This is the second part of my reply to a question by a Masteral student in Myanmar in early December on how to distinguish direct speech from indirect or reported speech, and how to explain what constitutes a dependent clause in reported speech.
In last week’s column, I pointed out that the general rule in reported speech is to move the operative verb in the directly quoted statement one tense backwards. We also need to change the time and place signifiers in the directly quoted statement to conform to the sense of the reported statement.
Take this direct quote last week from a health official: “This cold season,
the public is advised to take even stronger measures to avoid contracting the Covid-19 virus.” In reported speech for a news report: “The health official
said last week that during the cold season, the public should take even stronger measures to avoid contracting the Covid-19 virus.”
IMAGE CREDIT: ESL.COM AT PINTEREST.COMWhat follows are more examples of this conversion from direct speech to reported speech.
Direct quote from a bill collector to a delinquent customer two weeks ago: “The company
is giving you only until the end of the month to settle your long-overdue account.” In reported speech: “The bill collector
told the delinquent customer two weeks ago that she only had until the end of the month to settle her long-overdue account.”
Direct quote from a manager to a sales supervisor yesterday: “
See me tomorrow to discuss your monthly sales.” Reported speech of what the manager told the sales supervisor today: “My manager
asked me yesterday to see him today to discuss my monthly sales.”
Direct quote from an irate wife to her husband sometime ago: “
Tell me what you and that woman were doing at the park yesterday.” In reported speech by the wife during a court hearing: “Your Honor,
I asked my husband what he and that woman were doing at that park that day.”
Direct quote from a newly married woman to a lady friend just hours ago: “Gerry and I
met last year during a heavy downpour and, well, it was love at first sight.” In reported speech by the lady friend to a common acquaintance of theirs: “Cynthia told me
that she and Gerry met the year before during a heavy downpour and it was love at first sight.”
Apart from the time signifiers, we also need to routinely change such place and pointing signifiers as “here,” “there,” and “that” in directly quoted statements to accurately reflect the sense of the reported statement.
Direct quote from a police officer to a car driver: “You
drove against the red light at the intersection there on Rizal Avenue corner Recto Avenue.” Reported speech by the arrested car driver at the police station: “The arrested driver
denied the traffic enforcer’s claim that he had driven against the red light in that intersection at that time.”
Finally, when the operative verb in a directly quoted statement is in modal form, we need to always change the modal auxiliary to its past tense form in reported speech.
Direct quote from a friend: “I
may go to New York next month.” Reported speech: “My friend
said he might go to New York next month.”
Direct quote from the general manager: “The staff
will leave only upon my instructions.” Reported speech by a supervisor to his subordinates: “The general manager
made it clear that the staff should leave only upon his instructions.
Direct quote from the company’s chief operating officer: “All projects
must be finished by yearend.” Reported speech by the company president to division managers about the CEO’s directive: ‘Our CEO
directed us that all projects have to be finished by yearend.”
We are done with our quick review of reported speech.
(Next:
Disrupting the declarative sentence pattern for emphasis) December 31, 2020
This essay, 2,025th of the series, appeared in the column “English Plain and Simple” by Jose A. Carillo in the Campus Press section of the December 24, 2020 Internet edition of The Manila Times
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