Indirect Speech Direct and indirect speech: Imperatives
Check Point Tick the doctor's exact words. Eat a heavy meal before bed: Don't eat a heavy meal before bed: Not to eat a heavy meal before bed:
Express Check Circle the correct words to complete these sentences. The doctor told me go / to go to bed at the same time every night. She said, “Don’t work / Not to work too hard.” Grammar Explanations Examples • 1. Direct speech is the exact word a speaker Come early and bring your national used. In writing, use quotation marks. Health card: said the doctor. Indirect speech reports what a speaker • The doctor told her to come early and said without. Using the exact words. bring her National Health card. There are no quotation marks.
2. The reporting verb (such as say or tell) is DIRECT SPEECH usually in the past simple for both direct and • Drink warm milk; he said. indirect speech. INDIRECT SPEECH BE CAREFUL! Put a personal direct object or someone’s name after tell . Do not put a • He told me to drink warm milk. personal direct object after say. • He said I should call him in the morning. NOT he told I should call him in the morning.
3. Imperatives in direct speech use the base Direct speech Indirect speech form of the verb. Imperatives in indirect Come early; he He said to come speech use the infinitive to report: said. early a. Instructions “Wait” He told me to b. Commands Could you wait c. Request please arrive by She asked him d. Invitations 8:00? to arrive by Could you join 8:00 us for lunch? She invited me to join them for lunch.
4. Use a negative infinitive (not + infinitive) Direct speech Indirect speech to report negative imperatives. “Don’t go” He told her not to go
• He said to Ann, “Tell me your 5. Indirect speech, make changes to keep the problem” speaker’s original meaning. • He told Ann to tell him her problem a. Change pronouns and possessives. • Call me tomorrow
b. Change the phrases. • She said to call her the next day.
c. • “Sign this form here” • She told him to sign that form there.
Indirect speech Statements (1)
Check Point Tick the man’s exact words
It looks great on you! It looked great on me!
Express Check Circle the correct words to complete this sentence.
She said/told the salesperson that she is/was going to buy the dress.
Grammar Explanations Examples 1. An indirect speech statement reports Direct speech what a speaker said without using the • It’s a great dress , he said. exact words. The word that can Indirect speech introduce the indirect statement but • He told her that it was a great dress. you can also leave it out. • He told her it was a great dress . BE CAREFUL !use say as the reporting • He said that it was a great dress verb when the listener is not mentioned. Do NOT he told that it was a great dress. not use tell.
2. When the reporting verb is in the past simple, the verb in the indirect speech statement is usually in a different tense from the verb in the direct speech statement. Direct speech Indirect speech Direct speech Indirect speech He said, “it’ s lovely” He said it was lovely Present simple past simple “I’m leaving ” She said she was Present past continuous leaving. continuous “I did it” He said that he had Past simple past perfect done it. Present perfect past perfect He said to her, ”I’ve He told her that he never lied” had never lied.
3. In indirect speech the change of the A: what did you just say? verb tense is optional when B: I said I ’m tired. Or I said I was tired. reporting: • Rick said the bank wants a cheque. a. Something someone has just said. • Rick said the bank wanted a cheque. b. Something that is still true • She said that everyone lies sometime. c. A general truth or scientific law . • She said that everyone lied sometime
• “I run a mile every day” 4. When the reporting verb is in the • She says that she runs a mile every day. present simple do not change the verb tense in indirect speech
Indirect Speech: Statement (2)
Check Point Tick the weather forecaster's exact words.
“It would be windy.” “It will be windy.”
Express Check Read Jim's words. Tick the sentence that correctly reports what he said.
JIM: “I may move soon.” Jim said that I may move soon. Jim said that he might move soon.
Grammar Explanations Examples 1. As you learned in unit (indirect speech statement 1), when the reporting verb Direct speech Indirect speech is in the past simple, the verb tense She said, “it’ s windy” She said it was usually changes in the indirect speech windy. statement.
Modals often change in the indirect speech, too.
Direct speech Indirect speech Direct speech Indirect speech will would I said,” the wind will be I said the wind Can could strong” would be strong. May might They told us, “you can They told us we stay with us” could stay with must had to them. He said, “the storm He said that the may last all night” storm might last all night. She told us, “ you must She told us we had to leave” leave .
2. Some verb do not change in indirect speech. Direct speech Indirect speech a. Do not change should, could, might and “You should listen to He told us that we ought to in indirect speech. the weather report” he should listen to the b. Do not change the past perfect in told us. weather report. indirect speech. “I had just moved here She said she had just c. Do not change verbs in the second and a week before,” she moved there a week third conditional sentences in indirect said. before. speech. d. Do not change past modals in indirect “If I knew , I would tell Jim said if he knew, you” he would tell me. speech. “If 1 had known, I He said if he had
would have told you,” known, he would said Jim. have told me, “I should have left ” He said that he should have left.
Indirect Questions
The stress interview. Check Point Tick Ms Bentley's exact words. “Why were you still single?” “Why are you still single?”
Express Check Unscramble these words to complete the indirect question. Why • he • job • his • left • had He asked him………………………………………………………… Grammar Explanations Examples 1. Use if, whether or whether or not to Direct speech form indirect yes/no questions. • “Can you type ?” she asked. USAGE NOT: whether is more formal than Indirect speech if. • She asked if I could type. • She asked whether (or not) I could type.
2. In indirect yes / no questions , the Direct Speech subject comes before the verb, the same • “Can I start tomorrow?” word order as in statements. Indirect Speech • He asked if he could start tomorrow. NOT he asked could he start tomorrow . Direct speech • “does the job proverbs benefits” Indirect speech • He asked if the job provided benefits. NOT he asked does the job provide benefits.
3. Use questions words to form indirect Direct speech Wh-questions. • “Where is you office?” I asked. Indirect speech • I asked where his office was.
4. In indirect wh-questions, the subject Direct Speech also comes before the verb as in • “Why did you leave you job?” statement, and you do not use do, does Indirect speech • or did . She asked me why I had left my job. NOT she asked me why did l leave my job. In indirect wh-questions about the subject, Direct speech the question word is the subject and the • Bob asked, “ Who got the job?” verb follows as in statement word order. Indirect speech • Bob asked who had got the job.