Direct Indirect Speech
Direct Indirect Speech
3. The change of time and place from direct speech to indirect speech when the main clause in the Past Tense, namely :
becomes
tomorrow tomorrow night tomorrow morning next week next month next year now today
- the day after/ the following day - the night after/ the following night - the morning after/ the following morning - the week after/ the following week - the month after/ the following month - the year after/ the following year - then - that day
this week becomes - that week this month - that month this year - that year this morning - that morning yesterday - the day before/ the previous day last night - the night before/ the previous night last week - the week before/ the previous week last month - the month before/ the previous month last year - the year before/ the previous year ago - before this - that these - those Here - there
Note :
( 1. The reporting verbs that are used to change direct speech to indirect speech are : tell, ask, order, command, request, advise, etc. 2. Infinitive without to in the direct speech becomes to infinitive in the indirect speech 3. If direct speech uses the word please to refine the form of command and we want to change it into indirect speech, so the word please must be omitted. 4. In the form of negative imperative by using Dont which is followed by infinitive without to in the direct speech, and we want to change it into indirect speech must be changed to become Not to infinitive (see the sentences in part B above, no. 1 - 4 ).
2. The change of tense in the indirect speech when the main clause is in the Past Tense :
PATTERN :
DIRECT SPEECH becomes INDIRECT SPEECH a. Simple Present Tense Simple Past Tense (Subject + Verb-1+s/es + ... ) (Subject + Verb-2 + .... ) Example : He said, I go to school = He said that he went to school b. Simple Past Tense (Subject + Verb-2 + ..... ) Example : He said, I went to school Past Perfect Tense (Subject + Had + Verb-3 + .... ) = He said that he had gone to school
c. Present Perfect Tense (Subject + Have/Has + Verb-3 + .. ) Example : He said, I have gone to school d. Present Perfect Continuous Tense (Subject + Have/Has + Been + V-ing) Example : He said, I have been doing my duty
Past Perfect Tense (Subject + Had + Verb-3 + .. ) = He said that He had gone to school Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Subject + Had Been + V-ing) = He said that he had been doing his duty
e. Present Continuous Tense (Subject + Am + Verb-ing ) Is Are Example : He said, I am doing my duty
= He said that he was doing his duty Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Subject + Had + Been + V-ing) He said that he had been doing his duty
f. Past Continuous Tense (Subject + Was/Were + V-ing) Example : He said, I was doing my duty
g. Future Tense (Subject + Will + V-1 + ... ) Shall Example : He said, I will do my duty
+ V-1 + ...)
= He said that he would do his duty Past Modal (Subject + could might had to
h. Present Modal (Subjcet + can + V-1 + ...) may must Example : He said, I can do my duty.
+ V-1 + .. )
Note :
1. When the direct speech is in the positive (statement) / negative, which is changed in the indirect speech, the conjunction must be used, is that. 2. When reporting verb (said) in the direct speech is not followed by object, and we change it into indirect speech, the verb said, there is no change. 3. But when the reporting verb (said) is followed by object, so the verb said must be changed by told
Note : 1. When the direct speech is in the interrogative form, whether it uses question word or not, if the main clause uses : said (reporting verb), and we change it into indirect speech, so the verb said must be changed by reporting verbs : ask, inquire, wonder, want to know etc 2. In the direct speech without using question words, (Yes/No Question), when we change it into indirect speech, we must use the conjunction of : if/whether. 3. When the direct speech is changed into indirect speech, the interrogative construction must be returned in the positive forms.
E. Interrogative form in the Direct Speech by using question words Examples : 1. My mother said to me, When do you do your homework ?. = My mother asked me when I did my homework. 2. Father said to me, Where did you go last week ?. = Father wanted to know where I had gone the week before. 3. The doctor said to me, How long have you been ill ?. = The doctor asked me how long I had been ill. 4. He said to John, What are you doing now ?. = He asked John what he was doing then.
Note : 1. When the direct speech in the question forms by using question words and we change into indirect speech, so the conjunction that is used, is the question word itself. 2. The construction in the indirect speech must be returned in the positive forms. 3. The verbs said and asked can be followed by or without object. 4. The verbs : inquire, wonder, want to know, cannot be followed by object.