10 sentences with indirect speech in English. Direct and indirect speech. How time indicators change in indirect speech in English
Indirect and direct speech in English language are used to transfer information received from another person. Thisdirect and indirect speech in Englishdo not differ from their counterparts in Russian. However, they have differences in other parameters.
Direct speech
Direct speech, or direct speech, expresses a person's phrase verbatim, it is a quote or the transfer of the essence of a phrase said by another person on his behalf.
As in Russian, direct speech in English is framed by quotation marks, but "upper" quotation marks, called English double quotation marks, are used. Instead of a colon in front of the author's words at the beginning or a comma and dash at the end, the English language uses one simple comma. The period at the end of the sentence is placed before the closing quotation mark, and not after, as in Russian.
Direct Speech Sentence Schemes:
Examples of
The postman said, "I will deliver this letter tomorrow." “The postman said," I'll deliver this letter tomorrow. "
She asked, “Do you feel comfortable here?” - She asked: "Are you comfortable here?"
“I will not accept his apology”, she said. “I won't accept his apology,” she said.
Indirect speech
Reported speech (Indirect speech), or indirect speech, is speech that is not transmitted word for word, but only by content, in the form of additional subordinate clauses, without preserving the author's style.
All sentences that have indirect speech are complex, where the author's words are used in the main sentence, and the indirect speech itself is used in the subordinate clause. Question and exclamation marks are not used in indirect speech. There is no comma after the words of the author in English.
Scheme of a sentence with indirect speech:
Examples of
The postman said he would deliver that letter the next day. “The postman said he would deliver this letter the next day.
She asks when you’ll be free. - She asks when you will be free.
He said (that) they liked everything very much. - He said (that) they liked everything very much.
All offers indirect speech in Englishcan be translated into sentences in indirect speech. But if the main sentence is in the past tense, the subordinate clause must also change its tense to the corresponding one. The rule of timing is at work here.
Example
A sentence with direct speech must be translated into a sentence with indirect speech:
He said, "I have never been to South Korea." - He said, "I've never been to South Korea."
The main part of this sentence is in Past Simple, the subordinate clause is in Present Perfect. In indirect speech, it will be translated into Past Perfect according to the rule of the English language: if a verb in the main sentence is used in the past tense, subordinate clauses are formed only by the forms of the past or the future in the past.
Thus, the result of translating an example sentence from direct speech to indirect speech will look like this:
He said that he had never been to South Korea. - He said that (he) had never been to South Korea.
Changes that occurred:
- The verb from Present Perfect moved to Past Perfect.
- The pronoun has changed.
Indirect speech in English - tabletiming
When timing is not required
Cases when the offer and instraight, and inremains at the same time:- If in direct speech the main sentence is in the form of the present (Present Simple or Present Perfect) or future (Future Simple) tense, then the verb in indirect speech (in the subordinate clause) remains in the same tense in which it was in direct speech.
Examples of
She says, “I want to go for a walk.” - She says: "I want to go for a walk."
=>
She says that she wants to go for a walk - She says that she wants to go for a walk.
I will just say, “You made a huge mistake.” “I'll just say," You made a huge mistake. "
=>
I will just say that he made a huge mistake. “I'll just say that he made a huge mistake.
- If the subordinate clause is in Past Pefect, then in indirect speech its time does not change.
Examples of
My friend said to me, “I had known you before we were introduced to each other.” - My friend told me: "I knew you before we were introduced to each other."
=>
My friend told me that he had known me before we were introduced to each other. “My friend told me that he knew me before we were introduced to each other.
Mom said, “Tom was tired because he had studied hard.” - Mom said: "Tom is tired because he did a lot."
=>
Mom said that Tom had been tired because he had studied hard. - Mom said that Tom was tired because he did a lot.
- If the main sentence is in Past Perfect Continuous, then in indirect speech the verb tense does not change.
Examples of
My wife said, “We had been dating for 3 years before we got married.” - My wife said, "We dated for 3 years before we got married."
=>
My wife said that we had been dating for 3 years before we had got married. - My wife said that we dated for 3 years before we got married.
She said, "We had not been traveling till he graduated from the university." “She said," We didn't travel until he graduated from university. "
=>
She said that they had not been traveling till he had graduated from the university. “She said they didn't travel until he graduated from university.
- If the main sentence is in Past Simple, then in indirect speech the tense of the verb in some cases may not change, which is typical for colloquial speech. When using temporary designations such as the day before, two years before, etc., it is preferable to use Past Perfect.
Examples of
They said, "We went to the cinema and watched a film." “They said," We went to the movies and watched the movie. "
=>
They said that they went to the cinema and watched a film. - They said they went to the movies and watched the movie.
She said, “I had a cold a week ago.” “She said," I had a cold a week ago. "
=>
She said that she had had a cold the week before. “She said she had a cold a week before.
- If the subordinate clause is in Past Continuous, then in colloquial speech the tense of the verb may not change.
Example
He said, “I was playing tennis when she called me.” “He said," I was playing tennis when she called me. "
=>
He said that he was playing tennis when she called him. - He said he was playing tennis when she called him.
Translating modal verbs fromdirect to indirect speech in English
Direct speech: Will => Indirect speech: Would
Example
The doctor said, “You will get the result of your blood test tomorrow.” - The doctor said, "You will receive your blood test result tomorrow."
=>
The doctor said that I would get the result of my blood test the next day. - The doctor said that I will receive the result of my blood test the next day.
Direct speech: Can => Indirect speech: Could
Example
The assistant said, “I can check it for you.” - The assistant said: "I can check it for you."
=>
The assistant said that he could check it for me. - The assistant said that he can check it for me.
Direct speech: May => Indirect speech: Might
Example
She said to me, “I may come, too.” - She told me: "I too, maybe I will come."
=>
She told me that she might come too. “She told me that she might come, too.
Direct speech: Shall => Indirect speech: Should(suggestions, advice, etc.)
Direct speech: Shall => Indirect speech: Would(when talking about future tense)
Examples of
She asked, “Shall I open the window?” - She asked: "Maybe I will open the window?"
=>
She asked if she should open the window. She asked if I should open the window.
Somebody said, "I will be there at this time." - Someone said: "I will be there at this time."
=>
Somebody said that he would be there at that time. - Someone said he would be there at this time.
Modal verbs that remain unchanged in translationdirect speech into indirect
- Modal verbs in the past tense:would, could, had to, might.
Example
They said, “There was nothing we could do about that.” “They said," There was nothing we could do about it. "
=>
They said that there had been nothing they could do about that. “They said there was nothing they could do about it.
- Modal verbsought to, needn "t, must.
Example
He said, "They must be late." "He said," They must be late. "
=>
He said that they must be late. “He said they must be late.
Features of translation into indirect speech of the verb to say (to speak)
If in a sentence introducing direct speech the verb to say is used without mentioning the person to whom the speech is being addressed, then say is preserved in indirect speech. If there is such a person, then say changes to the verb tell.
Examples of
He said, “Our team lost the game.” - He said: "Our team lost."
=>
He said that their team had lost the game. - He said that their team lost.
She said to me, “I will wait for you outside.” - She told me: "I will wait for you on the street."
=>
She told me that she would wait for me outside. “She said she would wait outside for me.
Changing pronouns when translatingdirect speech to indirect in English
Pronouns when forming a sentence in indirect speech change according to the meaning of the phrase.
Personal pronouns (nominative):
I => he / she
You => I / he / she
We => they
He / she / it / they => do not change
Personal pronouns (object case):
Me => him / her
You => me / him / her
Us => them
Him / her / it / them => do not change
Possessive pronouns:
My => his / her
Your => my / his / her
Our => their
His / her / its / their => do not change
Demonstrative pronouns:
This => that
These => those
Example
He said, "I like these shoes." - He said, "I like these shoes."
=>
He said that he liked those shoes. “He said he liked those shoes.
How time indicators change inindirect speech in English
It all depends on the specific situation and the time that is used. For example, in direct speech, the author speaks of "now", but if a sentence in the past tense with indirect speech, then "now" is replaced by "then".
now (now) => then (then)
here (here) => there (there)
today => that day
tomorrow => the next day
the day after tomorrow => two days later
yesterday => the day before
the day before yesterday => two days before
next week / month (next week / next month) => the next week / month (next week / next month)
next year => the next year / the following year
last week / month (last week / last month) => the previous week / month (week / month before)
last year => the year before
ago => before
Example
He said, "We will meet next week." “He said," We'll meet next week. "
=>
He said that they would meet the next week. - He said they would meet next week.
Types of sentences in indirect speech in English
Declarative sentence
Summing up, it can be noted that to translate a declarative sentence with direct speech into a sentence with indirect speech, you need to complete 4 steps.
- Remove quotes and use the conjunction that (what). In colloquial speech and sometimes in writing, the union can be omitted.
She said, "I will buy a dress." - She said, "I'll buy a dress."
=>
She said that ... - She said that ...
- Change the character. In direct speech, a person speaks on his own behalf, in indirect speech, the face will be changed. So, if you want to convey the words of a girl, instead of "I" the pronoun "she" will be used.
She said that she ...
- To agree on the time, since in English you cannot use the past tense in the same sentence with the present or the future. If the words of a person in currently, then there is no need to coordinate the times. To reconcile the first and second parts of the sentence in the example above, change will to would.
She said that she would buy a dress.
- Modify the clarifying parts of the sentence according to the meaning.
She said, “I am driving now.” “She said,“ I'm driving now. ”
When transferring these words, not now (now), but then (then) will be used, since we will be talking about a moment in time in the past when she was driving.
She said that she was driving then.
Also in the following example:
He said, "I work here." - He said: "I work here."
If the person transmitting this remark is in the same building where he works, then there is no need to change the word.
He said that he worked here. - He said he works here.
If the person transmitting the replica talks about this already in another place, then he uses there (there), and not here (here).
He said that he worked there. - He said he works there.
What can replace say and ask in indirect speech
Some verbs that can be used to convey indirect speech to avoid the constant repetition of say and ask:
Agree(agree)
He said, “Ok, I was wrong.” - He said, "OK, I was wrong."
=>
He agreed that he had been wrong. - He agreed that he was wrong.
Claim(declare)
He said, "I saw a UFO." - He said: "I saw a UFO."
=>
He claimed that he had seen a UFO. - He said he saw a UFO.
Complain(to complain)
She said, “You never share any secrets with me!” - She said: "You never share secrets with me!"
=>
She complained that I never shared any secrets with her. - She complained that I never share secrets with her
.
Admit(to admit)
She said, “I was really unfriendly to him.” “She said," I was really unfriendly to him. "
=>
She admitted that she had been unfriendly to him. - She admitted that she was unfriendly towards him.
Deny(deny)
He said, “I didn’t break your favorite cup!” - He said: "I did not break your favorite cup!"
=>
He denied that he had broken the cup. - He denied breaking the cup.
Exclaim(exclaim)
She said, “I am so happy!” - She said, "I'm so happy!"
=>
She exclaimed that she was very happy. - She exclaimed that she was very happy.
Explain(explain)
He said, “You see, there’s no point in going there right now.” “He said,“ You see, there’s no point in going there right now. ”
=>
He explained that there was no point in going there at that moment. - He explained that at that moment there was no point in going there.
Recommend(advise)
She said, “You’d better stay at home.” “She said," You'd better stay at home. "
=>
She recommended that we stayed at home. - She advised us to stay at home.
Prove(prove)
He said, “See, the system works.” “He said," See, the system works. "
=>
He proved that the system worked. - He proved that the system works.
Insist(insist)
They said, “You need to be present at the meeting.” - They said: "You must be present at the meeting."
=>
They insisted that I need to be present at the meeting. - They insisted that I should be present at the meeting.
Regret(regret)
She said, “If only I could go on a vacation this year.” - She said: "If only I could go on vacation this year ..."
=>
She regretted that she couldn’t go on a vacation this year. - She regretted not being able to go on vacation this year.
State(approve)
Witness said, “I have never seen the young man before.” - The witness said: "I have never seen this young man before."
=>
The witness stated that he had never seen the young man before. - The witness claimed that he had never seen this young man before.
Promise(promise)
Dad said, "I will be back no later than eight o'clock." - Dad said: "I will be back no later than 8 o'clock."
=>
Dad promised that he would be back no later than eight o'clock. - Dad promised that he would return no later than 8 o'clock.
Suggest(suggest)
He said, “Shall we spend the evening together?” - He said: "Shall we spend the evening together?"
=>
He suggested that they spent the evening together. - He offered to spend the evening together.
Assert(approve)
Scientists said, “Nuclear power is a safe and non-polluting kind of energy.” - Scientists said: "Nuclear energy is a safe and environmentally friendly form of energy."
=>
The scientists asserted that nuclear power was a safe and non-polluting kind of energy. - Scientists have argued that nuclear energy is a safe and environmentally friendly form of energy.
Contend(declare)
Astronomers said, “The Earth may be much younger than previously thought.” - Astronomers said: "The earth may be much younger than previously thought."
=>
Some astronomers contend that the Earth may be much younger than previously thought. - Some astronomers argue that the Earth may be much younger than previously thought.
Interrogative sentence
General issuesCommon questions in indirect speech are attached to the main clause using the if or whether unions. The word order of the interrogative sentence is changed to the word order of the declarative sentence.
Examples of
She asked, “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” - She asked: "Do you have plans for the weekend?"
=>
She asked if I had any plans for the weekend. - She asked if I had any plans for the weekend.
They asked, “Will you visit us tomorrow?” - They asked: "Will you come to us tomorrow?"
=>
They asked whether we would visit them the next day. “They asked if we would come to them the next day.
She asked, “Can you give them a call?” - She asked: "Can you call them?"
=>
She asked if I could give them a call. - She asked if I could call them.
When translating answers to general questions into indirect speech, the words yes and no are omitted.
Examples of
She asked, “Do you want another cup of tea?” - She asked: "Do you want another cup of tea?"
I said, “No, I don" t. " - I answered: "No, I do not want."
=> She asked if I wanted another cup of tea. “She asked if I wanted another cup of tea.
I answered that I didn "t. - I answered that I didn’t want to.
Special Issues
Special questions begin with the question words what, when, how, why, where, which. When translating special questions into indirect speech, the word order is the same as in the declarative sentence, and the interrogative word serves to join the subordinate clause to the main one.
Examples of
She asked, “What time does the train arrive?” - She asked: "What time does the train arrive?"
=>
She asked what time the train arrived. - She asked what time the train arrives.
He asked, “When did you come?” - He asked: "When did you come?"
=>
He asked when I had come. - He asked when I came.
I asked him, “How old are you?” - I asked him: "How old are you?"
=>
I asked him how old he was. - I asked how old he was.
She asks, “Where will you go?” - She asks: "Where will you go?"
=>
She asks where we will go. - She asks where we will go.
Imperative mood in indirect speech
If sentences in direct speech are imperative, then inindirect speech in Englishthese sentences are translated using an infinitive verb.
Example
Mom said, “Go home!” - Mom said: "Go home!"
=>
Mom said to go home. - Mom said to go home.
If the sentence in the imperative mood is negative, then the negative particle not is placed before the infinitive.
Example
She said to me, “Don’t touch my clothes.” - She told me: "Don't touch my things."
=>
She asked me not to touch her clothes. - She asked me not to touch her things.
If direct speech expresses an order, then the verb to say is replaced by the verbs to tell, to order.
Examples of
The officer said, “Don’t move!” - The officer said: "Don't move!"
=>
The officer ordered not to move. - The officer ordered not to move.
He said, “Listen to what I am saying!” - He said: "Listen to what I'm saying!"
=>
He told me to listen to what he was saying. - He told me to listen to what he says.
If direct speech expresses a request, then the verb to say is replaced by the verb to ask.
Example
Mother said, “Be careful!” - Mom said: "Be careful!"
=>
Mother asked to be careful. - Mom asked to be careful.
In a subordinate clause in direct speech, it is possible to use incentive words that express an order or request. When translated into indirect speech, they are not saved.
She said, “Please, don" t laugh at him! " - She said: "
Please
don't laugh at him! "
=>
She asked not to laugh at him. - She asked not to laugh at him.
Passing the words of the author without usingindirect speech in English
In some cases, it is possible to convey the words of another person not using indirect speech constructions, but in an alternative way.
Examples of
He said, “Hello everyone!” - He said: "Hello everyone!"
=>
He greeted everyone. - He greeted everyone.
She said, "Yes." “She said yes.
=>
She agreed. / She confirmed. - She agreed. / She confirmed.
She says, “No.” “She says no.
=>
She doesn’t agree (disagrees). / She denies. - She doesn't agree. She denies.
He said, “I don’t want to answer.” “He said,“ I don’t want to answer. ”
=>
He refused to answer. - He refused to answer.
Communicating with people, we constantly receive from them some information, which we subsequently pass on to someone else. Several options can be used to transmit it. Of course, you can simply explain the thought in your own words the way you understood it. Or you can make it clear that the idea is not yours. In such cases, direct or indirect speech is used. And if the direct one is quite easy to use, indirect speech in English has a number of features that should be taken into account. Today we will talk about them.
First, let's figure out what is the difference between direct and indirect speech in English. Direct speech or direct speech expresses a person's phrase verbatim. This is a kind of quote that cannot be changed in any way. As in Russian, direct speech is framed with quotation marks. But instead of a colon in front of the author's words at the beginning or a comma with a dash at the end, one simple comma is usually used:
Please note that the period at the end of the sentence in the first case is placed before the quotation mark, and not after, as in Russian. In addition, quotation marks are always placed on top in English.
Examples:
- She asked, “Do you feel comfortable here?” - She asked: "Are you comfortable here?"
- “I will not accept his apology”, she said. “I won't accept his apology,” she said.
Note that question marks and exclamation marks are not used in indirect speech.
All sentences can be translated from direct speech to indirect speech. Indirect speech or indirect speech (lit. "indirect speech" or Reported speech), in turn, expresses the content of the phrase, without preserving the literalism and stylistic features. All sentences that have indirect speech are complex, where the author's words are used in the main sentence, and the indirect speech itself is used in the subordinate clause. As a rule, the main sentence is put first, and after it there is a subordinate clause, which in such speech constructions is often introduced by a union or a pronoun.
- She asks when you’ll be free. - She asks when you will be free.
- He said (that) they liked everything very much. - He said (that) they liked everything very much.
At first glance, everything is simple, what is the catch then?
Indirect speech in English: timing
The point is that if the main sentence is in the past tense , the clause will also have to change its time to the appropriate one. Timing works here. Probably, this did not explain anything to you at all, and therefore let's turn to examples for clarity.
Let's say you have a direct speech sentence:
Its main part is used in the Past Simple time. The indirect one is formed in the Present Perfect. As long as both of these parts are used in a sentence with direct speech, everything is in order, because the present tense is used in quotes and word for word conveys a person's phrase. However, if you remove the quotes and turn direct speech into indirect speech, you will not be able to save Present Perfect, at least it will be considered a mistake.
"Why?" - you ask. Yes, because in English there is such a rule: if a verb in the main sentence is used in the past tense, subordinate clauses are formed only by the forms of the past or future in the past. Accordingly, by converting the sentence above into an indirect one, you will receive:
- Firstly, the pronoun has changed to agree on tenses.
- Secondly, the verb from Present Perfect went into.
At first, you will likely have difficulty converting sentences. However, in the future, this process will not take you time. To make it easier for you to understand this topic, let's consider all the possible options for timing. Table for clarity:
| Direct speech | Indirect speech |
| Present Simple changes to Past Simple | |
| He answered, “I want to go to the theater.” (He replied, "I want to go to the theater.") |
He answered that he wanted to go to the theater. (He replied that he wanted to go to the theater.) |
| Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous | |
| Jim said, “I’m doing English exercises now.” (Jim said, "I'm doing the English exercises right now.") |
Jim said that he was doing English exercises then. (Jim said he was doing English exercises.) |
| Present Perfect changes to Past Perfect | |
| My son said, "I have read the book twice." (My son said, “I've read this book twice.”) |
My son said that he had read the book twice. (My son said he read this book twice.) |
| Present Perfect Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous | |
| Bruce confirmed, "She has been living here for 2 years." (Bruce confirmed, "She's been here for 2 years.") |
Bruce confirmed that she had been living there for 2 years. (Bruce confirmed that she has been living there for 2 years.) |
| Past Simple changes to Past Perfect | |
| He said, "I worked yesterday." (He said, "I worked yesterday.") |
He said that he had worked the day before. (He said he had been working the day before.) |
| Past Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous | |
| She said, "He was sleeping." (She said, "He was asleep.") |
She said that he had been sleeping. (She said he was asleep.) |
| Past Perfect is unchanged | |
| Mom said, "Tom was tired because he had studied hard." (Mom said, "Tom is tired because he did a lot.") |
Mom said that Tom was tired because he had studied hard. (Mom said that Tom was tired because he did a lot.) |
| Past Perfect Continuous unchanging | |
| She said, "We had not been traveling till he graduated from the university." (She said, "We didn't travel until he graduated from university.") |
She said that they had not been traveling till he graduated from the university. (She said they didn't travel until he graduated from university.) |
| In all future tenses, will changes to would, forming the future in the past | |
| He said, "I will be with you whatever what." (He said, "I'll be with you no matter what happens.") |
He said that he would be with me whatever what. (He said he would be with me no matter what happened.) |
| Modal verbs that have a past tense also change: | |
| Can on Could; Will to Would; |
Have to on Had to; Shall on Would (about the future); Shall on Should (tip). |
| She said, "He can do it." (She said, "He can do it do».) |
She said that he could do it. (She said he could do it.) |
| Should, must, might, ought to, need, had to do not change | |
| The teacher said, "You must consider the translation rules doing the task." (The teacher said, "You must consider the translation rules when completing the assignment.") |
The teacher said that we must consider the translation rules doing the task. (The teacher said that we must consider the rules of translation when completing the assignment.) |
That is, you need to use the same group, but at a different time. Usually this "other" time is located on the timeline before the time that was used in direct speech. The exceptions are the times of Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous, since there are no times before them. The times Past Simple and Past Continuous may also not change in colloquial speech, as well as when Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous is used in a sentence, as in the examples above.
It is worth noting that if the verb in the main sentence is in the present or future tense, verbs in indirect speech can appear in any tense:
That is, if you want to compose an indirect sentence in which the main part is used in the present or the future, simply translate the subordinate clause from the direct sentence to the indirect one, changing only the pronouns in meaning.
Indirect speech of the English language: exceptions to the rules
It is difficult to imagine English without exceptions. Some of them relate to indirect speech. So, in the past tense, indirect sentences can be used in the present, if in the subordinate clause:
- A well-known fact or truth is expressed by all:
- The exact time is indicated:
- If they refer to words that have just been spoken or that are still relevant:
Indirect speech in English: other features
In addition to the form of the verb, when using indirect speech, the following changes:
- Pronouns that should not be forgotten. They must change in meaning. Most often, pronouns change as follows:
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
| Personal pronouns (nominative) | |
| I | I / he / she |
| you | he / she |
| we | they |
| he / she / it / they | do not change |
| Personal pronouns (object case) | |
| me | him / her |
| you | him / her |
| us | them |
| him / her / it / them | do not change |
| Possessive pronouns | |
| my | his / her |
| your | his / her |
| our | their |
| him / her / its / their | do not change |
| Demonstrative pronouns | |
| this | that |
| these | those |
However, it all depends on the specific situation and the time you are using.
- Time indicators. For example, in direct speech you speak of "now", but if the sentence is used in the past tense and in indirect speech, then "now" is replaced by "then". Consider the entire list:
| now | then (then) |
| here (here) | there (there) |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow (tomorrow) | the next day |
| the day after tomorrow | two days later (two days later) |
| yesterday (yesterday) | the day before |
| the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday) | two days before |
| next week / month (next week / next month) | the next week / month (next week / next month) |
| next year (next year) | the next year / the following year |
| last week / month (last week / last month) | the previous week / month (week / month before) |
| last year | the year before (the year before) |
| ago | before (before) |
Example:
- The verb say can change to tell. If after say there is a clarification to whom exactly something was said, then in indirect speech say will change to tell. Let's compare:
Types of sentences in indirect speech of the English language
The construction of the sentences above is not unique. Consider all the options for indirect sentences:
- For the formation of a declarative sentence in indirect speech, it is enough, as in the examples above, to use the conjunction that (what), which can be omitted if desired:
- If sentences in direct speech are imperative, then in indirect speech in English these imperative sentences are introduced by the infinitive:
If the imperative mood is negative, then the negative particle not is placed before the infinitive:
Note that in the main sentence, it is possible to use motivating words that express an order or request.
- Questions in indirect speech in English also have special nuances. If direct speech contains general questions, then such sentences in indirect speech will be introduced by the unions whether / if (whether):
If, for example, you retell a dialogue, then in addition to the question, you will need to tell about the answer, which can also be used in indirect speech:
As you can see, "yes" and "no" are omitted in such cases.
- If direct speech in English contains a special question, then it is introduced into an indirect sentence with a union that is identical to the interrogative word with which the sentence begins. Despite the fact that interrogative sentences have a reverse word order, in indirect speech, the direct order is preserved:
Entering questions into indirect speech is used quite often, so be sure to study this point.
Bypassing Indirect Suggestions
With the best of intentions, we will tell you a little secret that is in the arsenal of translators. If, writing sentences in indirect speech in English, you have a panic, or you just do not want to use them, sometimes the use of these sentences can be avoided. For example:
Of course, it will not work to convert all indirect sentences into similar ones, but if such a transition is possible, feel free to use it.
We hope that this topic has become clearer to you. To consolidate the material, periodically return to this article, do the exercises and make up your own examples.
In spoken and written speech, it is often necessary to convey the words of another person, this can be done in two ways:
- Direct speech- the statement of another person is transmitted verbatim, in an exact quote. In English, as in Russian, direct speech in writing is enclosed in quotation marks.
- Indirect speech- words are transmitted in retelling, in the form.
For example:
Direct speech is a separate, enclosed in quotation marks. It can be narrative, interrogative, imperative. In terms of punctuation, as you can see from the example above, there are slight differences from direct speech in Russian:
- Direct speech in English is preceded by a comma, not a colon.
- At the end of direct speech, a period is placed before the closing quotation mark, not after.
- The English language uses "upper quotation marks".
The transition of direct speech to indirect speech (declarative sentence)
To begin with, let's remember how indirect speech is built in Russian.
In Russian, when we want to translate direct speech into indirect, we omit the quotes, add the conjunction "what" and, as it were, retell the content of direct speech from a third person.
As you can see, we have replaced “I” with “she” in the meaning, and “think” with “thinks”, so that indirect speech does not sound like a quote, like speech in the first person.
In English, direct speech is translated into indirect speech in about the same way.
| Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
| Victoria said, “I don’t think so.” | Victoria said that she did not think so. |
The main difference is that between the main and the subordinate clauses of the sentence is observed (see paragraph 6 below).
These are the changes that occur when direct speech is transformed into indirect speech.
- The quotation marks are omitted, the comma in front of the direct speech is removed.
- Union added that introducing a subordinate clause with indirect speech (she did not think so). In colloquial speech, the conjunction that is often omitted: Victoria said (that) she didn’t think so.
- Personal pronouns change in meaning. In the example above, for example, we replaced the I with she, since we are talking about Victoria in the third person.
- If in the main sentence the verb introducing direct speech is in the present or future tense, then the verb in the subordinate does not change.
- If in the main sentence the verb introducing direct speech is in one of the past tenses, then in indirect speech in the subordinate clause the verb changes in accordance with the rules, that is, it takes the corresponding form of the past tense. That is, if there was Present Simple in direct speech, the time changes to Past Simple; if there was Present Perfect, it changes to Past Perfect; if Present Continuous, changes to Past Continuous. If in direct speech there was a future tense, it is changed with the help of the verb would to the corresponding form "future in the past" ().
| Direct speech | Indirect speech |
| → | |
|---|---|
|
Anna said, “I work as a sales manager. ” Anna said, "I work as a sales manager." |
Anna said that she worked as a sales manager. Anna said she works as a sales manager. |
| → | |
|
Martin said, “I am working on an interesting project. ” Martin said, "I'm working on an interesting project." |
Martin said that he was working on an interesting project. Martin said he was working on an interesting project. |
| → | |
|
Lily said, “I have discussed my working schedule with my supervisor. ” Lily said, "I discussed the schedule with my supervisor." |
Lily said that she had discussed her working schedule with her supervisor. Lily said she discussed the schedule with her supervisor. |
| → (will changes to would) | |
|
He told me, “You willl never get promoted. ” He told me, "You will never be promoted." |
He told me that I would never get promoted. He told me that I would never be promoted. |
- If the verb introducing direct speech is used in the past tense, in indirect speech must, can, may change to the corresponding forms (or a synonym, like must) of the past tense: must - had to, can - could, may - might. The verbs should, ought do not change.
- If the verb to say in the main part of the sentence is used without a direct object, then in indirect speech it does not change. If with an addition, for example "she said to me", then in indirect speech it changes to a verb to tell.
- As in Russian, in direct speech they change within the meaning of and , if circumstances so require.
Such a replacement is appropriate if Maria lost her keys at a gas station, but she is already talking about this at home. Accordingly, it would be appropriate to say that she lost the keys “there” and not “here”, because “here” will already mean “at home”, that is, in the place where the conversation takes place.
However, if Maria lost her keys at the gas station and the conversation is also going on at the gas station, then we can say this: “Maria said that she lost her keys here.”
Interrogative sentence in indirect speech
If direct speech is an interrogative sentence, then in indirect speech it becomes a subordinate clause, while it uses the direct word order and omits the question mark.
You can go through the exercises for this lesson on the Puzzle English website.
ALIEN'S SPEECH AND METHODS OF ITS TRANSMISSION
The author's narration may include statements or individual words belonging to others. There are several ways to introduce someone else's speech into a sentence or text: direct speech, indirect speech, improperly direct speech and dialogue.
Punctuation marks in sentences with direct speech
Legend:
NS- direct speech starting with a capital letter;
NS- direct speech starting with a lowercase letter;
A- words of the author starting with a capital letter;
a- the author's words starting with a lowercase letter.
Various methods of transmitting someone else's speech, which does not belong to the author, preserve its content and form in different ways. Direct speech is a way of transmitting someone else's speech, in which both the content and the form are completely preserved.
There are four options for designing direct speech in writing. Each of them has corresponding schemes that need to be remembered.
Scheme 1
If direct speech is in a sentence after the words of the author, then it is enclosed in quotation marks and begins with a capital letter, and a colon is placed after the words of the author. For example:
An old priest approached me with a question: "Will you order me to start?"(Pushkin).
Scheme 3
Occasionally, in literary texts, you can find sentences in which direct speech is inside the words of the author. In this case, it is enclosed in quotation marks, preceded by a colon and followed by a dash. Please note that the second part of the author's words begins with a lowercase letter. For example:
She screamed: "Ay, not him, not him!" - and fell unconscious(Pushkin).
The number of sentences within direct speech is not limited. For example:
“Thank God,” said the girl, “you have come by force. You almost killed the young lady "(According to Pushkin).
In this example, direct speech consists of two sentences, the first of which is broken by the words of the author. But if the words of the author were between the two sentences of which direct speech consists, then after the words of the author it would be necessary to put a point. Compare:
“Thank God, you came by force,” the girl said. - You almost killed the young lady. ".
Consider the diagrams of these proposals.
Another's speech, transmitted in the form of a subordinate clause, is called indirect speech.
The first, main part of the sentence in this case represents the words of the author, and the second is indirect speech. Please note: the words of the author stand before the indirect speech and are separated from it by a comma. This way of transmitting someone else's speech, in contrast to direct speech, preserves the content of someone else's utterance, but does not preserve its form and intonation.
Compare the two ways to convey the same statement in the illustration. A sentence with indirect speech does not convey the exclamation intonation that is present in direct speech.
Indirect speech can be attached to the main part of the sentence with the help of conjunctions WHAT, WHAT TO, WHAT, pronouns and adverbs WHO, WHAT, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and others, as well as LEE particles. The choice of these words depends on the purpose of the statement in indirect speech. Pronouns or particle LI will be used in interrogative sentences:
I asked, when train leaves.
In incentive sentences, the union is used, for example:
The captain ordered to raised the flag.
In declarative sentences, the conjunctions WHAT, WILL BE, are used, for example:
He told, as if saw a live bear in the forest.
The speech of a person, transmitted as his true words, is called direct.
If only its content is transmitted, for example, in the form of additional subordinate clauses, then it is called indirect speech.
Direct speech is highlighted in quotation marks and is considered a separate sentence. Please note that, unlike Russian, quotation marks in English are written at the top of the line. After words that introduce direct speech, a comma is usually placed, and the first word of direct speech is written with a capital letter. At the end of direct speech, a period or other punctuation mark is placed inside quotation marks:
He said, "I need my glasses."
He said, "I need my glasses."
She told me, “It’s snowing.”
She told me, "It's snowing."
The transition of direct speech to indirect speech
In order to translate direct speech into indirect speech, you need to omit the comma after the words introducing direct speech and quotation marks. Often indirect speech in English is introduced by the union that, which, however, can be omitted:
I said, “It is June.”
I said, "It's June."
I said that it was June. (I said it was June.)
I said it was June.
All personal and possessive pronouns should be changed depending on the person from whom the story is being told:
Tom and Bob told me, “ We need your dictionary. "
Tom and Bob said, "We need your dictionary."
Tom and Bob told me that they need my dictionary.
Tom and Bob said they needed my dictionary.
All demonstrative pronouns and adverbs of time and place in the subordinate clause must be changed in the sense of the sentence:
these -> those
today -> that day
tomorrow -> next day
the day after tomorrow -> 2 days later
yesterday -> the day before
the day before yesterday -> 2 days before
She told me, “I will come to see you tomorrow.”
She told me: "Tomorrow I will come to see you."
She told me she would come to see me the next day.
She said that she would come to see me the next day.
If the predicate in the main sentence is expressed by a verb in the past tense, then the form of the verb in the subordinate clause must also be changed to one of the past tenses. This process is called timing.
Questions in indirect speech
In indirect speech, questions have direct word order, and the question mark at the end of a sentence is replaced with a period.
General issues introduced by unions if and whether:
I asked, “Have you seen my pen?”
I asked, "Have you seen my pen?"
I asked him if he had seen my pen. (I asked him whether he had seen my pen.)
I asked if he had seen my pen.
Special Issues are introduced by question words:
He wondered: "Who on earth will buy this junk?"
He was surprised: "Well, who will buy this junk?"
He wondered who on earth would buy that junk.
He wondered who would buy this junk.
A short answer to the question of indirect speech is introduced by the union that without words yes / no.
