Direct and Indirect Speeches (REPORTED SPEECH)

Direct and Indirect Speeches

(REPORTED SPEECH)

Objectives

• Understanding the concept of reported speech.
• Shifting direct speech into reported speech using appropriate tenses.

Learn about it!

Dad: Andy, please tell mom to pick up your sister at 9 p.m. I will have a meeting tonight.
Andy: Okay, Dad.

Andy: Mom, Daddy told me that he will have a meeting tonight. He asked you to pick up Anna at 9 p.m.
Mom: Okay, thank you Andy.

Reported speech is commonly used in spoken text/ conversation. In daily settings we can find people do this reported speech when they want to share information to friends, families or the other without changing the exact meaning (Not the exact words since the tense may slightly vary). This is why reported speech is also known as ‘Indirect speech’.

The idea of reported speech is similar to the situation when you receive a message or information from somebody then, you tell someone else about it. The channel of information goes from the person telling the information to you, yourself, the person hearing the information from you. In that case you are the 2nd speaker and the other person whom you share the information with is the 3rd speaker. See the illustration below!

The difference between direct speech and reported speech is on the use of the original words from the 1st speaker. In direct speech we repeat the original 1st speaker exact words but in reported speech we say the exact meaning without using the 1st speaker original words, or called reporting. The consequence of reporting what you hear from someone to someonelse is the changes in tenses, especially when we turn direct speech into reported speech. See the table below!

Do you understand?

Read the text carefully and turn the direct speech into reported speech!

You have just received a call from your uncle. He is a professor, teaching in a well-known university in this country. In his conversation with you, he gives some tips of becoming a successful university student. He guaranties if you do all of the suggestions, you can be successful. He mentions rule number one, “Study at the same time.” Rule number two, “Start with the most difficult subject first”. Rule number three, “Do your homework today.” And rule number four, “Have a study group with your friends”. You tell your friends that a professor gives you four tips of successful study in the university. Your friends are very interested to know what the tips are. One by one they start asking you to tell.

Rendy: Can you tell us the tips of successful students from the professor?
Aldo: What is the first rule?
You : (1) ....
Ivan : What’s next?
You : (2) ....
Erik : Then the third?
You : Did our homework today
Aldo: What is the last?
You : (3) ....
They: Thank you for sharing the secrets.
You : My pleasure

What would you tell your friends about the rule number one? Choose the correct sentence ....

a. He mentioned that the first rule study at the same time
b. He mentioned that the first rule studies at the same time
c. He mentioned that the first rule studied at the same time
d. He mentioned that the first rule studying at the same time
e. He mentioned that the first rule to study at the same time

Hint:
What tense is used to tell the tips?

Explanation:
The correct answer is, ‘He mentioned that the first rule studied at the same time.’ We can see in the third answer that the tense which is used is simple past. The other answer must have the same tense.

Direct speech: Study at the same time (simple present)
Reported speech: Studied (simple past)

What is the second rule? Choose the right asnwer below ....

a. Start with the most difficult subject first
b. Starts with the most difficult subject first
c. Is started with the most difficult subject first
d. Was started with the most difficult subject first
e. Started with the most difficult subject first

Hint:
Which answer is using simple past?
Explanation:
The verb is start (V1) and started for V2 (simple past)

The third advice to be a successful university student is ....

a. Studied group with your friends
b. Has study group with your friends
c. Have study group with your friends
d. Had study group with your friends
e. Having study group with your friends

Hint:
What is the verb? Change it into simple past!
Explanation:
The verb is have (V1) and had (V2)

Keypoints

• There is no comma after said in reported speech.
• The word that is optional, it can be omitted.