Exercise 1

Translate into English.

1. Я читал рассказ, который я вам сейчас собираюсь прочесть, несколько лет тому назад. 2. В прошлом году он пел лучше, чем он поет теперь. 3. В прошлом году я жил в той деревне, в которой они будут жить в этом году. 4. Ребенок очень удивился, когда отец сказал ему, что Земля круглая. 5. В прошлом году он работал над английским языком усерднее, чем он работает теперь. 6. Я не поехал в Сочи летом, так как я люблю жары. 7. Вчера он показал мне несколько очень хороших фотографий, которые он хочет послать отцу. 8. В прошлом году я работал меньше, чем буду работать в этом году. 9. Он показал мне материал, над которым он будет работать летом.

Exercise 2

You have sentences with present tense verbs in the principal clause. Change the principal clause to past and adjust the subordinate clause as necessary.

Model: We hope that he will be able to attend. – We hoped that he would be able to attend.

1. He says that he will finish the project in May. 2. Mark thinks he is going to win the award. 3. I hear that Kate has accepted a new position at the East Side Clinic. 4. Steve says that he will make the dessert for the party. 5. Lou tells his friends that they are good tennis players. 6. I realize that they are older than they look. 7. Mary Ellen says that she eats three well-balanced meals every day. 8. The student is asking the professor when the class will do the next experiment. 9. We hope that you can play tennis better. 10. We know that you may move to France next year.

Indirect speech

In direct speech the exact words of the speaker are given; indirect speech is a form of utterance in which these words are reported.

e.g. He has just said, “The ship will arrive at the end of the week,” – Direct Speech.

He has just said that the ship will arrive at the end of the week. – Indirect Speech.

After the words which introduce direct speech the comma is used. But before a long text of direct speech colon can be used. The inverted commas are placed at the top of the line both before and after direct speech.

When direct speech is converted into indirect speech the following changes are introduced:

1. Personal and possessive pronouns are replaced by other ones depending on the situation:

e.g. My brother has just said, “I shall come at five o’clock.” – My brother has just said that he will come at five o’clock.

If the speaker reports his or her own words, the pronouns are naturally not changed.

e.g. I said, ”I am ready.” – I said I was ready.

2. If the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense, demonstrative pronouns and adverbs expressing nearness are replaced by words expressing distance:

this that

these those

now then, at that time, at once, immediately

at that time (moment) -- (no adverb is used at all)

today that day

tomorrow the next day, the following day, the day after

the day after tomorrow two days later

yesterday the day before/on the previous day

the day before yesterday two days before

ago (тому назад) before (раніше)

next year the next year, the following year

last night the previous night

here there

e.g. He said, “I shall write the letter tomorrow.” – He said that he would write the letter the next day.

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:

e.g. An hour ago he said he would come here tonight.

3. 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.

e.g. He said, ”I have been waiting for you since two o’clock.” – He said that he had been waiting for me since two o’clock.

If the verb in the principal clause is used in the present or future tense, the tenses do not change.

e.g. She says (will say, has said), “I sent them the catalogue.” – She says (will say, has said) that she sent them the catalogue.

4. There is a great difference between the style of direct and indirect speech. Direct speech is less logical in structure and more emotional than indirect speech. Accordingly, if, for example, no conjunctions expressing casual relations are found in direct speech, they must be used in indirect speech:

e.g. She said, “I’m so tired! I’ve been writing for five hours.” – She said she was very tired as she had been writing for five hours.

If certain words and phrases are repeated in direct speech, they must not be reproduced in indirect speech:

e.g. She said to him, “It’s very kind of you to offer to help me, very kind indeed.” – She said it was very kind of him to offer to help her.

‘So’ and ‘such’ are replaced by ‘very’, ‘exceedingly’ etc. in exclamatory sentences.

e.g. She said, “Jane is such a good pianist!” – She said Jane was an exceedingly (very) good pianist.

Interjections must be replaced by suitable adverbial modifiers.

e.g. He said, “Alas! I’ll never be happy again!” – He exclaimed in despair she would never be happy again.