english grammar indirect speech

Group 1 Topic Indirect speech Members: • Nguyễn Lê Minh Anh • Nguyễn Mai Anh • Trần Ngọc Ánh • Nguyễn Thị Mai Anh • Ngô Thị Vân Anh Nguyễn Lê Minh Anh II.1 Definition and Comparison Nguy

Group 1 Topic Indirect speech Members:

• Nguyễn Lê Minh Anh

• Nguyễn Mai Anh

• Trần Ngọc Ánh

• Nguyễn Thị Mai Anh

• Ngô Thị Vân Anh

Nguyễn Lê Minh Anh

II.1 Definition and Comparison Nguyễn Mai Anh

II.2 Reported Statement Ngô Thị Vân Anh II.3 Reported Question

Trần Ngọc Ánh

II.4 Reported Request and Order Nguyễn Thị Vân Anh

II.5 Other transformations and Place, demonstratives and time expressions

I. Introduction:

The urgency of the subject indirect speech

II. Development:

II.1 Definition and Comparison

II.1.1 Definition

II.1.2 Comparison

II.2 Reported Statement

II.2.1 How to change direct statements into reported statements II.2.2 Example and special cases

II.3 Reported Question

II.3.1 How to change “Wh” question

II.3.2 Example

II.3.3 How to change “ Yes/No” question

II.3.4 Example

II.4 Reported Request and Order

II.4.1 How to change direct requests into reported requests

II.4.2 Example

II.4.3 How to change direct orders into reported orders

II.4.4 Example

II.4.5 Other situation

II.5 Other transformations and Place, demonstratives and time expressions II.5.1 Other transformations

II.5.2 Place, demonstratives and time expressions

III. Conclusion

I. Introduction:

Languages are natural forms of communication children quickly learn to communicate using their native language, and soon master the main rules of grammar or syntax without being taught

Indeed, we cannot communicate efficiently if we do not master the essential principles of grammar or syntax If we imagine language as a big highway, the words are the cars and trucks, but the grammar is the road signs and markings that tell the cars and lorries where to go and how to drive Without road signs, a big highway would quickly descend into total confusion Without any grammar,

we could manage to produce some sort of elementary communication, such as

"Me Tarzan, you Jane", but we would be unable to form any more complex ideas into words It follows, therefore, that mastering the essential rules of grammar is

a vital skill that needs to be acquired by all learners of any language - whether it

be their native language or a foreign language

For that reason, today, group 1 wants to present you a very important part in English known as Indirect speech or reported speech since indirect speech used frequently from everyday communication to academic writing

II. Development:

II.1 Definition and Comparison:

II.1.1 Definition:

Indirect speech, also known as reported speech or indirect discourse, is a

means of expressing the content of statements, questions or other utterances, without quoting them explicitly as is done in direct speech So when do we use reported speech? Sometimes someone says a sentence, for example "I'm going to the cinema tonight" Later, maybe we want to tell someone else what the first person said Because of that reason, reported speech is used when you tell somebody else what you or a person said before

In grammar, indirect speech often makes use of certain syntactic structures such

as content clauses ("that" clauses, such as (that) he was coming), and sometimes infinitive phrases References to questions in indirect speech frequently take the form of interrogative content clauses, also called indirect questions (such as

whether he was coming).

In indirect speech certain grammatical categories are changed relative to the words of the original sentence.[1] For example, person may change as a result of a

change of speaker or listener (as I changes to he in the example above) In some

languages, including English, the tense of verbs is often changed – this is often called sequence of tenses Some languages have a change of mood: Latin

switches from indicative to the infinitive (for statements) or the subjunctive (for questions).[2]

When written, indirect speech is not normally enclosed in quotation marks or any similar typographical devices for indicating that a direct quotation is being made However such devices are sometimes used to indicate that the indirect speech is a faithful quotation of someone's words (with additional devices such as square brackets and ellipses to indicate deviations or omissions from those words), as in

He informed us that "after dinner [he] would like to make an announcement".

II.1.2 Comparison:

Direct speech is when we report what someone says by repeating the exact words In writing, we use inverted commas:

David: I have to talk to you about something (original statement)

"I have to talk to you about something," said David (direct speech)

Indirect speech (also called reported speech) is when we give the same meaning

of what someone says without repeating the exact words In this case, we do not use inverted commas and certain changes may be necessary:

David: I have to talk to you about something (original statement)

David said he had to talk to me about something (indirect speech)

She says: "I like tuna fish." She says that she likes tuna fish

She said: "I'm visiting Paris next

weekend"

She said that she was visiting Paris the following weekend

II.2 Reported Statement:

II.2.1 How to change direct statements into reported statements:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell' If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy We just put 'she/he says' and then the sentence:

Direct speech: I like ice cream

Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she or he', for example We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'

As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'

But, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in

the reported speech, for example:

Direct speech: I like ice cream

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

II.2.2 Example and special cases:

Some tenses and some modal verbs like could, should, would, might, needn't,

ought to, used to do not normally change.

present

simple I like ice cream

She said (that) she liked ice

cream

present

continuous

I am living in

London

She said (that) she was living in

London

past simple I bought a car She said (that) she had bought a

car

past

continuous I was walking alongthe street She said (that) she had been walking along the street.

present

perfect I haven't seen Julie She said (that) she hadn't seen Julie

Conditional

(would+verb) He said: "I would buy Mercedes if I

were rich"

He said that he would buy Mercedes if he had been rich"

past perfect* I had taken English

lessons before

She said (that) she had taken

English lessons before

will I will see you later She said (that) she would see me

later

would* I would help, but She said (that) she would help

but

can I can speak perfect

English

She said (that) she could speak

perfect English

could* I could swim when Iwas four She said (that) she could swim when she was four. shall I shall come later She said (that) she would come later.

should* I should call my

mother

She said (that) she should call

her mother might* "I might be late" She said (that) she might be late

must "I must study at the weekend"

She said (that) she must study at

the weekend OR She said she

had to study at the weekend

Occasionally, we don't need to change the present tense into the past if the information in direct speech is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense):

Direct speech: The sky is blue

Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

II.3 Reported Question:

II.3.1 How to change “Wh” question:

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences But how about questions?

Direct speech: "Where do you live?"

How can we make the reported speech here?

In fact, it's not so different from reported statements The tense changes are the same, and we keep the question word The very important thing though is that, once we tell the question to someone else, it isn't a question any more So we need to change the grammar to a normal positive sentence A bit confusing? Maybe this example will help:

Direct speech: "Where do you live?"

Reported speech: She asked me where I lived

The direct question is in the present simple tense We make a present simple question with 'do' or 'does' so you need to take that away Then you need to change the verb to the past simple

Another example:

Direct speech: "where is Julie?"

Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was

The direct question is the present simple of 'be' We make the question form of the present simple of be by inverting (changing the position of) the subject and verb So, we need to change them back before putting the verb into the past simple

II.3.2 Example:

Where is the Post Office, please? She asked me where the Post Office was What are you doing? She asked me what I was doing

Who was that fantastic man? She asked me who that fantastic man had

been

Note: We may see people use a phrase like Could you tell me or Do you know to

ask information in polite way, for example:

“ Could you tell me where the bus stop is?”

This question has its root from the “wh” question “where is the bus stop” To report this kind of question, we use ask and change the tense:

“I ask her where the bus stop was”

II.3.3 How to change “ Yes/No” question:

what if you need to report a 'yes / no' question? We don't have any question

words to help us Instead, we use 'if':

Direct speech: "Do you like chocolate?"

Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

II.3.4 Example:

Do you love me? He asked me if I loved him

Have you ever been to Mexico? She asked me if I had ever been to Mexico

Are you living here? She asked me if I was living here

II.4 Reported Request and Order:

II.4.1 How to change direct requests into reported requests:

What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: "Close the window, please"

• Or: "Could you close the window please?"

• Or: "Would you mind closing the window please?"

All of these requests mean the same thing, so we don't need to report every word

when we tell another person about it We simply use 'ask somebody + to +

infinitive':

• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window

To report a negative request, use 'not':

• Direct speech: "Please don't be late."

• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

II.4.2 Example:

II.4.3 How to change direct orders into reported orders:

And finally, how about if someone doesn't ask so politely? We can call this an 'order' in English, when someone tells you very directly to do something For example:

• Direct speech: "Sit down!"

In fact, we make this into reported speech in the same way as a request We just use 'tell' instead of 'ask':

• Reported speech: She told me to sit down

II.4.4 Example:

Direct Request

Please help me

Please don't smoke

Could you pass the milk, please?

Go to bed He told the child to go to bed.

Don't worry! He told her not to worry

Be on time! He told me to be on time

Don't smoke! He told us not to smoke

II.4.5: Other situation:

There are some other verbs that are also used to make order like:

• Warn, order, advise, encourage, remind, persuade These word are

followed by an object + to + infinitive:

“I think you should marry her”

 He advised me to marry her

• Offer, refuse, promise are followed by to+ infinitive:

“We will make a discount”

 They promise to make a discount

• Admit, deny, apologize for must be followed by the ing form:

“ I don’t break the vase”

 He denied breaking the vase

You also need to bear in mind the difference between say and tell We say

something and we tell somebody.

I said you couldn’t do it, but I was wrong

I told you that you couldn’t do it, but I was wrong

There is one more point is we can use to after say but we can’t use to between

tell and the object.

I said to her that I had seen her ex boyfriend the previous day

II.5 Other transformations and Place, demonstratives and time expressions: II.5.1 Other transformations:

Everything has its own exception, so does indirect speech These are some notices that you should remember in order to have good marks:

• Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are usually reported

using advise / urge.

Example:

“You must read this book.“

He advised / urged me to read that book

• The expression let’s is usually reported using suggest In this case, there

are two possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with should.

Example:

“Let’s go to the cinema.“

1 He suggested going to the cinema

2 He suggested that we should go to the cinema

• Main clauses connected with and/but

If two complete main clauses are connected with ‚and or ‚but, put ‚that

after the conjunction

He said: “I saw her but she didn't see me.“ – He said that he had seen her

but that she hadn't seen him.“

If the subject is dropped in the second main clause (the conjunction is

followed by a verb), do not use ‚that‘.

Example:

She said: “I am a nurse and work in a hospital.“ – He said that she was a nurse and worked in a hospital.”

II.5.2 Place, demonstratives and time expressions:

We change direct speech into reported speech we have to change place, demonstratives and time expressions too We don't always have to do this, however It depends on when we heard the direct speech and when we say the reported speech

For example:

It's Monday Julie says "I'm leaving today".

If I tell someone on Monday, I say "Julie said she was leaving today".

If I tell someone on Tuesday, I say "Julie said she was leaving yesterday".

If I tell someone a month later, I say "Julie said she was leaving that day".

So, there's no easy conversion You really have to think about when the direct speech was said

Here's a table of some possible conversions:

Time Expressions

today now yesterday

… days ago last week next year tomorrow

Place

here

Demonstratives

this these

III. Conclusion:

In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to language learning but our group believe that mastering in the grammar can lead to the confidence in daily

communication Above is some characteristics and the usage of direct speech Hope that it will improve your English grammar and male you feel that learning English is just like a piece of cake