INDIRECT SPEECH Daniel Miklošovič

What is indirect speech? It is a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words. I’m going to have a rest now. She said she was going to have a rest then.

Pre-test Are the sentences correct or incorrect? 1 Bill said he is tired. 2 I said I was happy now. 3 Maria told she liked John. 4 Joe said Peter he hated him. 5 Bill asked where was the post office. 6 I didn’t know where did Jane live.

Tenses and pronouns Tenses and pronouns change in indirect speech if the time and speaker are different. I’m very tired. Bill said he was very tired.

Tenses, modals and auxiliaries normally change as follows: Present → Past Present Perfect→ Past Perfect Past → Past Perfect will → would do/does → did have/has → had can → could

Exercise: Rewrite the sentences in indirect speech. 1 Anna: ‘My sister needs a car.’ 2 Bill: ‘I have to phone Andy.’ 3 Mary and Kate: ‘We can’t swim.’ 4 Mike: ‘My parents are travelling.’ 5 Alice: ‘My radio doesn’t work.’ 6 Jack: ‘I’ve bought a new computer.’

Check the sentences. 1 Anna: ‘My sister needs a car.’ 2 Bill: ‘I have to phone Andy.’ 3 Mary and Kate: ‘We can’t swim.’ 4 Mike: ‘My parents are travelling.’ 5 Alice: ‘My radio doesn’t work.’ 6 Jack: ‘I’ve bought a new computer.’ 1 Anna said her sister needed a car. 2 Bill said he had to phone Andy. 3 Mary and Kate said they couldn’t swim. 4 Mike said his parents were travelling. 5 Alice said her radio didn’t work. 6 Jack said he’d bought a new computer.

Here-and-now words When we use indirect speech, we may have to change words like here, this, today… This is because the place and time have changed since the words were spoken. Exercise: Match the direct and indirect speech expressions in the table. Direct speechIndirect speech here now this tomorrow yesterday today tonight last week next week that day that night that the day before the next week the next day there the week before then

Here-and-now words Direct speechIndirect speech here now this tomorrow yesterday today tonight last week next week there then that the next day the day before that day that night the week before the next week

Tell / Say Tell must have a personal object. We tell somebody something. John told Peter he was late. Say doesn’t need a personal object. We say something (to somebody). Jane said she was late.

Indirect questions Indirect questions have a different word order from direct questions and no questions marks. What do you want? Bill asked what I wanted. Bill asked what I wanted.

Test yourself: Correct the sentences. 1. Bill said he is tired. 2. I said I was happy now. 3. Maria told she liked John. 4. Joe said Peter he hated him. 5. Bill asked where was the post office. 6. I didn’t know where did Jane live.

Check the sentences. 1. Bill said he is tired. 2. I said I was happy now. 3. Maria told she liked John. 4. Joe said Peter he hated him. 5. Bill asked where was the post office. 6. I didn’t know where did Jane live. 1. Bill said he was tired. 2. I said I was happy then. 3. Maria said she liked John. 4. Joe told Peter he hated him. 5. Bill asked where the post office was. 6. I didn’t know where Jane lived.

For further practice see: John and Liz Soars: ‘New Headway Pre- Intermediate’ John Eastwood: ‘Oxford Practice Grammar’ Michael Swan: ‘The Good Grammar Book’ Michael Swan: ‘How English Works’

Thanks for your attention. Goodbye! Daniel Miklošovič