10 sentences with indirect speech examples. Indirect speech in English: rules, examples and exceptions in various tense forms. How time indicators change in indirect speech in English

ANOTHER SPEECH AND METHODS OF ITS TRANSMISSION

Statements or individual words belonging to other persons may be included in the author's narration. There are several ways to introduce someone else's speech into a sentence or text: direct speech, indirect speech, indirect speech and dialog.

Punctuation marks in sentences with direct speech

Legend:

P- direct speech, starting with a capital letter;
P- direct speech, starting with a lowercase letter;
BUT- words of the author, starting with a capital letter;
a- words of the author, beginning with a lowercase letter.

Various ways of transmitting someone else's speech that does not belong to the author preserve its content and form in different ways. Direct speech is a way of transmitting someone else's speech, in which both content and form are completely preserved.

There are four options for writing direct speech in writing. Each of them corresponds to the schemes that you need to remember.

Scheme 1

If direct speech is in a sentence after the words of the author, then it is enclosed in quotation marks and begins with a capital letter, and a colon is placed after the words of the author. For example:

An old priest came up to me with a question: “Would you like me to start?”(Pushkin).

Scheme 3

Occasionally, in literary texts, one can find sentences in which direct speech is inside the words of the author. In this case, it is enclosed in quotation marks, preceded by a colon, and after it by a dash. Please note that the second part of the author's words begins with a small letter. For example:

She cried out: “Ay, not him, not him!” - and fell unconscious(Pushkin).

The number of sentences within direct speech is not limited. For example:

“Thank God,” said the girl, “you came by force. You almost killed the young lady "(According to Pushkin).

In this example, direct speech consists of two sentences, the first of which is broken by the words of the author. But if the words of the author were between the two sentences that make up direct speech, then after the words of the author it would be necessary to put a full stop. Compare:

“Thank God, you came by force,” said the girl. “You almost killed the young lady”.

Consider the schemes of these proposals.

Someone else's speech, transmitted in the form of a subordinate clause, is called indirect speech.

The first, main part of the sentence in this case is the words of the author, and the second is indirect speech. Please note: the words of the author come before indirect speech and are separated from it by a comma. This way of transmitting someone else's speech, unlike direct speech, preserves the content of someone else's statement, but does not preserve its form and intonation.

Compare two ways of conveying the same statement in the illustration. A sentence with indirect speech does not convey the exclamatory intonation that is present in direct speech.

Indirect speech can be attached to the main part of the sentence with the help of unions WHAT, AS if, TO, pronouns and adverbs WHO, WHAT, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and others, as well as particles LI. The choice of these words depends on the purpose of the statement in indirect speech. In interrogative sentences, pronouns or particle LI will be used:

I asked, when the train leaves.

In incentive sentences, the conjunction TO is used, for example:

The captain ordered to raised the flag.

In declarative sentences, unions WHAT, BEING are used, for example:

He told, as if saw a live bear in the forest.

The speech of a person, transmitted as his original words, is called direct.

If only its content is transmitted, for example, in the form of additional subordinate clauses, then it is called indirect speech.

Direct speech is separated by quotation marks and is considered a separate sentence. Please note that, unlike the Russian language, quotation marks in English language written at the top of the line. Words that introduce direct speech are usually followed by a comma, and the first word of direct speech is capitalized. At the end of direct speech, a period or other punctuation mark is placed inside quotation marks:

He said, “I need my glasses.”
He said, "I need my glasses."

She told me, "It's snowing."
She told me, "It's snowing."

The transition from direct speech to indirect speech

In order to translate direct speech into indirect speech, you need to omit the comma after the words introducing direct speech and the quotation marks. Often indirect speech in English is introduced by the union that, which, however, can be omitted:

I said, “It is June.”
I said, "It's June now."

I said that it was June. (I said it was June.)
I said it was June.

All personal and possessive pronouns must be changed depending on the person from whom the narration is being conducted:

Tom and Bob told me We need your dictionary.”
Tom and Bob said, "We need your dictionary."

Tom and Bob told me that they need my dictionary.
Tom and Bob said they wanted my dictionary.

All demonstrative pronouns and adverbs of time and place in subordinate clause should be changed according to the meaning of the sentence:

these —> those

today —> that day

tomorrow —> next day

the day after tomorrow —> 2 days later

yesterday —> the day before

the day before yesterday —> 2 days before

She told me, “I will come to see you tomorrow.”
She told me: “Tomorrow I will come and visit you.”

She told me she would come to see me the next day.
She said that she would come and visit me the next day.

If the predicate in the main clause is expressed by the verb in the past tense, then the form of the verb in the subordinate clause must also be changed to one of the past tenses. This process is called timing.

Questions in indirect speech

In indirect speech, questions are in direct word order, and the question mark at the end of the sentence is replaced by a period.

General issues unions if and whether:

I asked, “Have you seen my pen?”
I asked, "Did you see my pen?"

I asked him if he had seen my pen. (I asked him whether he had seen my pen.)
I asked if he had seen my pen.

Special questions introduced in question words:

He wondered: “Who on earth will buy this junk?”
He was surprised: “Well, who will buy this junk?”

He wondered who on earth would buy that junk.
He wondered who would buy this junk.

A short answer to the question of indirect speech is introduced by the union that without words yes / no.

Communicating with people, we constantly receive some information from them, which we subsequently pass on to someone else. Several options can be used to transfer it. Of course, you can simply explain the thought in your own words in the way that you understood it. Or you can make it clear that the idea is not yours. In such cases, direct or indirect speech is used. And if direct is easy enough to use, indirect speech in English has a number of features that should be considered. About them today and will be discussed.

First, let's look at the difference between direct and indirect speech in English. Direct speech or direct speech expresses a person's phrase verbatim. This is a kind of quote that cannot be changed in any way. As in Russian, direct speech is framed with quotation marks. But instead of a colon before the words of the author at the beginning or a comma with a dash at the end, one simple comma is usually used:

Please note that the dot at the end of the sentence in the first case is placed before the quotation mark, and not after as in Russian. In addition, quotation marks in English are always placed on top.

Examples:

• She asked, “Do you feel comfortable here?” She asked: “Are you comfortable here?”
• “I will not accept his apology,” she said. “I won't accept his apology,” she said.

Note that question and exclamation marks are not used in indirect speech.

All sentences can be translated from direct speech into indirect speech. Indirect speech or indirect speech (lit. "indirect speech" or Reported speech), in turn, expresses the content of the phrase without preserving the verbatim and stylistic features. All sentences that have indirect speech are complex, where the words of the author are used in the main sentence, and the indirect speech itself is used in the subordinate clause. As a rule, the main clause is put first, and after it comes the subordinate clause, which in such speech constructions is often introduced by a union or a pronoun.

• She asks when you'll be free. She asks when you will be free.
• He said (that) they liked everything very much. He said (that) they liked everything very much.

At first glance, everything is simple, then what's the catch?

Indirect speech in English: tense agreement

The fact is that if the main sentence is in the past tense , the subordinate clause will also have to change its time to the corresponding one. This is where timing comes into play. Probably, this didn’t explain anything to you at all, so let’s turn to examples for clarity.

Let's say you have a sentence with direct speech:

Its main part is used in Past Simple tense. Indirect is formed in Present perfect. As long as both of these parts are used in a sentence with direct speech, everything is fine, because the present tense is used in quotation marks and word for word conveys the person's phrase. However, if you remove the quotes and turn direct speech into indirect speech, you won’t be able to save the Present Perfect, at least it will be considered a mistake.

"Why?" - you ask. Yes, because in English there is such a rule: if the verb in the main clause is used in the past tense, subordinate clauses are formed only by past or future forms in the past. Accordingly, by remaking the sentence above into an indirect one, you will get:

• First, the pronoun has changed to harmonize tenses.
• Secondly, the verb from Present Perfect moved to.

At first, you will probably have difficulty converting sentences. However, in the future, this process will not take you time. To make it easier for you to understand this topic, let's look at all possible options time coordination. Table for clarity:

Direct speech (Direct speech)	Indirect speech (Indirect speech)
Present Simple changes to Past Simple
He answered, “I want to go to the theatre.” (He replied: “I want to go to the theatre.”)	He answered that he wanted to go to the theatre. (He replied that he wanted to go to the theatre.)
Present Continuous changes to Past Continuous
Jim said, "I'm doing English exercises now." (Jim said, "Now I'm doing my English exercises.")	Jim said that he was doing English exercises then. (Jim said he was doing English exercises.)
Present Perfect changes to Past Perfect
My son said, "I have read the book twice." (My son said, "I've read this book twice.")	My son said that he had read the book twice. (My son said he read this book twice.)
Present Perfect Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous
Bruce confirmed, "She has been living here for 2 years." (Bruce confirmed, "She's been living here for 2 years.")	Bruce confirmed that she had been living there for 2 years. (Bruce confirmed that she has been living there for 2 years.)
Past Simple changes to Past Perfect
He said, "I worked yesterday." (He said, "I worked yesterday.")	He said that he had worked the day before. (He said that he had been working the day before.)
Past Continuous changes to Past Perfect Continuous
She said, "He was sleeping." (She said, "He was sleeping.")	She said that he had been sleeping. (She said he was asleep.)
Past Perfect does not change
Mom said, "Tom was tired because he had studied hard." (Mom said, "Tom is tired because he has been working out a lot.")	Mom said that Tom was tired because he had studied hard. (Mom said that Tom was tired because he worked out a lot.)
Past Perfect Continuous does not change
She said, "We had not been traveling till he graduated from the university." (She said, "We didn't travel until he graduated from university.")	She said that they had not been traveling till he graduated from the university. (She said they didn't travel until he graduated from university.)
In all future tenses, will changes to would, forming the future in the past.
He said, "I will be with you whatever." (He said, "I'll be with you, no matter what happens.")	He said that he would be with me whatever. (He said he would be with me no matter what happened.)
Modal verbs with the past tense also change:
Can to Could; Will to Would;	Have to on Had to; Shall on Would (about the future); Shall on Should (advice).
She said, "He can't do it." (She said: "He can do».)	She said that he could do it. (She said he could do it.)
Should, must, might, ought to, need, had to do not change
The teacher said, "You must consider the translation rules doing the task." (The teacher said: "You must take into account the rules of translation when completing the assignment.")	The teacher said that we must consider the translation rules doing the task. (The teacher said that we should take into account the translation rules when doing the task.)

That is, you need to use the same group, but at a different time. Usually this "other" time is located on the timeline before the time used in direct speech. The exceptions are the Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous times, since there are no times before them. The Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses may also not change in colloquial speech, and also when the Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous is used in the sentence, as in the examples above.

It is worth noting that if the verb in the main clause is in the present or future tense, verbs in indirect speech can be in any tense:

That is, if you want to make an indirect sentence in which the main part is used in the present or future, simply translate the subordinate clause from the direct sentence into the indirect one, changing only the pronouns in meaning.

Indirect speech of the English language: exceptions to the rules

It is difficult to imagine English without exceptions. Some of them relate to indirect speech. So, in the past tense, indirect sentences can be used in the present, if in the subordinate clause:

• A well-known fact or truth is expressed:

• Time specified:

• If they refer to words that have just been said or that are still relevant:

Indirect speech in English: other features

In addition to the form of the verb, when using indirect speech, the following changes:

• Pronouns not to be forgotten. They must change in meaning. Most often, pronouns change as follows:

Direct Speech (Direct speech)	Indirect Speech (Indirect speech)
Personal pronouns (nominative case)
I	I/he/she
you	he/she
we	they
he/she/it/they	do not change
Personal pronouns (objective)
me	him/her
you	him/her
us	them
him/her/it/them	do not change
Possessive pronouns
my	his / her
your	his / her
our	their
him/her/its/their	do not change
Demonstrative pronouns
this	that
these	those

However, it all depends on the specific situation and the time you use.

• Time pointers. For example, in direct speech you are talking about "now", but if the sentence is used in the past tense and in indirect speech, then "now" is replaced by "then". Let's look at the whole list:

now (now)	then (then)
here (here)	there (there)
today (today)	that day (that day)
tomorrow (tomorrow)	the next day (the next day)
the day after tomorrow (the day after tomorrow)	two days later (two days later)
yesterday (yesterday)	the day before (the day before)
the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday)	two days before (two days earlier)
next week / month (next week / next month)	the next week / month (next week / next month)
next year (next year)	the next year / the following year (next year)
last week / month (last week / last month)	the previous week / month (week / month before)
last year (last year)	the year before (a year before)
ago (ago ago)	before (before)

Example:

• The verb say can change to tell. If after say there is a clarification to whom exactly something was said, then in indirect speech say will change to tell. Compare:

Types of sentences in indirect speech of the English language

The construction of the sentences above is not unique. Consider all options for indirect proposals:

• To form a declarative sentence in indirect speech, it is enough, as in the examples above, to use the union that (what), which can be omitted if desired:

• If sentences in direct speech are imperative, then in indirect speech in English these imperative sentences are introduced by the infinitive:

If the imperative mood is negative, then the negative particle not is placed before the infinitive:

Note that in the main sentence, it is possible to use incentive words that express an order or request.

• Questions in indirect speech in English also have special nuances. If direct speech contains general questions, then such sentences will be introduced into indirect speech by unions whether / if (whether):

If, for example, you are retelling a dialogue, then in addition to the question, you will also need to tell about the answer, which can also be used in indirect speech:

As you can see, "yes" and "no" are omitted in such cases.

• If direct speech in English contains a special question, then it is introduced into an indirect sentence by a union, which is identical to the interrogative word with which the sentence begins. Despite the fact that interrogative sentences have a reverse word order, indirect speech retains a direct order:

Entering questions into indirect speech is used quite often, so be sure to study this point.

Bypass indirect clauses

With the best intentions, we will tell you a little secret that is in the arsenal of translators. If you panic when making sentences in indirect speech in English, or you just don’t want to use them, sometimes using these sentences can be avoided. For example:

Of course, it will not work to remake all indirect sentences into similar ones, but if such a transition is possible, feel free to use it.

We hope that this topic has become clearer to you. To consolidate the material, periodically return to this article, complete the exercises and make up your own examples.

in conversation and writing often there is a need to convey the words of another person, this can be done in two ways:

1. Direct speech- the statement of another person is transmitted verbatim, with an exact quote. In English, as in Russian, direct speech in writing is enclosed in quotation marks.
2. Indirect speech- words are transmitted in paraphrase, in the form.

For example:

Direct speech is a separate, enclosed in quotation marks. It can be narrative, interrogative, imperative. In terms of punctuation, as you can see from the example above, there are slight differences from direct speech in Russian:

1. Direct speech in English is preceded by a comma, not a colon.
2. At the end of direct speech, a dot is placed before the closing quotation mark, not after.
3. In English, "upper quotation marks" are used.

Transition of direct speech into indirect (declarative sentence)

To begin with, let's recall how indirect speech is built in Russian.

In Russian, when we want to translate direct speech into indirect speech, we omit the quotation marks, add the union “what” and, as it were, retell the content of the direct speech in the third person.

As you can see, we replaced the meaning of “I” with “she”, and “I think” with “thinks”, so that indirect speech does not sound like a quote, like a speech in the first person.

In English, direct speech is translated into indirect speech in much the same way.

Direct speech	Indirect speech
Victoria said, "I don't think so."	Victoria said that she did not think so.

The main difference is that between the main and the subordinate part of the sentence is observed (see paragraph 6 below).

These are the changes that occur when direct speech changes into indirect speech.

1. Quotation marks are omitted, a comma is removed before direct speech.
2. Union is added that, introducing a subordinate clause with indirect speech (she did not think so). In colloquial speech, the union that is often omitted: Victoria said (that) she didn't think so.
3. Personal pronouns change in meaning. In the example above, for example, we changed I to she because we are talking about Victoria in the third person.
4. If in the main clause the verb introducing direct speech is in the present or future tense, then the verb in the subordinate clause does not change.

1. If in the main clause the verb introducing direct speech is in one of the past tenses, then in indirect speech in the subordinate clause the verb changes in accordance with the rules, that is, it takes the appropriate form of the past tense. That is, if there was Present Simple in direct speech, the time changes to Past Simple; if it was Present Perfect, it changes to Past Perfect; if Present Continuous, it changes to Past Continuous. If in direct speech there was a future tense, it changes with the help of the verb would to the corresponding form “future in the past” ().

Direct speech	Indirect speech
→
Anna said, “I work as a sales manager.” Anna said: "I work as a sales manager."	Anna said that she worked as a sales manager. Anna said that she works as a sales manager.
→
Martin said, “I am working on an interesting project.” Martin said: "I'm working on an interesting project."	Martin said that he was working on an interesting project. Martin said he was working on an interesting project.
→
Lily said, “I have discussed my working schedule with my supervisor.” Lily said, "I discussed the work schedule with my supervisor."	Lily said that she had discussed her working schedule with her supervisor. Lily said she discussed the work schedule with her manager.
→ (will changes to would)
He told me, “You willl never get promoted.” He told me, "You'll never get promoted."	He told me that I would never get promoted. He told me that I would never be promoted.

1. If the verb introducing direct speech is used in the past tense, in indirect speech must, can, may change to the corresponding forms (or a synonym, like must) of the past tense: must - had to, can - could, may - might. The verbs should, ought do not change.

1. If the verb to say in the main part of the sentence is used without a direct object, then in indirect speech it does not change. If with an addition, for example “she said to me”, then in indirect speech it changes to a verb to tell.

1. As in Russian, in direct speech they change within the meaning of and , if the circumstances require it.

Such a replacement is appropriate if Maria lost her keys at a gas station, and she talks about it at home. Accordingly, it would be appropriate to say that she lost the keys "there" and not "here", because "here" would already mean "at home", that is, in the place where the conversation takes place.

However, if Maria lost her keys at the gas station and the conversation is also going on at the gas station, then you can say this: “Maria said that she lost her keys here.”

Interrogative sentence in indirect speech

If direct speech is an interrogative sentence, then in indirect speech it becomes a subordinate clause, while it uses direct word order and omits the question mark.

You can go through the exercises for this lesson on the Puzzle English website.

Indirect and direct speech in Englishused to transmit information received from another person. Thisdirect and indirect speech in Englishdo not differ from their counterparts in Russian. However, they differ in other respects.

Direct speech

Direct speech, or direct speech, expresses a person’s phrase verbatim, it is a quote or a transfer of the essence of a phrase said by another person, on his behalf.

As in Russian, direct speech in English is framed with quotation marks, but "upper" quotation marks, called English double quotation marks, are used. Instead of a colon before the words of the author at the beginning or a comma and a dash at the end, the English language uses one simple comma. The dot at the end of a sentence is placed before the closing quotation mark, and not after, as in Russian.

Sentence schemes with direct speech:

Examples

The postman said, “I will deliver this letter tomorrow.” The postman said: "I will deliver this letter tomorrow."

She asked, “Do you feel comfortable here?” - She asked: "Are you comfortable here?"

“I will not accept his apology,” she said. “I won't accept his apology,” she said.

Indirect speech

Reported speech (Indirect speech), or indirect speech, is a speech that is not transmitted word for word, but only in content, in the form of additional subordinate clauses, without preserving the author's style.

All sentences that have indirect speech are complex, where the words of the author are used in the main sentence, and the indirect speech itself is used in the subordinate clause. Question and exclamation marks are not used in indirect speech. A comma after the words of the author in English is not put.

Sentence scheme with indirect speech:

Examples

The postman said he would deliver that letter the next day. The postman said that he would deliver this letter the next day.

She asks when you'll be free. - She asks when you will be free.

He said (that) they liked everything very much. - He said (that) they liked everything very much.

All offers indirect speech in Englishcan be translated into sentences in indirect speech. But if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause must also change its tense to the corresponding one. This is where the timing rule comes into play.

Example

A sentence with direct speech needs to be translated into a sentence with indirect speech:

He said, “I have never been to South Korea.” - He said, "I've never been to South Korea."

The main part of this sentence is in the Past Simple, the subordinate clause is in the Present Perfect. In indirect speech, it will be translated into Past Perfect according to the rule of the English language: if the verb in the main clause is used in the past tense, subordinate clauses are formed only by past or future forms in the past.

Thus, the result of translating an example sentence from direct speech into indirect speech will look like this:

He said that he had never been to South Korea. - He said that (he) had never been to South Korea.

Changes that have taken place:

• The verb has changed from Present Perfect to Past Perfect.
• The pronoun has changed.

Indirect speech in English - tabletiming

When timing is not required

Cases where the offer andstraight, andremains at the same time:

• If in direct speech the main sentence is in the form of present (Present Simple or Present Perfect) or future (Future Simple) tense, then the verb in indirect speech (in the subordinate clause) remains in the same tense as it was in direct speech.

Examples

She says, “I want to go for a walk.” - She says: "I want to go for a walk."
=>
She says that she wants to go for a walk - She says she wants to go for a walk.

I will just say, “You made a huge mistake.” - I'll just say: "You made a huge mistake."
=>
I will just say that he made a huge mistake. I'll just say that he made a huge mistake.

• If the subordinate clause is in Past Pefect, then in indirect speech its time does not change.

Examples

My friend said to me, “I had known you before we were introduced to each other.” - My friend said to me: "I knew you before we were introduced to each other."
=>
My friend told me that he had known me before we were introduced to each other. - My friend told me that he knew me before we were introduced to each other.

Mom said, “Tom was tired because he had studied hard.” - Mom said: "Tom is tired because he worked out a lot."
=>
Mom said that Tom had been tired because he had studied hard. - Mom said that Tom was tired because he worked out a lot.

• If the main sentence is in Past Perfect Continuous, then in indirect speech the tense of the verb does not change.

Examples

My wife said, “We had been dating for 3 years before we got married.” - My wife said, "We dated for 3 years before we got married."
=>
My wife said that we had been dating for 3 years before we had got married. - My wife said that we dated for 3 years before we got married.

She said, “We had not been traveling till he graduated from the university.” - She said: "We did not travel until he graduated from the university."
=>
She said that they had not been traveling till he had graduated from the university. - She said they didn't travel until he graduated from university.

• If the main sentence is in Past Simple, then in indirect speech the tense of the verb in some cases may not change, which is typical for colloquial speech. When using such temporary designations as the day before (the day before), two years before (two years before), etc., it is preferable to use the Past Perfect.

Examples

They said, “We went to the cinema and watched a film.” - They said: "We went to the cinema and saw the film."
=>
They said that they went to the cinema and watched a film. They said that they went to the cinema and saw a movie.

She said, “I had a cold a week ago.” She said, "I had a cold a week ago."
=>
She said that she had had a cold the week before. She said she had a cold the week before.

• If the subordinate clause is in the Past Continuous, then in colloquial speech the tense of the verb may not change.

Example

He said, “I was playing tennis when she called me.” - He said: "I was playing tennis when she called me."
=>
He said that he was playing tennis when she called him. He said he was playing tennis when she called him.

Translation of modal verbs fromdirect to indirect speech in English

Direct speech: Will => Indirect speech: Would

Example

The doctor said, “You will get the result of your blood test tomorrow.” - The doctor said: "You will receive the result of your blood test tomorrow."
=>
The doctor said that I would get the result of my blood test the next day. The doctor said that I would get the result of my blood test the next day.

Direct speech: Can => Indirect speech: Could

Example

The assistant said, “I can check it for you.” - The assistant said: "I can check it for you."
=>
The assistant said that he could check it for me. - The assistant said he could check it for me.

Direct speech: May => Indirect speech: Might

Example

She said to me, “I may come, too.” - She told me: “I, too, maybe I will come.”
=>
She told me that she might come too. She told me that she might come too.

Direct speech: Shall => Indirect speech: Should(suggestions, please give advice, etc.)
Direct speech: Shall => Indirect speech: Would(when we are talking about future tense)

Examples

She asked, “Shall I open the window?” - She asked: “Maybe I can open the window?”
=>
She asked if she should open the window. She asked if she could open the window.

Somebody said, “I will be there at this time.” - Someone said: "I'll be there at that time."
=>
Somebody said that he would be there at that time. - Someone said that he would be there at that time.

Modal verbs that remain unchanged in translationdirect speech into indirect

• Modal verbs in the past tense:would, could, had to, might.

Example

They said, “There was nothing we could do about that.” "They said, 'We couldn't do anything about it.'
=>
They said that there had been nothing they could do about that. - They said they couldn't do anything about it.

• Modal verbsought to, needn"t, must.

Example

He said, “They must be late.” He said, "They must be late."
=>
He said that they must be late. He said they must be late.

Features of the translation into indirect speech of the verb to say (to speak)

If in a sentence introducing direct speech, the verb to say is used without mentioning the person to whom the speech is addressed, then say is also preserved in indirect speech. If there is such a person, then say is changed to the verb tell.

Examples

He said, "Our team lost the game.” - He said: "Our team lost."
=>
He said that their team had lost the game. - He said that their team lost.

She said to me, “I will wait for you outside.” - She told me: "I'll wait for you outside."
=>
She told me that she would wait for me outside. She said she would wait for me outside.

Changing pronouns in translationdirect speech to indirect in English

When forming a sentence in indirect speech, pronouns change according to the meaning of the phrase.

Personal pronouns (nominative case):

I => he/she
You => I/he/she
We => they
He / she / it / they => do not change

Personal pronouns (objective):

Me => him / her
You => me / him / her
Us => them
Him / her / it / them => do not change

Possessive pronouns:

My => his / her
Your => my / his / her
Our => their
His / her / its / their => do not change

Demonstrative pronouns:

This => that
These => those

Example

He said, “I like these shoes.” - He said: "I like these shoes."
=>
He said that he liked those shoes. - He said he liked those shoes.

How do time indicators change inindirect speech in English

It all depends on the specific situation and the time that is used. For example, in direct speech, the author speaks of "now", but if the sentence is in the past tense with indirect speech, then "now" is replaced by "then".

now (now) => then (then)
here (here) => there (there)
today (today) => that day (on that day)
tomorrow (tomorrow) => the next day (the next day)
the day after tomorrow (the day after tomorrow) => two days later (two days later)
yesterday (yesterday) => the day before (the day before)
the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday) => two days before (two days earlier)
next week / month (next week / next month) => the next week / month (next week / next month)
next year (next year) => the next year / the following year (next year)
last week / month (last week / last month) => the previous week / month (the week / month before)
last year (last year) => the year before (one year before)
ago (ago ago) => before (before)

Example

He said, “We will meet next week.” - He said: "We'll meet next week."
=>
He said that they would meet the next week. He said that they would meet next week.

Types of sentences in indirect speech in English

Declarative sentence

Summing up, it can be noted that in order to translate a declarative sentence with direct speech into a sentence with indirect speech, 4 steps must be completed.

• Remove the quotes and use the union that (what). In colloquial speech and sometimes in writing, the union can be omitted.

She said, “I will buy a dress.” - She said: "I will buy a dress."
=>
She said that… - She said that…

• Change the acting person. In direct speech, a person speaks on his own behalf, in indirect speech, the face will be changed. So, if you want to convey the words of a girl, instead of "I" the pronoun "she" will be used.

She said that she…

• Coordinate tense, because in English you cannot use the past tense in the same sentence with the present or future. If the words of a person are transmitted at the present moment, then it is not necessary to coordinate the times. To match the first and second parts of the sentence in the example above, change will to would.

She said that she would buy a dress.

• Change the clarifying parts of the sentence according to the meaning.

She said, “I am driving now.” - She said: "I'm driving now."

When transmitting these words, not now (now), but then (then) will be used, since we will be talking about a point in time in the past when she was driving.

She said that she was driving then.

Likewise in the following example:

He said, “I work here.” - He said: "I work here."

If the person transmitting this remark is in the same building where he works, then there is no need to replace the word.

He said that he worked here. - He said he works here.

If the person transmitting the cue talks about this already in another place, then he uses there (there), and not here (here).

He said that he worked there. - He said he works there.

What can replace say and ask in indirect speech

Some verbs that can be used to convey indirect speech in order to avoid the constant repetition of the verbs say and ask:

Agree(agree)

He said, “Ok, I was wrong.” - He said: "OK, I was wrong."
=>
He agreed that he had been wrong. He agreed that he was wrong.

Claim(declare)

He said, “I saw a UFO.” - He said: "I saw a UFO."
=>
He claimed that he had seen a UFO. - He claimed to have seen a UFO.

Complain(to complain)

She said, “You never share any secrets with me!” - She said: "You never share secrets with me!"
=>
She complained that I never shared any secrets with her. - She complained that I never shared secrets with her. .

Admit(to admit)

She said, “I was really unfriendly to him.” - She said: "I was really unfriendly with him."
=>
She admitted that she had been unfriendly to him. She admitted that she was unfriendly towards him.

Deny(deny)

He said, "I didn't break your favorite cup!" - He said, "I didn't break your favorite cup!"
=>
He denied that he had broken the cup. He denied having broken the cup.

Exclaim(exclaim)

She said, “I am so happy!” - She said, "I'm so happy!"
=>
She exclaimed that she was very happy. She exclaimed that she was very happy.

explain(explain)

He said, “You see, there’s no point in going there right now.” - He said: "You see, there is no point in going there right now."
=>
He explained that there was no point in going there at that moment. He explained that at that moment there was no point in going there.

Recommended(advise)

She said, "You'd better stay at home." - She said: "You'd better stay at home."
=>
She recommended that we stayed at home. She advised us to stay at home.

Prove(prove)

He said, “See, the system works.” - He said: "You see, the system works."
=>
He proved that the system worked. - He proved that the system works.

Insist(insist)

They said, “You need to be present at the meeting.” - They said: "You must attend the meeting."
=>
They insisted that I need to be present at the meeting. - They insisted that I should attend the meeting.

Regret(regret)

She said, “If only I could go on a vacation this year.” - She said, “If only I could go on vacation this year…”
=>
She regretted that she couldn't go on a vacation this year. She regretted not being able to go on vacation this year.

State(approve)

Witness said, “I have never seen the young man before.” - The witness said: "I have never seen this young man before."
=>
The witness stated that he had never seen the young man before. - The witness claimed that he had never seen this young man before.

Promise(promise)

Dad said, "I will be back no later than eight o'clock." - Dad said: "I'll be back no later than 8 o'clock."
=>
Dad promised that he would be back no later than eight o'clock. - Dad promised that he would return no later than 8 o'clock.

Suggest(suggest)

He said, “Shall we spend the evening together?” - He said: "Spend the evening together?"
=>
He suggested that they spent the evening together. He offered to spend the evening together.

assert(approve)

Scientists said, “Nuclear power is a safe and non-polluting kind of energy.” - Scientists said: "Nuclear energy is a safe and environmentally friendly form of energy."
=>
The scientists asserted that nuclear power was a safe and non-polluting kind of energy. - Scientists argued that nuclear energy is a safe and environmentally friendly form of energy.

Contend(declare)

Astronomers said, “The Earth may be much younger than previously thought.” - Astronomers said: "Earth may be much younger than previously thought."
=>
Some astronomers contend that the Earth may be much younger than previously thought. - Some astronomers argue that the Earth may be much younger than previously thought.

Interrogative sentence

General issues

General questions in indirect speech are attached to the main sentence using the unions if or whether. The word order of the interrogative sentence changes to the word order of the declarative sentence.

Examples

She asked, “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” - She asked: "Do you have plans for the weekend?"
=>
She asked if I had any plans for the weekend. She asked if I had any plans for the weekend.

They asked, “Will you visit us tomorrow?” - They asked: "Will you come to us tomorrow?"
=>
They asked whether we would visit them the next day. They asked if we would come to them the next day.

She asked, “Can you give them a call?” - She asked: "Can you call them?"
=>
She asked if I could give them a call. She asked if I could call them.

When translating answers to general questions into indirect speech, the words yes and no are omitted.

Examples

She asked, “Do you want another cup of tea?” She asked, "Do you want another cup of tea?"
I said, “No, I don't.” - I answered: "No, I do not want to."
=> She asked if I wanted another cup of tea. She asked if I would like another cup of tea.
I answered that I didn't. - I answered that I didn't want to.

Special questions

Special questions begin with interrogative words what(what), when (when), how (how), why (why), where (where), which (which). When translating special questions into indirect speech, the word order is the same as in the declarative sentence, and the interrogative word serves to attach the subordinate clause to the main one.

Examples

She asked, “What time does the train arrive?” She asked: “What time does the train arrive?”
=>
She asked what time the train arrived. She asked what time the train arrives.

He asked, “When did you come?” - He asked: "When did you come?"
=>
He asked when I had come. - He asked when I arrived.

I asked him, “How old are you?” - I asked him: “How old are you?”
=>
I asked him how old he was. - I asked how old he was.

She asks, Where will you go?” She asks: "Where are you going?"
=>
She asks where we will go. She asks where we are going.

Imperative mood in indirect speech

If sentences in direct speech are imperative, then inindirect speech in Englishthese sentences are translated using the verb in the infinitive.

Example

Mom said, “Go home!” - Mom said: "Go home!"
=>
Mom said to go home. - Mom said to go home.

If the sentence in the imperative mood is negative, then the negative particle not is placed before the infinitive.

Example

She said to me, "Don't touch my clothes." - She told me: "Don't touch my things."
=>
She asked me not to touch her clothes. She asked me not to touch her things.

If direct speech expresses an order, then the verb to say is replaced by the verbs to tell, to order.

Examples

The officer said, "Don't move!" - The officer said: "Don't move!"
=>
The officer ordered not to move. - The officer ordered not to move.

He said, “Listen to what I am saying!” - He said: "Listen to what I say!"
=>
He told me to listen to what he was saying. He told me to listen to what he says.

If direct speech expresses a request, then the verb to say is replaced by the verb to ask.

Example

Mother said, “Be careful!” - Mom said: "Be careful!"
=>
Mother asked to be careful. Mom told me to be careful.

In a subordinate clause in direct speech, it is possible to use incentive words that express an order or request. When translated into indirect speech, they are not preserved.

She said, “Please don't laugh at him!” - She said: " You are welcome don't laugh at him!"
=>
She asked not to laugh at him. She asked me not to laugh at him.

Transferring the words of the author without usingindirect speech in English

In some cases, it is possible to convey the words of another person not using indirect speech structures, but in an alternative way.

Examples

He said, "Hello everyone!" - He said: "Hi everyone!"
=>
He welcomed everyone. - He greeted everyone.

She said, “Yes.” - She said: "Yes."
=>
She agreed. / She confirmed. - She agreed. / She confirmed.

She says, “No.” - She says, "No."
=>
She doesn't agree (disagrees). / She denies. - She doesn't agree. She denies.

He said, "I don't want to answer." - He said: "I don't want to answer."
=>
He refused to answer. - He refused to answer.