DIRECT AND REPORTED (INDIRECT) SPEECH.

Study this dialogue:

-Mr. FAYE: I think I will go to Spain for my holidays if I have money (1).
-Mr. DIALLO: Really?
-Mr. DIOP: What did Mr. Faye say?
-Mr. DIALLO: He said he would go to Spain for his holidays if he had money (2).
In Sentence N1 Mr. Faye is directly speaking to his friends. It’s what we call direct speech.
In Sentence N2 Mr. Diallo reports to Mr. Diop what Mr. Faye said this is called reported speech.
A/ Direct Speech.
In direct speech, we give the exact words or ideas of the speaker and we use quotation marks.
Example: Alpha said “I’m leaving tomorrow to London”.
B/ Reported Speech.
In reported speech we report on somebody’s words indirectly by changing some of the speaker’s words and
we don’t use quotation marks. Example: Alpha said (that) he was leaving the following day to London.
C/ From Direct to Reported speech.
1- The present or future reported speech.
When the verb used in the direct speech is in the present or future there is no change of tenses in the
reported speech and also in other cases mentioned below.
Example:
a) Aly says “I’m going to play football with my friends”.
→Aly says that he is going to play football with his friends.
b) “I’m your best friend”. She has told. → She has told that she is my best friend.
● Must and Need
Examples: a) “we must obey our parents.” Children said
→ Children said that they must (had to) obey their parents.
b) “You need my help.” She told me
→ She told me that I need (needed) her help.
● To be born
Example: “I was born in you native country.” He told me
→ He told me that he was born in my native country.
● Past dates.
Example: “I bought this car in 2010.” He said
→ He said that he bought that car in 2010.
2- The past reported speech
In general in the past reported speech the verb that reports is in the preterit or past perfect.
And in this case there are changes of tenses.
a) Changes of tenses
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Present Simple → Preterit
Present Continuous → Past Continuous
Future Simple → Simple Conditional
Preterit → Past perfect
Present perfect → Past perfect
Past perfect → Past perfect
Simple Conditional → Past conditional
b) Changes of pronouns and adjectives
Direct speech reported speech
I, we → he, she, they
Me, us → him, her, them
My, our → his, her, their
Mine, ours → his, hers, theirs
Myself, ourselves → himself, herself, ourselves.
c) Changes of adverbs of place and time
Direct speech reported speech
Today → yesterday
Tonight → that night
Tomorrow → the following day
Yesterday → the day before
Last (week, year, month) → the previous (week, year, month)
Next (week, year, month) → the following (week, year, month)
D/ Reporting Questions.
1- Wh- questions
Reported questions are expressed as statements and we don’t use the auxiliary verb do.
Example: john asked “where does Fatima live in Dakar?”
→ John asked where Fatima lived in Dakar.
2- Yes/ No questions.
If there is no question word in the question of the direct speech we introduced IF or WHETHER in the
reported speech.
Example: John asked “Does Fatima live in London?”
→John asked if/whether Fatima lived in London.
E/ Reporting: orders, requests, suggestions, advices prohibition etc….
We express orders, requests, suggestions, advices, prohibition in reported speech by using the following
structure: To + INFINITIVE FORM
Examples: a) “You should phone the police.” → She advised her to phone the police.
b) He said to me “come back in my office”. → He said to me to come back to his office.
In negative form we have: NOT + TO + INFINITIVE FORM
Example: “Don’t touch my camera” he told me
→ He told me not to touch his camera.
N.W:
In general with the following verbs : to advise, to promise, to warn, to threaten, to offer, to prohibit, to
invite, to ask to express advice, warning, threat, offer, prohibition, invitation, and request we use the
structure above.
Ex: “you should stop smoking.” 10
→ The doctor advised him to stop smoking.
● Reported of to come / to go
Example: “come on here”. He told you
→ He told you to go there
● Reported of to bring / to take.
Example: “bring me my mobile”.
→ He told her to take him his mobile.
Practice: Report the following sentences using the given clues.
1- “I don’t like classical music.” →He told me that…………………………………………
2- “I have to go out now.” →She said to her…………………………………………………
3- “We can save energy by using solar power.” The scientist claimed
→The scientist claimed………………………………………………………………………
4- “Abdoulaye speaks English very well.” Mary remarks.
→Mary remarks that……………………………………………………………………………
5- “The prisoners escaped yesterday.” Someone said.
→Someone said………………………………………………………………………………
6- “Clean it yourself.” →Mother told her………………………………………………………
7- “Fasten your safety belts.” →The speaker announced……………………………………
8- “Are you going to eat in the cafeteria?”
→ She asked us………………………………………………………………………………
9- “Did the greengrocer have any fresh vegetable?” my mother asked me.
→ My mother asked me………………………………………………………………………
10- “Can you bride a bicycle?”
→ The boy asked me…………………………………………………………………………
11- “Eat up your dinner at once or I will punish you.” My moth
→ My mother told me………………………………………………………………………
12- “Write your name clearly at the top and then take down these points as I call them out.”
→ The teacher told us…………………………………………………………………………
13- “Don’t spend all your money on food and drink. Save some for your future.”
→ Grandfather advised us………………………………………………………………………
14- “Are my shoes cleaned yet?” →My brother asked…………………………………………
15- “Is it raining heavily?” → He asks………………………………………………………
16- “Don’t try to be funny.” →The teacher told the boy………………………………………..
17- “Mind the steps.” → He warned the old man………………………………………………
18- “Bring in the two accused men and then care they don’t get away.” The judge told them.
→ The judge told them…………………………………………………………………………