DIRECT SPEECH (Quoted Speech) & INDIRECT SPEECH (Reported Speech)

Meilani Yunda Pratiwi

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DIRECT SPEECH (Quoted Speech) &

INDIRECT SPEECH (Reported Speech)

           A.    GENERAL EXPLANATION OF DIRECT-INDIRECT

Words spoken by a person can be reported to another person in two ways. These two ways of narration are called direct speech and indirect speech.

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW, or telling someone later about a previous conversation. Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech or quoted speech.

Indirect speech is something that has been told by a person in the past wherein the tense usually change. Because when we use indirect speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past. The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too. Indirect speech or reported speech doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word.

Example:

·         Ray said, “I brought a rose yesterday”.

·         Ray said that he had bought a rose the day before.

Since the first sentence quotes the exact words of the speaker or the narrator without making any changes, it is known as Direct Speech. And in the second sentence where we do not actually quote the speaker but still express the same meaning as that of him, is known as Indirect or Reported Speech. As a rule when you report something, someone has said you go back in past tense.

Let us consider a few more examples:

·         Direct - Adam said, “I am going to Mosque”.

           Indirect - Adam said that he was going to Mosque.

·         Direct – Seo Jin said, “I was playing circus”.

           Indirect – Seo Jin said that he had been playing circus.

·         Direct - The teacher said,” The sun sets in the West”

           Indirect – The teacher said the sun sets in the West

·         Direct - Robin said, “I am suffering from cough.”

           Indirect – Robin said that he was suffering from cough.

          B.    REPORTING VERB/INTRODUCTORY VERB

A verb belonging to a class of verbs conveying the action of speaking and used with both direct and reported speech. Reporting verbs may also be used with a direct object and with an infinitive construction.

Some reporting verbs may appear in more than one of the following groups because they can be used in several ways.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY "IF" OR "WHETHER"

ask know remember

say see

             

            

VERBS FOLLOWED BY A "THAT"

add admit agree announce answer argue boast claim comment complain confirm consider deny

doubt estimate explain fear feel insist mention observe persuade propose remark remember repeat

reply report reveal say state suggest suppose tell think understand warn

VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER "THAT" OR AN INFINITIVE WITH "TO"

decide expect guarantee hope

promise swear threaten

VERBS FOLLOWED BY A "THAT" CLAUSE CONTAINING SHOULD, WHICH MAY BE OMITTED, LEAVING A SUBJECT + ZERO-INFINITIVE

advise beg demand

insist prefer propose

recommend request suggest

VERBS FOLLOWED BY A CLAUSE STARTING WITH A QUESTION WORD

decide describe discover discuss explain forget guess

imagine know learn realise remember reveal say

see suggest teach tell think understand wonder

VERBS FOLLOWED BY OBJECT + INFINITIVE WITH "TO"

advise ask beg command

forbid instruct invite

teach tell warn

       C.      KINDS OF DIRECT & INDIRECT SPEECH

DIRECT & INDIRECT:

a.   Affirmative

b.  Negative

c.   Question

When transforming statements, check whether we have to change:

·         pronouns

·         tense

·         place and time expression

1.     PRONOUNS

In reported speech, we often have to change the pronoun depending on who says what.

Example of Affirmative Sentence:

She says, “My dad likes Manchester United.” – She says that her dad likes MU.

2.     TENSES

·         If the sentence starts in the present, there is no backshift of tenses in reported speech.

·         If the sentence starts in the past, there is often backshift of tenses in reported speech.

	Direct speech	Reported speech
(no backshift)	“I write poems.”	He says that he writes poems.
(backshift)	“I write poems.”	He said that he wrote poems.

No backshift

Do not change the tense if the introductory clause is in a present tense (e. g. He says). Note, however, that you might have to change the form of the present tense verb (3rd person singular).

Example:
He says, “I write poems.” – He says that he writes English.

Backshift

You must change the tense if the introductory clause is in a past tense (e. g. He said).

Example:
He said, “I am happy.” – He said that he was happy.

Examples of the main changes in tense:

Direct Speech		Reported Speech
Simple Present He said: "I am happy"		Simple Past He said that he was happy
Present Progressive He said: "I'm looking for my keys"		Past Progressive He said that he was looking for his keys
Simple Past He said: "I visited New York last year"		Past Perfect Simple He said that he had visited New York the previous year.
Present Perfect  He said: " I've lived here for a long time "		Past Perfect  He said that he had lived there for a long time
Past Perfect  He said: "They had finished the work when Iarrived"		Past Perfect  He said that they had finished the work when he had arrived"
Past Progressive He said: "I was playing football when the accident occurred"		Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been playing football when the accident had occurred
Present Perfect Progressive He said:"I have been playing football for two hours."		Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been playing football for two hours
Past Perfect Progressive He said: "I had been reading a newspaper when the light went off"		Past Perfect Progressive He said that he had been reading a newspaper when the light had gone off
Future Simple (will+verb) He said: "I will open the door."		Conditional (would+verb) He said that he would open the door.
Conditional (would+verb) He said: "I would buy Mercedes if I were rich"		Conditional (would+verb) He said that he would buy Mercedes if he had beenrich"

The modal verbs could, should, would, might, needn't, ought to, used to do not normally change.

Example:
He said, "She might be right." – He said that she might be right.

Other modal verbs may change:

Modal	Direct speec	Repored speech
can	"I can do it."	He said he could do it.
may	"May I go out?"	He wanted to know if he might go out.
must	"She must apply for the job."	He said that she must/had to apply for the job.
will	"They will call you."	He tod her that they would call her.

Reported Speech negative - Present to Past - backshift

positive, Reported Speech negative, Reported Speech positive, Reported Speech negative, Reported Speech

Ann said that she wanted coke. Ann said that she didn`t want coke. Tom said that he was ill. Tom said that he wasn't ill.

 

                        Example:

-         “My father isn’t very well” =>  Rizky said that his father wasn’t very well.

3.     Place, demonstratives and time expressions

Place, demonstratives and time expressions change if the context of the reported statement (i.e. the location and/or the period of time) is different from that of the direct speech.

In the following table, you will find the different changes of place; demonstratives and time expressions.

We use reported speech to tell someone what another person said.

Jim says to you...	You tell your friend what Jim said...
‘I don't feel well.’ ‘I can't drive.’ ‘My parents have gone on holiday.’	Jim said (that) he didn't feel well. He said (that) he couldn't drive. He said (that) his parents had gone on holiday.

USES

A.    In reported speech, we usually report what was said at a different time, and so we change the tense to reflect the time which we are reporting:

DIRECT:   ‘I'm not playing football.’
REPORTED:   He said that he wasn't playing football.

         B. Sometimes we need to change the pronoun.

DIRECT:   Jim: ‘I don't like living somewhere.’ (Jim is referring to himself)
REPORTED:   Jim said (that) he didn't like living somewhere. (the pronoun he refers to Jim)

         C.  We may also need to change other words about place and time.

DIRECT:   ‘I like this car.’
REPORTED:   He said (that) he liked that car.

DIRECT:   ‘I went to Tokyo last week.’
REPORTED:   She said (that) she'd been to Tokyo the week before.

REPORTED QUESTION:

When transforming questions, check whether you have to change:

·         pronouns

·         place and time expressions

·         tenses (backshift)

Also note that you have to:

·         transform the question into an indirect question

·         use the question word (where, when, what, how) or if / whether

Types of questions	Direct speech	Reported speech
With question word (what, why, where, how...)	"Why" don’t you speak English?”	He asked me why I didn’t speak English.
Without question word (yes or no questions)	“Do you speak English?”	He asked me whether / if I spoke English.

           D.    IMPERATIVE

When transforming requests and commands, check whether we have to change:

·         pronouns

·         place and time expressions

Direct speech	Reported speech
“Ircham,do the exercise.“	She told Ircham to do the exercise.
"Ircham, give me your phone number, please."	She asked Ircham to give her his phone number.

Tenses are not relevant for requests – simply use to  / not to + verb (infinitive without "to")

Example

She said, “Sit down." - She asked me to sit down.

She said, "don't be lazy" - She asked me not to be lazy

For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to) For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).

             E.     EXERCISE

Exercise:   Change the following sentences from direct speech to reported speech!

Example:

Direct Speech:   Janet : "I play tennis every Saturday."
Reported Speech:   Janet said she played tennis every Saturday.

1.   Direct speech:   David : "There is an excellent band playing later on."

Reported Speech:   David said ___________________________.

2.   Direct speech:   Christine : "I saw Amy at the bank on Monday."

Reported Speech:   Christine said ___________________________.

3.   Direct speech:   The driver : "I'm going to turn right at the traffic lights."

Reported Speech:   The driver said ___________________________.

4.   Direct speech:   Jonathan: "I've returned the dictionary to the library".

Reported Speech:   Jonathan said ___________________________.

5.   Direct speech:   The doctor : "I'll send you the results as soon as they arrive."

Reported Speech:   The doctor said ___________________________.

6.   Direct speech:   Caroline : "Will you come to my party on Saturday?"

Reported Speech:   Caroline ___________________________.

7.   Direct speech:   Shop assistant: "Are you looking for something special?"

Reported Speech:   The shop assistant ___________________________.

8.   Direct speech:   Jack : "I'll lend you my grammar book if you think it will help.

Reported Speech:   Jack said ___________________________.

            F.     REFERENCE

·        http://firstenglish.org/english_learning/reported_speech/01_reported_speech_english_rules.htm#

·        http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/powerpoints/Direct_and_indirect%20speech.ppt

·        http://tx.english-ch.com/teacher/jocelyn/others/reported-speech/

·        http://english.tutorvista.com/grammar/direct-and-indirect-speech.html

·        http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/reporting-verbs/#