Using Indirect Speech

Lecture 2: Reporting Statements – Modifying the Verb   As we already know, direct speech uses the exact words that came out of the original speaker’s mouth. Indirect speech, however, adapts the words a little bit while still keeping the same meaning as the original statement. Therefore, to use indirect speech correctly, it is important to know how to adapt the original statement while still keeping its meaning. There are several things you may need to do when reporting the words of another speaker:   Add a word or phrase that introduces the indirect speech and connects it to the rest of the sentence. That is often used to provide this service when you are reporting statements. Change the tense of the verb. Change any personal pronoun references. Change any time references.   Look at the example below and notice all of these changes:   Grammar Professor: “Tomorrow we are going to start studying reported speech.” Indirect Speech: The grammar professor said that the next day they were going to start studying reported speech.   That   When we report statements, we commonly use that after the verb said (or some other similar verb of communication) to introduce the actual reported speech. Including that in reported speech is sometimes optional, however. Let’s look at some examples taken from the children’s story about the three bears:   Papa Bear suggested that the bears should take a walk while their porridge cooled. Mama Bear replied that she like Papa Bear’s idea. Baby Bear said that he wanted to take his tricycle. Goldilocks complained that the porridge was too hot.   Verbs   Now let’s look at how (and when) we need to modify the tense of our verbs when reporting the words of another person. The sentences in the table below come from another popular fairy tale, the story of Cinderella. Study the table. Notice that sometimes it is not necessary to change the verb in indirect speech*.     Verb Direct Speech Indirect Speech  simple present ==> simple past   Cinderella’s stepsisters: “We are prettier than you are.” Cinderella’s stepsisters always told her that they were prettier than she was. present progressive ==> past progressive Cinderella’s stepmother: “The King is having a ball for his son, the Prince.” Cinderella’s stepmother told her daughters that the King was having a ball for his son, the Prince. simple past ==> past perfect My mother: “I did not like listening to this story as a child.” My mom told me that she had not liked listening to this story as a child. present perfect ==> past perfect Cinderella: “I have never been to a ball before.” Cinderella told her stepsisters that she had never been to a ball before. *past perfect ==> past perfect My sister: I had never seen the movie of Cinderella before last summer. My sister confided that she had never seen the movie of Cinderella before last summer. FUTURE FORMS will ==> would   The stepsisters: “You will not be able to go to the Prince’s ball.” The stepsisters told Cinderella that she would not be able to go to the Prince’s ball.   be going to ==> was/were going to The stepsisters: “We are going to go to the Prince’s ball.” The stepsisters told Cinderella that they were going to go to the Prince’s ball. MODALS can ==> could   The stepmother: “You can not go to the Prince’s ball.”   The stepmother told Cinderella that she could not go to the Prince’s ball.   may ==> might   Cinderella’s fairy godmother: “You may be able to go the Prince’s ball.”   Cinderella’s fairy godmother told her that she might be able to go to the Prince’s ball.   *might ==> might   Cinderella’s fairy godmother: “You might be able to go to the Prince’s ball.”   Cinderella’s fairy godmother told her that she might be able to go to the Prince’s ball.   must ==> had to   Cinderella’s fairy godmother: “You must be home by midnight.”   Cinderella’s fairy godmother told her that she had to be home by midnight.   have to ==> had to   Cinderella’s fairy godmother: “You have to pay attention to the time.”   Cinderella’s fairy godmother told her that she had to pay attention to the time.   *should ==> should   Cinderella’s fairy godmother: “You should try to dance with the Prince.” Cinderella’s fairy godmother told her that she should try to dance with the Prince.   *ought to ==> ought to Cinderella’s mouse friends: “You ought to see if your foot fits into the glass slipper.” Cinderella’s mouse friends told her that she ought to see if her foot fit into the glass slipper. imperative/command ==> infinitive (to + verb in simple form)   negative imperative/ command  ==> not + infinitive My daughter: “Tell me the story of Cinderella.”     My daughter: “Don’t leave out any details.” My daughter begged me to tell her the story of Cinderella.     My daughter reminded me not to leave out any details.

*Notice that sometimes it is not necessary to change the verb in indirect speech.