Direct Speech
Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use
direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between inverted commas
("....") 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."
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."
Indirect Speech
Indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.
She said, "I saw him." She said that she had seen him.
a)
'That' may be omitted:
She told him that she was happy.
She told him she was happy.
She told him that she was happy.
She told him she was happy.
b)
'Say' and 'tell':
Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.
Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
'Talk' and 'speak' are used:
- to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
- with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.
Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.
Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
'Talk' and 'speak' are used:
- to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
- with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.
HOPES, INTENTIONS, PROMISES
When
we report an intention, hope or promise, we use an appropriate reporting verb
followed by a that-clause or a to-infinitive:
"I'll
pay you the money tomorrow."
He promised to pay me the money the next day.
He promised that he would pay me the money the next day.
He promised to pay me the money the next day.
He promised that he would pay me the money the next day.
Other
verbs used in this pattern include:
hope, propose, threaten, guarantee, swear.
hope, propose, threaten, guarantee, swear.
Examples:
a)
"I'll be back by
lunchtime."
He promised to be back by lunchtime.
He promised that he would be back by lunchtime.
He promised to be back by lunchtime.
He promised that he would be back by lunchtime.
b)
"We should arrive in
London before nightfall."
They hoped to arrive in London before nightfall.
They hoped they would arrive in London before nightfall.
They hoped to arrive in London before nightfall.
They hoped they would arrive in London before nightfall.
c)
"Give me the keys
to the safe or I'll shoot you!"
He threatened to shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
He threatened that he would shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
He threatened to shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
He threatened that he would shoot me if I didn't give him the keys to the safe.
ORDERS, REQUESTS, SUGGESTIONS
1. When we want to report an
order or request, we can use a verb like 'tell' with a
to-clause.
Examples:
He told me to go away.
The pattern is verb + indirect object + to-clause.
(The indirect object is the person spoken to.)
He told me to go away.
The pattern is verb + indirect object + to-clause.
(The indirect object is the person spoken to.)
Other
verbs used to report orders and requests in this way are: command,
order, warn, ask, advise, invite, beg, teach, forbid.
Examples:
a)
The doctor said to me,
"Stop smoking!".
The doctor told me to stop smoking.
The doctor told me to stop smoking.
b)
"Get out of the
car!" said the policeman.
The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.
The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.
c)
"Could you please be
quiet," she said.
She asked me to be quiet.
She asked me to be quiet.
2.
Requests for objects are reported using the pattern
ask + for + object:
Examples:
a)
"Can I have an
apple?", she asked. She asked for an apple.
b)
"Can I have the
newspaper, please?"
He asked for the newspaper.
He asked for the newspaper.
c)
"May I have a glass of
water?" he said.
He asked for a glass of water.
He asked for a glass of water.
3.
Suggestions are usually reported with a that-clause. 'That' and
'should' are optional in these clauses:
She
said: "Why don't you get a mechanic to look at the car?" She
suggested that I should get a mechanic to look at the car. OR She
suggested I get a mechanic to look at the car.
Other
reporting verbs used in this way are: insist, recommend, demand, request,
propose.
Examples:
a)
"It would be a good idea
to see the dentist", said my mother. My mother suggested I see the
dentist.
b)
The dentist said, "I think you should use
a different toothbrush". The dentist recommended that I should use
a different toothbrush.
c)
My manager said, "I think
we should examine the budget carefully at this meeting." My manager proposed
that we examine the budget carefully at the meeting.
d)
"Why don't you sleep
overnight at my house?" she said. She suggested that I sleep
overnight at her house.
Notes:
Suggest
can also be followed by a gerund: I suggested postponing the visit to
the dentist.
QUESTIONS
1.
Normal word order is used in reported questions, that
is, the subject comes before the verb, and it is not necessary to use 'do'
or 'did':
"Where
does Peter live?" She asked him where Peter lived.
2.
Yes / no questions: This type of question is
reported by using 'ask' + 'if / whether + clause:
a)
"Do you speak
English?" He asked me if I spoke English.
b)
Are you British or
American?" He asked me whether I was British or American.
c)
"Is it raining?" She
asked if it was raining.
d)
"Have you got a
computer?" He wanted to know whether I had a computer.
3.
Question words:
This type of question is reported by using 'ask' (or another verb like 'ask') + question word + clause. The clause contains the question, in normal word order and with the necessary tense change.
This type of question is reported by using 'ask' (or another verb like 'ask') + question word + clause. The clause contains the question, in normal word order and with the necessary tense change.
Examples:
a)
"What is your name?"
he asked me. He asked me what my name was.
b)
"How old is your
mother?", he asked. He asked how old her mother was.
c)
The mouse said to the
elephant, "Where do you live?" The mouse asked the elephant where
she lived.
d)
"What time does the train
arrive?" she asked. She asked what time the train arrived.
e)
"When can we have
dinner?" she asked. She asked when they could have dinner.
f)
The elephant said to the
mouse, "Why are you so small?" The elephant asked the mouse why
she was so small.
Tense change
As a rule when you report something someone has said
you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right):
Direct speech
|
Indirect speech
|
|
Present simple
She said, "It's cold." |
›
|
Past simple
She said it was cold. |
Present continuous
She said, "I'm teaching English online." |
›
|
Past continuous
She said she was teaching English online. |
Present perfect simple
She said, "I've been on the web since 1999." |
›
|
Past perfect simple
She said she had been on the web since 1999. |
Present perfect continuous
She said, "I've been teaching English for seven years." |
›
|
Past perfect continuous
She said she had been teaching English for seven years. |
Past simple
She said, "I taught online yesterday." |
›
|
Past perfect
She said she had taught online yesterday. |
Past continuous
She said, "I was teaching earlier." |
›
|
Past perfect continuous
She said she had been teaching earlier. |
Past perfect
She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived." |
›
|
Past perfect
NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived. |
Past perfect continuous
She said, "I'd already been teaching for five minutes." |
›
|
Past perfect continuous
NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been teaching for five minutes. |
Modal verb forms also sometimes change:
Direct speech
|
Indirect speech
|
|
will
She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow." |
›
|
would
She said she would teach English online tomorrow. |
can
She said, "I can teach English online." |
›
|
could
She said she could teach English online. |
must
She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online." |
›
|
had to
She said she had to have a computer to teach English online. |
shall
She said, "What shall we learn today?" |
›
|
should
She asked what we should learn today. |
may
She said, "May I open a new browser?" |
›
|
might
She asked if she might open a new browser. |
Time change
If the reported sentence contains an expression of time,
you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting.
For example we need to change words like here and
yesterday if they have different meanings at the time and place of
reporting.
Today
|
+ 24 hours - Indirect speech
|
"Today's lesson is on presentations."
|
She said yesterday's lesson was on
presentations.
|
Expressions of time if reported on a
different day
|
||
this (evening)
|
›
|
that (evening)
|
today
|
›
|
yesterday ...
|
these (days)
|
›
|
those (days)
|
now
|
›
|
then
|
(a week) ago
|
›
|
(a week) before
|
last weekend
|
›
|
the weekend before last / the previous
weekend
|
here
|
›
|
there
|
next (week)
|
›
|
the following (week)
|
tomorrow
|
›
|
the next/following day
|
In addition if you report something that someone said
in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to
the place (there).
For example:-
At work
|
At home
|
"How long have you worked here?"
|
She asked me how long I'd worked there.
|
Pronoun change
In reported speech, the pronoun often changes.
For example:
Me
|
You
|
"I
teach English online."
|
She said she teaches English online.
|
LATIHAN SOAL
1. ‘What do you want?’ she asked
him.
a. The little girl asked which way she
should go.
b. Alladin asked the
magician what he had done to deserve so severe a punishment.
c. She asked him what he wanted.
Kunci jawaban : c. she asked him what he wanted
2. ‘Are you
coming with us?’ he asked me.
a. He asked me if I was
coming/going with them.
b. He enquired when I/he/she intended to make the payment.
c. The prince asked the girl if she came from China.
kunci jawaban : a. He asked me if I was coming/going with
them.
3. He asked,
‘When do you intend to make the payment?
a. He enquired when
I/he/she intended to make the payment.
b. The teacher asked the student if he/she wrote a good hand.
c. The judge finally asked whether he/she had anything to say on behalf of the
accused.
Kunci jawaban : a. He enquired when I/he/she intended to make the payment.
sumber :
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar