Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Physical Planning

Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering 1 year

Chair: English

Topic: Reported Speech

Discents: Derlee dos Santos Ricardo

Giovanna Cristina
Nuno Miguel
Siliude Lídia Alves

Teacher: Albino Banze

October 31, 2023,

Introduction

The present work, aims to address direct and indirect discourse.

It should be noted that each item will be looked at in a deep way and we will have the essence
the surface. Direct and indirect discourses, from a grammatical point of view and, from another
angle, in the conditions where the discourses are produced and which will serve the analysis
processes.

The work is structured or divided into mains parts, the first comprising the pre-textual elements
namely: the index, the introduction and development of the same where we find bodies of
information on the subject in which direct and indirect discourse will be mentioned, in the last
part we have the conclusion and the bibliography used to support the theoretical foundation that
constitute the part of the development of the work.
Objectives

General:

The purpose of this dissertation is making known the forms of the speech.

Specific:

The use of direct and indirect discourse in speech and the transformation of one discourse to the
other.
Reported Speech

We use this from we are going to reproduce someone else’s speech, that is, when we are going to
report what has already been said by someone, known as direct and indirect speech.

Direct speech is direct way of the character’s speech.

Example:

John passed the exam.

Indirect speech appears not when the character speaks on his own, biut when the narrator speaks
for the character.

Example:

John said he had passed the exam.

Note, that is possible to report what a person said using direct speech.

Example:

He said: ‘ John passed the exam.’

Rules:

Present simple → Past simple

Example:

I like your hair. → She said (that) she liked my hair.

Present continuous → past continuous

Example:

I am getting married. → He said (that) he was getting married.

Present perfect → Past perfect

Example:

We have bought the tickets. → He said (that) they had bought the tickets.

Past simple → Past perfect

Example:

I missed the bus. → He said (that) he had missed the bus.

Will → Would

Example:

I will pass the test. → He said (that) he would pass the test.

Am/ Is/ Are going to → Was/ Were going to

Example:

I am going to Maputo City. → He said he was going to Maputo City.

Table 1. Change of pronouns

Direct speech Reported speech

I He, She
Me Him, her
We They
Us Them
You He, she, they
You Him, her , them
My His, her
Mine His, hers
Our Their
Ours Theirs
Your His, her, their
Yours His, hers, theirs

Example: We are meeting at my house. → He said that they were meeting at his house.

Table 2. Change of Adverbs of place and Adverbs of time

Direct Speech Reported Speech

This That
These Those
Adverbs of Place

Here There
Adverbs of Time

Now Then
Today That day
Tomorrow The next day/ The following day
Yesterday The previous day
Tonight That night
Last week The week before
 Next week The week after
Last moth The previous moth
Next moth The following moth
Last year The previous year
Next year The following year
Ago Before
Thus So

Example: I got here by bus. → She said he had got there by bus.

I met him last night. → She said she had met him the night before.

Table 3. Change of Modal Verbs

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Will Would
May Might
Can Could
Shall Should
Has/ Have Had

Say and Tell

The Say and the told are forms in the past that we use in indirect speech.

Although both mean said they are used in different situations.

Say

When we say something to someone.

Example: John said, I cook pasta.

Tell

When we tell someone about something and mention who we’re talking to, with the object (me,
you, her, him, etc.)

Example: John told me, I was cooked.

Direct and in indirect speech of imperative

Into statements, maintaining proper punctuation. In addition, get the use of reporting verbs,
change word order, and at the same time use appropriate tone to convey the meaning of the
original sentence for the direct and indirect speech of imperative sentences.
An imperative is a type of sentence that gives a ommand or makes a request. It typically takes
the often forceful, direct, and commanding.

Example:

Mother said to me, (You) Don’t run in the sun. → Mother advised me not to run in the sun.

An imperative sentence always indicates a command, request, or advise. In order that we have to
use appropriate verbs according to command, request, or advise.

A list of verbs used to change direct speech into indirect speech.

Verbs of command: tell, order, command, change, bid, require, “forbid” is the negative verb of
command.

Verbs of request: Ask request, desire,beg, solicit, beseech, pray, entreat, implore.

Verbs of Advice: Advice, exhort, urge, persuade.

The most used verbs are: Tell and ask.

Example:

-The teacher said to me, “ don’t come here.”

The teacher ordered me not to go there.

-He said to me, “Please open the door.”

He requested me to open the door.

-I said to him, “ Please explain the passage.”

I requested him to explain the passage.

Future Tense

An action in the future (present continuous tense or future) doesn't have to change verb tense,
either, as these examples demonstrate.

 : Jerry said, "I'm going to buy a new car."

 Jerry said (that) he's going to buy a new car.
 Jerry said, "I will buy a new car."
 Jerry said (that) he will buy a new car.

Indirectly reporting an action in the future can change verb tenses when needed. In this next
example, changing the am going to was going implies that she has already left for the mall.
However, keeping the tense progressive or continuous implies that the action continues, that
she's still at the mall and not back yet.

 She said, "I'm going to the mall."

 She said (that) she was going to the mall.
 She said (that) she is going to the mall.

Exclamatory into the reported speech

Express a sudden outburst of some emotions such as joy, sorrow, contempt, regret, surprise, etc

The connective that has to be supplied in the indirect speech.

Example:

The students said to the teacher, “ good morning teacher!”

The students respectfully wished their teacher good morning.

The emperor said, Ah! Our foes are too strong!

The emperor exclaimed with sorrow that their foes were too strong.

Direct and indirect speech of interrogatives sentences

Into statements, maintaining proper punctuation and grammatical rules has been discussed in the
following

An interrogative sentence is a type of sentence that asks a question and requires an answer. We
form interrogatives sentences by using an auxiliary verb and subject- verb inversion. (Do you
like juice?).

We use these sentences to gather information, express curiosity, or initiate a conversation.

Interrogative sentences can be indentified by their question structure and the use of question
words such as “What”, “When”, “Where”, “Why”, “Who”, “Whose”, “Which”, “How”, etc.

Interrogative sentences can also be recognized by the use of question marks (?).

Example: He said to me, “Are you ill?”

You said to me, “Why have you failed?”

• I said to him, “ When will you do it?”

I asked him when he would do it.

•He said to her, “ What is your name?”

He asked her what her name was.

An Interrogative Sentence beginning with “Shall” in the Direct Narration, takes the form
“would” in the Past Tense in the Indirect Narration. We use “should” only when the statement is
a Polite question or involves or implies a matter of propriety or duty.

Example:

-He said to me, ‘Shall we reach the village before dawn?’

He asked me if they would reach the village before dawn.

-They said, ‘Shall we contribute to the Poor Fund?’

They asked if they should contribute to the Poor Fund.

• Persome said, “Marie, isn’t the soup boiling yet?”

Persome asked Marie if the soup was not boiling by that time.

•“Would you sing for our visitors?” my mother said to my sister.

My mother asked my sister if she would sing for our visitors.

•He said to me, “What are you doing ?”

He asked me what I was doing.

He said to me, “When will you go home ?”

He enquired of me when I would go home.

You said to me, “Why have you failed ?”

You asked me why I had failed.

He said to me, “Who has gone to the sea ?”

He asked me who had gone to the sea.

Declarative Speech

In relation to Searle's speech acts, a declarative is an utterance used by a speaker with the
purpose of changing a situation in some way once the speech act has been uttered. Declarations
can bring about a change in the world.

A direct speech act refers to when the structure of an utterance has a direct relationship to the
function. So let's break down the declarative:

Example:

"You opened a book.

This declarative is an example of direct speech as it conveys information that

is easily understood and has a straightforward meaning. It simply does what it says it will!

But there are exceptions... Not all declaratives are direct. It is possible for a declarative to be
said as a request.

A declarative sentence always consists of (at least) a subject and a verb.

 The subject of a sentence refers to the noun (such as a person or a thing) that is doing an
action.
 A verb could refer to the main verb, an auxiliary verb, a modal verb or a combination of
these.
In the following declarative sentences, the subject is highlighted in red and the verb phrase is
highlighted in green.

“John is swimming”

“You will write”

“He was laughing”

These are all examples of direct declarative sentences because they make a statement that gives
someone information in a clear way. However, as previously mentioned, not
all declaratives need to be direct; some are indirect!

Can you think of any examples?

How about declarative sentences with different types of objects and modifiers?

The following are some examples of declarative sentences that contain direct objects.

sense grammatically and so does not express a completed thought!

 A declarative speech act refers to utterances that directly change a situation once it has
been uttered.
 Declaratives can be divided into verdictives (judgements made within institutions) and
effectives (situations brought about because of an utterance).
 A declarative usually uses direct speech, but can also use indirect speech.
 A declarative sentence is a statement that expresses information in a direct way.
 At the least, a declarative sentence consists of a subject and a verb.

•Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

Mahesh asked what he was doing.

Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

Referências Bibliográficas

• www.thoughtco.com/what-is-indirect-speech

• www. approachenglish.com

• http://www.conhecer.org.br/

• R. Murphy, English Grammar in Use, Cambridge University Press 1990

• R. Murphy, English Grammar in Use, Cambridge University Press 1990

• M. Harrison, Grammar Spectrum 2, Oxford University Press, 1996

•M. Harrison, Grammar Spectrum 2, Oxford University Press, 1996

Conclusion

From the present work carried out it is concluded that, discourse is a from of written (text) or
spoken (oral) language and when the narration it can be: direct, indirect and indirect free; it is
also concluded that, in direct speech the speeches of the characters are reproduced as they were
said or pressed; in indirect speech, it is reproduced what the characters say but without exact
transition. And finally it is conclude that for the transition from one speech to another it is
necessary to take into account the the tenses and verbal modes, the grammar person, adverb and
the vocative.