Direct Speech
(El estilo directo)
Cuando queremos informar exactamente de lo que otra persona ha dicho, utilizamos
el estilo directo. Con este estilo lo que la persona ha dicho se coloca entre comillas
() y deber ser palabra por palabra.
Ejemplos:
I am going to London next week, she said. (Voy a Londres la semana que viene, ella
dijo.)
Do you have a pen I could borrow, he asked. (Tienes un bolgrafo que puedas
prestarme?, l pregunt.)
Alice said, I love to dance. (Alice dijo, Me encanta bailar.)
Chris asked, Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night? (Chris pregunt,
Te gustara cenar conmigo maana por la noche?)
Reported Speech
(El estilo indirecto)
El estilo indirecto, a diferencia del estilo directo, no utiliza las comillas y no necesita
ser palabra por palabra. En general, cuando se usa el estilo indirecto, el tiempo verbal
cambia. A continuacin tienes un explicacin de los cambios que sufren los tiempos
verbales.
A veces se usa that en las frases afirmativas y negativas para introducir lo que ha
dicho la otra persona. Por otro lado, en las frases interrogativas se puede usar if o
whether.
Nota: Ten en cuenta tambin que las expresiones de tiempo cambian en el estilo
indirecto. Fijate en los cambios de tiempo en los ejemplos ms abajo y despus,
encontrars una tabla con ms explicaciones de los cambios de tiempo en el estilo
indirecto.
Direct Speech
Reported Speech
Present Simple
He is American, she said.
I am happy to see you, Mary said.
He asked, Are you busytonight?
Present Continuous
Dan is living in San Francisco, she
said.
Past Simple
She said he was American.
Mary said that she was happy to see
me.
He asked me if I was busy that night.
Past Continuous
She said Dan was living in San
Francisco.
He said, Im making dinner.
He told me that he was making dinner.
Why are you working so hard? they
They asked me why I was working so
asked.
hard.
Past Simple
Past Perfect Simple
We went to the movies last night, he
said.
Greg said, I didnt go to
workyesterday.
Did you buy a new car? she asked.
Past Continuous
I was working late last night, Vicki
said.
They said, we werent waiting long.
He told me they had gone to the
movies the night before.
Greg said that he hadnt goneto
work the day before.
She asked me if I had bought a new
car.
Past Perfect Continuous
Vicki told me shed been
working late the night before.
They said that they hadnt been
waiting long.
He asked, were you sleepingwhen I
He asked if Id been sleepingwhen he
called?
called.
Present Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Simple
Heather said, Ive alreadyeaten.
Heather told
me that shedalready eaten.
We havent been to China, they said.
They said they hadnt been to China.
Have you worked here before? I
I asked her whether shed
asked.
worked there before.
Present Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Continuous
Ive been studying English for two
years, he said.
Steve said, weve been datingfor over
a year now.
Have you been waitinglong? they
He said hed been studyingEnglish for
two years.
Steve told me that theyd been
dating for over a year.
They asked whether Id been
asked.
waiting long.
Past Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Simple (NO CHANGE)
Id been to Chicago before for work,
He said that hed been to Chicago
he said.
before for work.
Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Continuous (NOCHANGE)
She said, Id been dancingfor years
before the accident.
She said shed been dancingfor years
before the accident.
Nota: Cuando hablamos de algo que no ha cambiado (que sigue siendo cierto) o de
algo en el futuro, no es necesario cambiar el tiempo verbal.
Ejemplos:
Im 30 years old, she said. She said she is 30 years old.
Dave said, Kelly is sick. Dave said Kelly is sick.
We are going to Tokyo next week, they said. They said they are goingto Tokyo next
week.
Ill cut my hair tomorrow, Nina said. Nina said she is cutting her hair tomorrow.
Modal Verbs (Los verbos modales)
El tiempo verbal cambia en el estilo indirecto tambin con algunos de los verbos
modales.
Nota: Con would, could, should, might y ought to, el tiempo no cambia.
Direct Speech
Will
Ill go to the moviestomorrow, John
said.
Will you help me move? she asked.
Can
Debra said, Allen can worktomorrow.
Can you open the window, please?,
Indirect Speech
Would
John said he would go to the
movies the next day.
She asked me if I would helpher move.
Could
Debra said Allen could workthe next
day.
He asked me if I could openthe
he asked.
window.
Must
Had to
You must wear your seat belt, mom
My mom said I had to wear my seat
said.
belt.
She said, You must worktomorrow.
She said I had to work the next day.
Shall
Should
Shall we go to the beachtoday? Tom
Tom asked if we should go to the
asked.
beach that day.
What shall we do tonight? she asked.
May
Jane said, I may not be in
class tomorrow.
May I use the bathroom, please?, the
boy asked.
She asked me what we should do that
night.
Might/Could
Jane said she might not be in class the
next day.
The boy asked if he could usethe
bathroom.
Nota: A continuacin tienes una tabla donde puedes observar los cambios que sufren
las expresiones de tiempo cuando usamos el estilo indirecto.
Direct Speech
Indirect Speech
today
that day
tonight
that night
this week/month/year
that week/month/year
tomorrow
the next day
next week/month/year
the following week/month/year
yesterday
the day before or the previous day
last week/month/year
the week/month year before orthe
previous week/month/year
now
then/at that moment
Otros cambios
here
there
