEECH If I had to tell someone what Guille is asking, I would have two options: 1. I could use the same words (direct speech) Guille asked: “Do you want to help me with my homework?” 2. I could keep the meaning by using other words (Indirect or reported speech) Guille asked Mafalda if she wanted to help him with his homework. As you can see, in reported speech there are some changes which are: Changes in verb tenses. When the reporting verb is present, the tenses used are the same as those in the speaker’s original words. For example, imagine that you are translating what another person is saying: “I don’t like vegetables” changes to He says he doesn’t like vegetables. However, when the reporting verb is in the past, the verbs in the sentence usually change to a “more past” tense. For example, Nick said: “I have finished my composition” changes to Nick said that he had finished his composition” Look at the following chart to see more changes. Direct speech Indirect speech Present simple or continuous Past simple or continuous Past simple or perfect Past perfect Past continuous Past perfect continuous Shall / Will Should / Would Can Could May Might Must Had to Note: the past perfect and the modals should, would, could, might, had to, and ought to do not change in reported speech. Changes in time and place. Imagine a phone conversation between Mafalda and her mother. Mafalda says: “I don’t like to be here. I want to go home tomorrow”. Later, Mafalda’s father asks his wife about his daughter and she reports the conversation: She said that she didn’t like to be there and she wanted to come home the next day. Notice also that the verb go has changed to come because the context in which the words were spoken has changed. Look at the following chart Direct speech Indirect speech Today That day Tomorrow The next day / the following day Yesterday The previous day / the day before Two days ago Two days before / two days earlier Now Then Here There come Go Changes in Pronouns and possessives When you are reporting what another person says, all the pronouns referring to the first and second person also change. For example Dories asked me: “Do you understand me?”. Dories asked me if I understood her. Look at the chart for other changes Determiners This That / the These Those / the Possessive adjectives My Her / his Our their There are other changes when we report questions. a- The order of the words. From a question to a simple sentence. The teacher: ‘Where do you live, Mary?’ changes to: The teacher asked Mary where she lived. b. Yes/no questions are introduced by if or whether. Sue asked: “Do you like spagetti?” changes to Sue asked if I liked spaghetti. c. Wh-questions keep the interrogative word. Helen asked Sam: “Where will you go on holiday?” changes to Helen asked Sam where he would go on holiday. d- Orders, requests and advice are reported by using an infinitive. The teacher said: “Complete this!” changes to The teacher told Mafalda to complete that. The verb suggest can either be followed by a gerund or a that-construction: “Let’s go to the cinema tonight”, Tom suggested can be changed to Tom suggested going to the cinema that night or Tom suggested that we (should) go to the cinema that night. Notice that the verb should can be omitted with no change of meaning.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:27:54 +0000
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