when we report what someone else has said we use the form of language called indirect or reported speech e g “lunch is ready” the actual words spoken direct speech “your mother told you lunch was re

Direct Speech Indirect Speech Past Formschange to Past Perfect Forms Past Simple E.g. “I met you when you were a student” Past Perfect[r]

INDIRECT SPEECH

WHEN WE REPORT WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS SAID, WE USE THE FORM OF

LANGUAGE CALLED INDIRECT OR REPORTED SPEECH

E.g: “Lunch is ready” the actual words spoken= Direct Speech

“Your mother told you lunch was ready ten minutes ago” the words reported=

indirect speech

Changing from direct to indirect speech

Direct SpeechIndirect SpeechPresent formschange toPast formsPresent Simple

E.g “I love you.”Past Simple

He told her that he loved herPresent Progressive E.g “Be quiet I´m talking on the phone.”Past Progressive She told us to be quiet because she was talking on the phonePresent Perfect

E.g “The rain has stopped.”

Past Perfect

He said that the rain had stopped.Present Perfect Progressive E.g “She´s been having a wonderful time in Italy”Past Perfect Progressive

Mary´s mother said she´d been having a wonderful time in Italy.

IMPORTANT: We don´t always have to change the verb from Present to Past

E.g “I love Jane” -Jim admitted that he loved Jane

loves

We can leave the verb in the Present form here because Jim probably still loves Jane at the

time when we are making the report

Notice that after tell we have to mention the person addressed: He told her

that, but after say we do not: He said that……

Direct SpeechIndirect SpeechPast Formschange toPast Perfect FormsPast Simple

E.g “I met you when you were a student”Past Perfect She told me she had met me when I was a student.Past Progressive E.g “I was driving carefully when the accident happened.”He told the police he had been driving carefully when the accident happened.Note: if a Past Perfect form occurs in direct speech, it does not

change in indirect speech:

“I phoned you yesterday to find out if my letter had arrived - He claimed that he had phoned the previous day to find out if his letter had arrived.

Modals

Direct SpeechIndirect SpeechWILL, CAN

MAY, SHALL E.g “I´ll meet you at 10”

“I can fly”

“What shall we give Bill?”

“The train may be late”change toWOULD, COULD

MIGHT, SHOULD

He promised that he would meet her at 10

He said he could fly

They asked what they should give Bill

She agreed that the train might be late.Note: if the modal auxiliaries MUST, OUGHT TO, USED TO occur

in direct speech they do not change in indirect speech

E.g “ You must relax” - The doctor said you must relax

“You ought to give up smoking” -The doctor said I ought to give up smoking

Other changes in indirect speech First and second person pronouns usually change to third person E.g “I like icecream” -He said he liked icecream

Other words which talk about here and now may change:

This -that These those Here there Now then Today that day Yesterday -the previous day Tomorrow -the next day