Indirect (Reported) speech (Непряма мова)

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.

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 or no adverb is used at all:

Direct Speech	Indirect Speech
Here This These Now	there that those then, at that time (moment)
Today Yesterday Ago A year ago Last night	that day the day before or on the previous day before a year before the previous 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.

Здвиг часів при зміні прямої мови на непряму
DIRECT SPEECH	INDIRECT SPEECH
The Present Indefinite → →	the Past Indefinite
The Present Continuous → →	the Past Continuous
The Present Perfect → → →	the Past Perfect
The Present Perfect Continuous →	Past Perfect Continuous
The Past Indefinite → →	the Past Perfect
The Past Continuous → →	The Past Continuous or the Past Perfect Continuous
The Past Perfect → →	The Past Perfect
The Past Perfect Continuous → →	The Past Perfect Continuous
The  Future…… → →	The Future ...... in the Past.

TEST YOURSELF

1. What changes take place when a direct speech is converted into an indirect one?

Indirect orders and requests

An order or a request in indirect speech is expressed by an infinitive:

“Keep quiet! Don't make noise!”
He told me He asked me	to keep quiet and not to make noise

TEST YOURSELF

1. How do we form an affirmative indirect order or request?

2. How do we form an negative (prohibitive) indirect order or request?

3. What words introduce indirect order or request?

1. Make up indirect speech. 1. "Go home," said the teacher to us. 2. "Buy some meat in the shop," said my mother to me. 3. "Sit down at the table and do your homework," said my mother to me. 4. "Don't forget to clean your teeth," said granny to Helen. 5. "Don't sit up late," said the doctor to Mary. 6. The doctor said to Pete: "Don't go for a walk today." 7. "Don't eat too much ice-cream," said Nick's mother to him. 8. "Explain to me how to solve this problem," said my friend to me. 9. The doctor said to Nick: "Open your mouth and show me your tongue." 10. "Don't be afraid of my dog," said the man to Kate. 11. "Take this book and read it," said the librarian to the boy.

2. Make up indirect speech. Не said to us: "Come here tomorrow." 2. I said to Mike: "Send me a telegram as soon as you arrive." 3. Father said to me: "Don't stay there long." 4. Peter said to them: "Don't leave the room until I come back." 5. "Take my luggage to Room 145," he said to the porter. 6. He said to me: "Ring me up tomor­row." 7. "Bring me a cup of black coffee," she said to the waiter. 8. "Don't be late for dinner," said other to us. 9. Jane said to us: "Please tell me all you know about it." 10. She said to Nick: "Please don't say anything about it to your sister." 11. The teacher said to me: "Hand this note to your parents, please." 12. Oleg said to his sister: "Put the letter into an envelope and give it to Kate." 13. "Please help me with this work, Henry," said Robert. 14. "Please bring me some fish soup," he said to the waitress, 15. "Don't worry over such a small thing," she said to me. 16. "Please don't mention it to any­body," Mary said to her friend. 17. "Promise to come and see me," said Jane to Alice.