Download What is Indirect or Reported Speech (RS)?

What is Direct Speech (D.S.)?
What is Indirect or Reported Speech
(R.S.)?
How do we transform a D.S. sentence
into an R.S. one?
Which are the 5 cases involved in such
a transformation?
1.a) Person Changes: How do person
references change from D.S. to R.S.?
1.b) Time & Place Changes: How do these
references change from D.S. to R.S.?
1.b) Time & Place Changes
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
today, tonight, this morning/ that day, that night, that morning/ etc
evening/ etc
now
then, at the time, immediately
yesterday, last week
the previous day/ week, the day/ week
before
last month
a month before
tomorrow
the following day, the next day, a day later
next week
the following week, the week after
the day after tomorrow
in two days’ time
expressions with ‘ago’
expressions with ‘before’
here
there
come
go
2.a) Reported Statements: What is the
rule here?
2.b) Reported Statements: The
backshift rule always applies here.
Right answer: only when the introductory
verb of the reported sentence is in the
past tense.
3.a) Reported Questions: These are
the same as Direct Questions.
Right answer: They are affirmative in form
(i.e. S. + V.)
3.b) Reported Questions: ‘Backshift’
applies here, too.
3.c) Reported Questions: Yes/ No D.S.
qu’s are introduced by if/ whether in
R.S.
3.d) Reported Questions: Wh- D.S. qu’s are
introduced by if/ whether in the R.S.
Right answer: We keep the wh- word.
3.e) What is the main introductory
verb in reported questions?
but can also be: enquired,
wanted/ would like to know, etc
4.a) Reported Commands & Requests:
What is the rule here?
4.b) What are the main introductory
verbs in reported commands?
4.c) Reported Requests: What is the
rule here?
5.a) Reporting Verbs: What are these?
5.b) Reporting Verbs: Which are the 2
classic reporting verbs?
Use say in D.S. whether followed by a person
or not, and in the R.S. only when NOT
followed by a person. Use tell in R.S. only
when followed by a person.
5.c) Reporting Verbs
List of Commonest Reporting Verbs
offer
deny
ask
greet
invite
exclaim
reply
boast/ brag
advise
explain
urge
complain
suggest
inform
claim
remark
recommend
order
demand
point out
accuse
promise
threaten
assure
admit
refuse
allow
announce
agree
remind
forbid
insist
beg
warn
apologise
plead
Notes on Reported Speech 1 & 2
• What happens with Subjunctive in R.S.?
The Subjunctive Past forms (non-fact) DO NOT
undergo backshift.
• And with Modal Verbs?
Those with a past tense or equivalent phrase DO
have backshift but ONLY WHEN used in their
primary (literal) Function. If not, they stay the
same.
Notes on Reported Speech 3
• What happens with Punctuation in R.S.?
Put a comma within the inverted commas when
the person is at the end but a colon/ comma
outside them when the person comes at the
beginning.
Notes on Reported Speech 4
• How do you say ‘yes’ & ‘no’ in R.S.?
By using an appropriate auxiliary or introductory
verb.
Notes on Reported Speech 5
• How do you ‘build’ long sentences using
Reported Speech?
By using reporting verbs, links, participles,
relative clauses & explanations.