Indirect speech

● Used to express exactly what another
person said without using the same words.
●
Categories:Categories:
● Statements;
● Questions;
● Commands;
● Universal truths.

She says that she speaks English.
She said that she spoke English.
I speak English.

Modal verbs
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
can could
may might
will would
must must / had to
could could
might might
should should
ought to ought to
would would
used to used to

Leandro said: “Douglas may go to McDonald's.”
Leandro said that Douglas might go to
McDonald's.

Eduardo asked Lary: “Can you lend me your book?”
Eduardo asked Lary if she could lend him her
book.

Hanna said: “Mari and Dani can make it.”
Hanna said that they could make it.

Francisco said: “I'm an angel.”
Francisco said that he is an angel.

When the reporting verb is in the PAST

Conditional tenses do not change
from direct to indirect speech.
He said: “John would work hard.” He said that John would work hard.
He said: “John would have worked
hard.”
He said that John would have worked hard.

Pronoums and adjectives
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
I he / she
my his / her
mine his / hers
you I / he / she / we / they
your my / his / her / our / their
yours mine / his / hers / ours / theirs
we they
our their
ours theirs
this / these that / those

Ted said: “I am angry.”
Ted said he was angry.
DIRECT SPEECH
INDIRECT SPEECH

Luisa and Tim said: “These seats are ours.”
Luisa and Tim said that those seats were theirs.
Luisa and Tim will say: “These seats are ours.”
Luisa and Tim will say that those seats are theirs.
Nilton asked: “How are you?”
Nilton asked how I was.
Nilton is asking: “How are you?”
Nilton is asking how I am.

When the speaker is reporting his
own speech, prounoums and
adjectives remain unchanged.
I said: “I am hungry.”
I said that I was hungry.

DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT
SPEECH
here there
now then
today that day
yesterday the day before
tomorrow the day after
an hour ago an hour before
a week ago a week before
a month ago a month before
next year the following year
next week the following week
last month a month before
last week a week before
That may be omitted:
* She said (that) she was lying.
* They tould us (that) it would rain.
* Charles protested (that) he was innocent.

Adverbs and adverbial expressions change
from direct to indirect speech
Luke said: “It's raining now.”
Luke said that it was raining then.
Liz said: “I saw her yesterday.”
Liz said that she had seen her the day before.
He said: “You studied Math a week ago.”
He said that we had studied math a week
before.

Questions
1. The interrogative verb order in the direct question changes
to affirmative verb order in the indirect question.
Dani said: “Where do you livedo you live?”
Dani asked where I livedI lived.
I asked: “Who is sheis she?”
I asked who she isshe is.
Mr. Nakajima asked: “What does he dodoes he do?”
Mr. Nakajima asked what he didhe did.
The man said: “Why are youare you here?”
The man asked why we werewe were there.

PRESENT PAST
How are you? She asked how I am.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE PAST PROGRESSIVE
Where are you going? She asked where I was going.
PAST PAST PERFECT
Whom did you call? She asked whom I was calling.
PRESENT PERFECT PAST PERFECT
Where have you been? She asked where I was / had been.
PRESENTE PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE
PAST CONTINOUS OR PRESENT
PERFECT CONTINUOUS
How have you been doing? She asked how I was doing / had been
doing.
PRESENT PRESENT OR PAST
How hot is the sun? She asked how hot the sun is. (general truth)
She asket how hot the sun was. (at the
moment)

My friend asked, “Can you drive me?”My friend asked, “Can you drive me?”
My friend asked if I could drive him.

Is it raining outside?
She asked me if it was raining outside.

My mother asked, “Will we have enough gasoline ?”
My mother asked if we would have enough gasoline.

Is the milk fresh?
He / She asked me if the milk was fresh.

2. To form indirect questions we can use: ask, require,
wonder:
Matt said: “Why is he going to do it?”
Mat wondered why he was going to do it.
We said: “How does it look?”
We asked how it looked.

3. Use IFIF in the indirect question when there is no question
word (who, why, where, what, when, how).
Direct speechDirect speech
The Nakajimas asked: “Is Delgado home?”
Indirect speechIndirect speech
The Nakajimas asked if Delgado was at home.
Direct speechDirect speech
They asked: “Do you study?”
Indirect speechIndirect speech
They asked (me) if I studied.

Carol, speak English!
Mrs. Morgan

Commands
(Requests and advice)
● Indirect construction:
Verb + object + infinitive with TOTO
He said: “Claire, stand up!”
He told Claire to stand up.

The doctor said, “Get some rest.”
The doctor told me to get some rest.

Negative command
● Indirect construction
Verb + object + NOTNOT + infinitive with to
Barbara said: “Don't touch!”
Barbara told me/us/etc not to touch.

The doctor said, “Don't smoke.”
The doctor told me not to smoke.

Universal truths
The present tense doesn't change.
Mr. Galilei: “The Sun is the center of our solar system.”
Mr. Galilei said that the Sun is the center of our solar
system.

Mr. Newton: “Gravity is a natural force.”
Mr. Newton said that gravity is a natural force.

Transform the sentences intoTransform the sentences into
INDIRECT SPEECHINDIRECT SPEECH
a) The Americans like to say: “Time is money!”
b) Lary asked Douglas: “Where are you from?”
c) Julie: “I am an excelent teacher.”
Julie said that she is an excelent teacher.
Lary asked Douglas where he is from.
The Americans like to say that time is money.

d) Andreza explained: “If you hadn't taken the exam,
you wouldn't have passed.”
Andreza explained that if I hadn't taken the
exam, I wouldn't have passed.
e) Nilton asked Hanna: “When will you travel to Paris?”
Nilton asked Hanna when she would travel
to Paris.
f) Douglas asked Julie: “Can you help me?”
Douglas asked Julie if she could help him.

Indirect speech

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