DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

You can answer the question What did he/she say? in two ways:

by repeating the words spoken (direct speech)

by reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).

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."

REPORTED SPEECH
Reported 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." (direct speech) = She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)
'That' may be omitted:
She told him that she was happy. = She told him she was happy.
'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'
Use these verbs to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
Use these verbs with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.

QUESTION FORMS AND REPORTED SPEECH

WORD ORDER
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':
EXAMPLES

Direct speech

Indirect speech

"Where does Peter live?"

She asked him where Peter lived.

"Where are you going?"

She asked where I was going.

"Why is she crying?"

He asked why she was crying.

YES / NO QUESTIONS
This type of question is reported by using 'ask' + 'if / whether' + clause:
EXAMPLES

Direct speech

Indirect speech

"Do you speak English?"

He asked me if I spoke English.

"Are you British or American?"

He asked me whether I was British or American.

"Is it raining?"

She asked if it was raining.

"Have you got a computer?"

He wanted to know whether I had a computer.

"Can you type?"

She asked if I could type.

"Did you come by train?"

He enquired whether I had come by train.

"Have you been to Bristol before?"

She asked if I had been to Bristol before.

Direct speech

Indirect speech

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.
EXAMPLES

Direct speech

Indirect speech

"What is your name?" he asked me.

He asked me what my name was.

"How old is your mother?", he asked.

He asked how old her mother was.

The policman said to the boy, "Where do you live?"

The policeman asked the boy where he lived.

"What time does the train arrive?" she asked.

She asked what time the train arrived.

"When can we have dinner?" she asked.

She asked when they could have dinner.

Peter said to John, "Why are you so late?"

Peter asked the John why he was so late.

REPORTED SPEECH: ORDERS, REQUESTS & SUGGESTIONS

REPORTING ORDERS AND REQUESTS

When we want to report an order or request, we can use a verb like 'tell' with a to-clause: 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

Direct speech

Indirect speech

The doctor said to me, "Stop smoking!".

The doctor told me to stop smoking.

Direct speech

Indirect speech

"Get out of the car!" said the policeman.

The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.

"Could you please be quiet," she said.

She asked me to be quiet.

The man with the gun said to us, "Don't move!"

The man with the gun warned us not to move.

REQUESTS FOR OBJECTS

Requests for objects are reported using the pattern "asked for" + object.
EXAMPLES

Direct speech

Indirect speech

"Can I have an apple?", she asked.

She asked for an apple.

"Can I have the newspaper, please?"

He asked for the newspaper.

"May I have a glass of water?" he said.

He asked for a glass of water.

"Sugar, please."

She asked for the sugar.

"Could I have three kilos of onions?"

He asked for three kilos of onions.

SUGGESTIONS
Suggestions are most often reported using the verbs suggest, insist, recommend, demand, request, and propose followed by a that
clause. 'That' and 'should' are optional in these clauses, as shown in the first two examples below. Note that suggest, recommend,
and propose may also be followed by a gerund in order to eliminate the indirect object (the receiver of the suggestion) and thus
make the suggestion more polite. This usage of the gerund is illustrated in the fourth and fifth examples below.
EXAMPLES

Direct speech

Indirect speech

She said, "Why don't you get a mechanic to look at the car?"

She suggested that I should get a mechanic to

car. OR

She suggested I should get a mechanic to look

She suggested that I get a mechanic to look at

She suggested I get a mechanic to look at the c

"Why don't you go to the doctor?" he said.

He suggested I go to the doctor. OR

He suggested that I go to the doctor. OR
He suggested I should go to the doctor.OR
He suggested that I should go to the doctor.

"It would be a good idea to see the dentist", said my mother.

My mother suggested I see the dentist.

The dentist said, "I think you should use a different toothbrush".

The dentist recommended using a different to

You said, "I don't think you have time to see the dentist this week."

You suggested postponing my visit to the den

I said, "I don't think you should see the dentist this week."

I suggested postponing your visit to the denti

My manager said, "I think we should examine the budget carefully at

My manager proposed that we examine the b

this meeting."

the meeting.

"Why don't you sleep overnight at my house?" she said.

She suggested that I sleep overnight at her h