T15 Indirect Statement

Topic 15

Indirect Statement

A direct statement/speech:

        Jean said, ‘’Wah, tomorrow is a holiday.”

A Indirect statement/ speech:  to report what Jean has said/had said.

        Jean said that tomorrow is a holiday.  (a fact in the present)

          Jean said that the following day was a holiday.  (a fact in the past)

To report somebody’s speech which is about something in the past.  You usually have to change the Tense, Place and Time as well as Pronouns. 

To report somebody’s speech which is about something in the present/ a general truth.  You usually don’t have to change the Tense, Place and Time.

A.  To report somebody’s speech about something in the present/a general

      truth.

No Change of Tenses

1.  A fact in the present/ An action is still happening.

     Alice said, “I am confident enough to win the competition.” 

     [Alice] said that [she] is confident enough to win the competition.

2.  A general truth

     Miss Lee said, “[Global warming] causes more frequent droughts and floods. ”

     Miss Lee said that [global warming] causes more frequent droughts and floods.

3.  The Introductory Verbs

      A)  Simple Present Tense

      B)  Simple Future Tense

      George says, “[Tina] was often late to school last year.”

      George says that [Tina] was often late to school last year.

      Ying Yieng will complain, “[I] have to do so much work every day.”

      Ying Yieng will complain that [she] has to do so much work every day.

B.  To report somebody’s speech about something in the past.

Change of Tenses

Direct speech                             Indirect speech

I.  Simple Tenses

1.  Simple Present Tense             Simple Past Tense 

     [S] am/is/are                         [S] was/were

     He/She/ It F1+s/es                 [S] F3

     I/We/Youy/You/They V

     Simple Future Tense              Past Simple Future Tense           

     [S] shall/will F1                      [S] should/ would F1

II.  Continuous Tenses

2.  Present Continuous Tense       Past Continuous Tense

     [S] am/is/are F2                    [S] was /were F2

III.  Perfect Tenses

3.  Present Perfect Tense            Past Perfect Tense

     [S] have/has F4                     [S] had F4   

     Future Perfect Tense              Past Future Perfect Tense

     [S] shall / will have F4            [S] should/would have F4

Change of Place/Time, Etc.  (About the thing in the past)

1.  this                                      that

2.  these                                    those

3.  here                                     there

4.  thus                                     so

5.  now                                      then

6.  today                                    that day

7.  tomorrow                              the next day/the following day

8.  yesterday                              the day before/ the previous day

9.  last night                              the night before

10. ago                                      before

Change of Modal Verbs

1.  can                                      could

2.  may                                     might

3.  must                                    had to F1

Examples:

1.  Helen said, “[I] am very tired now.”

     Helen said that [she] was very tired then.

2.  Peter said, “Hassan studies very hard every day.”

     Peter said that Hassan studied very hard every day.

3.  “I am washing clothes now,”  MeiMei said.

     MeiMei said that [she] was washing clothes then.

4.  “[I] have revised my lessons,” Tom said.

     Tom said that [he] had revised his lessons.

5.  Ali said, “[I] shall go to fetch my brother in a minute. ”

    Ali said that [he] would go to fetch his brother in a minute.

6.  Rita said, “[Irene] must arrive here in time for the meeting. ”

     Rita said that [Irene] had to arrive there in time for the meeting.

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