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Indirect speech

She said that she would be dis­charged if she were seen speak­ing to him.

He admitted that he drank, but said he would not have taken to that if things had gone dif­ferently.

She thought cheerfulness was a fortune in itself. She wished she had it.

She said she wished she had never seen him.

He said that the boys would think none the worse of him whatever he might have done.

owever, 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.

DIRECT SPEECH

I should be discharged if I were seen speaking to you. (Shaw)

It is true I drink, but I shouldn’t have taken to that if things had gone differently. (Maugham)

I think cheerfulness is a fortune in itself. I wish 1 had it. (Eliot)

Oh, how I wish I had never seen him! (Hardy)

The boys will think none the worse of you whatever you may have done. (Conan Doyle)

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 said to him, “Do you know them?”

She said to him, “Come here at once!”

She said, “Why, I never expected he would do such a thing.”

She declared she had never seen the like of it.

She asked him if he knew therji.

She told him to come at once.

She exclaimed she had never ex­pected he would do such a thing.

(For detailed treatment see § 3, 4, 5, 7.)

6. It should be borne in mind that 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, on the contrary, is characterized by rigid logic of structure and terseness.

Accordingly, if, for instance, no conjunctions expressing causal relations are to be found in direct speech, they must be introduced into indirect speech.

She said, “I am so tired! I’ve been She said she was very tired as writing for five hours.” 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.

S

So and such are replaced by matory sentences.

She said, “Jane plays the piano so well!” _%

She said, “Jane is such a good pianist!”

She said it was very kind of him to offer to help her.

very, exceedingly, etc. in excla-

he said to him, “It’s very kind of you to offer to help me, very kind indeed.”

She said Jane played the piano very well.

She said Jane was an exceedingly (very) good pianist.

Interjections must be replaced by suitable adverbial modifiers.

She said, “Alas! I’ll never be happy She exclaimed in despair she again!” would never be happy again.

6. Must, as a rule, remains unchanged in indirect speech if it expresses advice (order) or a supposition bordering on assurance (должно быть).

She said to him, “You must be She told him he must be more more careful.” (advice) careful.

She said, “You must be very fond She said he must be very fond of of music if you go to concerts music if he went to concerts so often.” (supposition) so often.

She was informed that she must never again walk much. (Hardy) He said he was afraid you must think him ungrateful. (Marryat) Mr. Brownlow smiled and said that Mr. Grimwig was an old friend of his and he must not mind his being a little rough in his manners. (Dickens)

Must is generally 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 every morning.” every morning.

Must is generally replaced by was to if it expresses arrange­ment or a kind of ,order.

She said, “I must ring him up She said she was to ring him up at two o’clock.” „ at two o’clock.