Grammar Analysis

Reported or Indirect Speech

If we report what another person has said, we usually do not use the speakers exact words (direct speech), but reported (indirect) speech. Therefore, you need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different dependin on whether you want to transform a statement, !uestion or re!uest.

Statements
"hen transformin statements, check whether you ha#e to chan e$ pronouns place and time expressions tenses (backshift) S%% &%'("

Pronouns

In reported speech, you often ha#e to chan e the pronoun dependin on who says what.

Example She says, )My mum doesnt ha#e time today.* + She says that her mum doesnt ha#e time today.

Tenses

1. No backshift
,o not chan e the tense if the introductory clause is in Simple -resent (e. . .e says). /ote, howe#er, that you mi ht ha#e to chan e the form of the present tense #erb (0rd person sin ular).

Example .e says, )I speak %n lish.* + .e says that he speaks %n lish.

2. Backshift
1ou must chan e the tense if the introductory clause is in Simple -ast (e. . .e said). This is called backshift.

Example .e said, )I am happy.* + .e said that he was happy.

Prof. Mara Estela Medina Universidad Nacional de Crdoba

Grammar Analysis

Direct Speech
Simple -resent (I work) -resent -ro ressi#e (Im working) Simple -ast (I worked/went) -resent -erfect Simple (Ive worked/been) -ast -erfect Simple (I had worked/been -ast -ro ressi#e (I was reading) -resent -erfect -ro ressi#e (I have been reading)

Reporte

Speech

Simple -ast (He/she worked) -ast -ro ressi#e (He/she was working)

-ast -erfect Simple (He/she had worked/been)

-ast -erfect -ro ressi#e (He had been reading)

2uture )be oin to* (Im going to read) Simple 2uture (I will do it)

was 3 were oin to

4onditional (He/she would do it)

The #erbs could should would might must neednt ought to used to do not normally chan e.

Example! .e said, )She mi ht be ri ht.* + .e said that she mi ht be ri ht.

P!ace an

Time e"pressions

2or place and time expressions you ha#e to check whether place and time are the same in direct and reported speech or not. 4heck out the followin example$

It is 2riday and you meet 5ames at a restaurant. 5ames tells you that he saw 4aroline in this restaurant today. ()I saw 4aroline here today.*) 6 few minutes later, .elen 7oins you and you want to report what 5ames has told you. -lace (here) and time (today) are the same and you can say$ 5ames said that he had seen 4aroline here today. Prof. Mara Estela Medina Universidad Nacional de Crdoba

Grammar Analysis

(ne day later, you meet 8ary at the same restaurant. 6 ain, you want to report to her what 5ames has told you. The place is the same, but not the time (it happened yesterday). So you would say$ 5ames said that he had seen 4aroline here yesterday.

Still a few days later, Tom rin s you at home. 6 ain, you want to report to him what 5ames has told you. .owe#er, now you are not at the restaurant (but at home) and a few days ha#e passed since then. So you would say$ 5ames said that he had seen 4aroline at the restaurant on 2riday.

I met 5ames in a restaurant on 2riday and he said that he had seen 4aroline there that day.

Therefore you always ha#e to think which place and time expressions are lo ical in a certain situation. In the followin table, you will find ways of transformin place and time expressions into reported speech.

,irect Speech
today now yesterday 9 days a o last week next year tomorrow here this these

Reported Speech
that day then the day before 9 days before the week before the followin year the next day 3 the followin day there that those

Prof. Mara Estela Medina Universidad Nacional de Crdoba