I
CHAPTER 11
NEWS ITEM
LANGUAGE FEATURES:
DIRECT SPEECH
INDIRECT SPEECH OR
REPORTED SPEECH
WHAT IS DIRECT SPEECH?
Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken.
When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words
spoken between quotation marks (" ") and there is no change
in these words. We may be reporting something that's being
said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling
someone later about a previous conversation.
Examples:
She says, "What time will you be home?"
She said, "What time will you be home?" and I said, "I don't
know! "
"There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."
WHAT IS INDIRECT SPEECH OR REPORTED SPEECH?
Reported speech is when you
tell somebody else what you or
a person said before.
The distinction between direct speech and
reported speech
Direct speech vs Reported speech:
Direct speech Reported speech
She says that she likes
She says: "I like tuna fish."
tuna fish.
She said that she was
She said: "I'm visiting Paris next
visiting Paris the following
weekend"
weekend.
Different types of sentences
When you use reported speech, you
either report:
statements
questions
requests / commands
other types
Three important things in reported
speech:
1. pronouns
In reported speech, you often have to change the
pronoun depending on who says what.
Example:
Direct Speech
She says, “My dad likes roast chicken.”
Reported Speech
She says that her dad likes roast chicken.
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
He says that he writes
(no backshift) “I write poems.”
poems.
He said that he wrote
(backshift) “I write poems.”
poems.
the main changes in tense
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Verb 1/present Verb 2
are/am,is Was, were
Love, like, sing, dance, send, can, Loved, liked,sang,danced, sent,
will.... could, would....
Do,does Did
Verb 2/past Had + verb 3
Was, were had been
Did Had done
Loved, liked, watched, saw, went... Had loved, had liked, had watched...
Had+ verb 3/past perfect Had+ verb 3/past perfect
Had loved Had loved
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.
Direct Speech Reported Speech
Time Expressions
today that day
now then
yesterday the day before
… days ago … days before
last week the week before
next year the following year
tomorrow the next day / the following day
Place
here there
Demonstratives
this that
these those
A. Reporting Statements
Direct Speech Reported Speech
He said: "I am happy" He said that he was happy
He said: "I'm looking for my keys" He said that he was looking for his keys
He said that he had visited New York the
He said: "I visited New York last year" previous year.
He said: " I've lived here for a long time He said that he had lived there for a long
" time
He said: "They had finished the work He said that they had finished the work
when I arrived" when he had arrived"
He said that he had been playing football
He said: "I was playing football when
when the accident had occurred
the accident occurred"
He said:"I have been playing football He said that he had been playing football
for two hours." for two hours
He said: "I had been reading He said that he had been
a newspaper when the light reading a newspaper when
went off" the light had gone off
He said that he would open the
He said: "I will open the
door.
door."
He said: "I would buy He said that he would buy
Mercedes if I were rich" Mercedes if he had been rich"
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.
B. Reporting Questions
Types of questions Direct speech Reported speech
With question word
"Why" don’t you speak He asked me why I
(what, why, where,
English?” didn’t speak English.
how...)
Without question word He asked me whether /
“Do you speak English?”
(yes or no questions) if I spoke English.
C. Reporting requests / commands
For affirmative use to + infinitive (without to)
For negative requests, use not to + infinitive (without to).
Direct speech Reported speech
Direct speech Reported speech
“Nancy,do the exercise.“ He told Nancy to do the exercise.
“Nancy,do the exercise.“
"Nancy, give me your pen, please."
He told Nancy to do the exercise.
He asked Nancy to give him her pen.
“Nancy, don’t do the exercise.” He told Nancy not to do the exercise
"Nancy, give me your pen, please." He asked Nancy to give him her pen.
“Nancy, don’t give your pen to Andi.” He asked Nancy not to give her pen to Andi
D. Other transformations
Expressions of advice with must, should and ought are
usually reported using advise / urge.
Example:
“You must read this book.“
He advised / urged me to read that book.
The expression let’s is usually reported using suggest. In
this case, there are two possibilities for reported speech:
gerund or statement with should.
Example:
“Let’s go to the cinema.“=
1. He suggested going to the cinema.
2. He suggested that we should go to the cinema
D. Main clauses connected with and/but
If two complete main clauses are connected with ‚and or
‚but, put that after the conjunction.
Example:
He said,“I saw her but she didn't see me.“ – He said that
he had seen her but that she hadn't seen him.“
If the subject is dropped in the second main clause (the
conjunction is followed by a verb), do not use ‚that‘.
Example:
She said,“I am a nurse and work in a hospital.“ – He said
that she was a nurse and worked in a hospital.“
Complete the sentences in reported speech.
1. John said, "I love this town."
John said
2. "Do you like soccer ?" He asked me.
He asked me
3. "I can't drive a lorry," he said.
He said
4. "Be nice to your brother," he said.
He asked me
5. "Don't be nasty," he said.
He urged me
6. "Don't waste your money" she said.
She told the boys
7. "What have you decided to do?" she asked him.
She asked him
8. "I always wake up early," he said.
He said
9. "You should revise your lessons," he said.
He advised the students
10. "Where have you been?" he asked me.
He wanted to know
