Indirect Statements

Indirect statements are generally introduced by the verbs to say, to tell, to announce and in official style by the verb to inform. With the verbs to tell and to inform the person addressed is always mentioned. With the verbs to say and to announce the person addressed may or may not be mentioned. If it is mentioned, the preposition to is used. (She said (to us), 'There are interesting magazines in the reading hall." - She said (she told as) that there were interesting magazines in the reading-hall).

The verb to say is used to introduce both direct and indirect speech if the person addressed is not mentioned. If the person is mentioned, the verb to tell is preferable; if the verb to say is used, the preposition to is necessary. (She said, 'I'll be back directly. - She said she would be back directly. The verb to tell is used to introduce indirect speech only; the person addressed must be mentioned. (She said to us, 'I've received an interesting letter." - She told us she had received…)

Note 1. —The verb to tell is used without the person addressed being mentioned in sentences as The book tells of the life of Negroes, also in the expressions to tell a lie, to tell the truth, to tell a story. Note 2.—The verb to speak never introduces indirect speech because it is never followed by an object clause (it can only be followed by an object clause with a preposition). Therefore the sentence 'он говорил, что любит музыку’ should be rendered in the following way: He said he was fond of music. Note 3. — It should be noted that the verb to speak cannot take a direct object, unless it is the name of a language or the noun truth in the expression to speak the truth. ‘Он говорил много интересного' should be rendered in the following way: He said many interesting things.

An emphatic statement tinged with emotion is often introduced by the verb to declare. (She said, 'It's the dullest book I've ever read - She declared it was the dullest book she had ever read). Other verbs are also used to introduce statements. According to the character of the statement, the verbs to promise, to remark, to remind, to assure, to admit, to deny, etc. are frequently used. (He said to me, 'I hope you have not forgotten that there will be a meeting to-night." - He reminded me that there would be a meeting that night).

Indirect speech

In contrast to direct speech, in which the exact words of the speaker are given, indirect speech is a form of utterance in which these words are reported. When direct speech is converted into indirect speech the following changes are introduced: 1. The quotation marks and the comma (or colon) are omitted.2. If the speaker reports somebody else's words the pronouns of the 1st person are replaced by those of the 3rd person; the pronouns of the 2nd by those of the 1st or 3rd. (He said, "I am ready." - He said he was ready). If the speaker reports his or her own words, the pronouns are naturally not changed (I said, "I am ready." - I said I was ready). 3. If the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense, demonstrative pronouns and adverbials expressing nearness are replaced by words expressing distance: Here is replaced by there. This by that, these by those. Now by then, at that time (moment), or no adverb is used at all. To-day is replaced by that day. Yesterday by the day before or on the previous day. Ago by before. A year ago by a year before. Last night by the previous night. If the speaker speaks in the same place and at the same time as the speaker whose words are reported, the demonstrative pronouns and adverbs are not changed (An hour ago he said he would come here to-night). 4. If the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense, the tenses are changed according to the rule of the sequence of tenses (DIRECT SPEECH - INDIRECT SPEECH: The Present Indefinite is replaced by the Past Indefinite. (She said, "We often write letters." - She said they often wrote letters). The Present Continuous is replaced by the Past Continuous. (She said, "We are writing a letter." - She said they were writing a letter). The Present Perfect is replaced by the Past Perfect. (She said, "We have just written a letter - She said they had just written a letter). The Present Perfect Continuous is replaced by the Past Perfect Continuous. (She said, "We have been writing for an hour - She said they had been writing for an hour). The Past Indefinite is replaced by the Past Perfect. (She said, "We wrote a letter last night - She said they had written a letter on the previous night). The Past Continuous generally remains unchanged, or is replaced by the Past Perfect Continuous. (She said, "I was writing at 5 o’clock - She said she was (had been) at 5 o'clock). The Past Perfect remains unchanged. (She said, "We had written the letter by 5 o'clock." - She said they had written the letter by 5 o'clock). The Past Perfect Continuous remains unchanged. (She said, "We had been writing for an hour by 5 o'clock." - She said they had been writing for an hour by 5 o'clock). The Future Indefinite is replaced by the Future Indefinite in the Past. (She said, "We’ll write a letter tomorrow - She said they would write a letter the next day). The Future Continuous is replaced by the Future Continuous in the Past. (She said, "We'll be writing at 5 o'clock." - She said they would be writing at 5 o'clock). The Future Perfect is replaced by the Future Perfect in the Past. (She said, "We'll have written the letter by 5 o'clock." - She said they would have written the letter by 5 o'clock). The Future Perfect Continuous is replaced by the Future Perfect Continuous in the Past. (She said, "We'll have been writing for 2 hours by 5 o'clock." - She said they would have been writing for 2 hours by 5 o'clock). If the Past Indefinite in direct speech denotes an action taking place at a definite moment, it remains unchanged in indirect speech. (She said, "I had left home before the telegram came." - She said she had left home before the telegram came). The Past Indefinite after since generally remains unchanged. (She said, "I have been writing since I came." - She said she had been writing since she came)). 5. When sentences containing the Subjunctive Mood are converted into indirect speech the form of the verb usually remains unchanged. However, there is a case when the rule of the sequence of tenses is observed: if we have the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary may, may is changed into might if the verb in the principal clause stands in a past tense. (I should be discharged if I were seen speaking to you. - She said that she would be discharged if she were seen speaking to him). 6. The verb introducing direct speech is replaced by another verb which shows whether the indirect speech is a statement, a question, an order (request) or an exclamation. (She said, “I’ve never seen the like of it” – She declared she had never seen the like of it). 7. There is a great difference between the style of direct and that of indirect speech. Direct speech is characterized by a certain looseness of structure and is more emotional than indirect speech. Indirect speech is characterized by rigid logic of structure and terseness. So and such are replaced by very, exceedingly in exclamatory sentences. Interjections must be replaced by suitable adverbial modifiers (She said, “Alas! I’ll never be happy again” – She exclaimed in despair she would never be happy again). 8. Must, as a rule, remains unchanged in indirect speech if it expresses advice (order) or a supposition bordering on assurance (She said to him, 'You must be more careful." - She told him he must be more careful). Must is replaced by had to if it expresses necessity arising out of circumstances (She said “I must get up early” – She said she had to get up early). Must is replaced by was to if it expresses arrangement or a kind of order (She said “I must ring him up at 5” – She said she was to ring him up at 5).