GRAMMAR NO. 10: Direct vs. Indirect Speech

Many times, we need to express, not our direct opinion, but someone else's opinion. That is, we are not really transmitting the message but rather acting as a "representive" for someone else. There are 2 ways in English to do this: Direct speech and Indirect or Reported Speech


DIRECT SPEECH

Direct speech involves repeating the exact words that were pronounced by the other person. For example:

a) She said, "Today Alfonso will give his presentation"
or
b) "Today Alfonso will give his presentation", she said

This style detaches us from what the other person has said.


INDIRECT (REPORTED) SPEECH

In indirect speech, we don't detach so much from what the other person said. It is true that we are using someone else's words, but it is also true that we incorporate this into our own discourse.

The most important reporting verb is to say, which can be followed or not by that. For example:

D: I am depressed
I: She said (that) she was depressed

Several questions must be taken into account when using reporting speech: changes in verb tenses and the use of the pragmatically appropriate reporting verb.

1) Changes in verb tenses

The most important grammatical aspect of Reported Speech is that several changes take place.

Present Simple -> Past Simple
She said, "It's cold" -> She said it was cold

Present Continuous -> Past Continuous
She said, "I'm teaching English" -> She said she was teaching English

Present Perfect Continuous -> Past Perfect Continuous
She said, "He has been eating noodles for almost an hour" -> She said he had been eating noodles for almost an hour

Past Simple -> Past Perfect
She said, "I was in Baltimore last week" -> She said she had been to Baltimore the previous week"

Past Continuous -> Past Perfect Continuous
She said, "I was taking a shower earlier" -> She said she had been taking a shower earlier

Past Perfect -> Past Perfect (NO CHANGE)
She said, "The class had already started" -> She said the class had already started

Past Perfect Continuous -> Past Perfect Continuous (NO CHANGE)
She said, "I'd already been running for 35 minutes" -> She said she had already been running for 35 minutes"

Modal verbs also change:

Will -> Would
She said, "I'll meet Carmen tomorrow" -> She said she would meet Carmen the following day"

Can -> Could
She said, "I can email you the images" -> She said she could email me the images

Must -> Had to
She said, "I must concentrate now" -> She said she had to concentrate then

Shall -> Should
She said, "Where shall we go today?" -> She asked where we should go that day

May -> Might
She said, "May I open a new browser?" -> She asked if she might open a new browser


2) Changes in adverbs of time and personal pronouns

When reporting speech, we need to accommodate intratextual references, that is: time and personal pronouns. We need to correctly indicate the person in pronouns. For example:
She said, "I can email you the images" -> She said she could email me the images
We must also accommodate for time, and always depending on the new relation established between the time when we report the speech and the time this speech was uttered. For example:
She said, "Where shall we go today?" -> She asked where we should go that day
is correct, but
She said, "Where shall we go today?" -> She asked where we should go today
can be equally correct if we are reporting speech on the same day that speech was first pronounced.


3) Reporting verbs

The most common verb to be used in Reported Speech is to say. But English uses many other verbs. Why? Well, because by using these verbs we "explain" what the speech was about. For example, if we report a question, we should use to ask, if we report a command, we should use to tell. English likes to be very detailed when it comes to meaning (no doubt there are so many different verbs to express the action of walking and similar, for example, walk, stroll, go, come, leap, hop, jog, jump, skip, run, etc. This semantic specification is characteristic of the language). An important thing to remember is that these reporting verbs connect the speech we are reporting in a different way. See:

A1: Would you like to go out with me?
A2: He asked me if I would like to go out with him

B1: When should I pick you up?
B2: He asked me when he should pick me up

C1: Don't be sad about that
C2: He told me not to be sad about that

Below you will find a list of these reporting verbs and how they establish the connection:

verb + object + infinitive
advise
encourage
invite
remind
warn
e.g. He advised me not to take the bus

verb + infinitive
agree
decide
offer
promise
refuse
threaten
e.g. He agreed to come with me

verb + (that)
admit
agree
decide
deny
explain
insist
promise
recommend
suggest
e.g. He admitted (that) he was wrong

verb + ing
deny
recommend
suggest
e.g. He denied having called me on Wednesday

verb + object + preposition + ing
accuse
blame
congratulate
e.g. He congratulated me for working so hard

verb + preposition + gerund
apologize
insist
e.g. He apologized for not calling me on Wednesday


FURTHER EXPLANATION AND PRACTICE
Take a quiz here: http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_reported1.htm
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/reported.htm
http://www.tolearnenglish.com/cgi2/myexam/liaison.php?liaison=_direct_
http://www.eslpartyland.com/quiz-center/rptspeech1.htm