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Questions tagged [indirect-speech]

Indirect speech is speech describing what someone has said without using a direct quote.

Indirect speech is describing what someone has said without using a direct quote.

Examples

Mark said he was going to go to the store.

I said I wanted grapes, not dates.

Martha said Becky told her David likes Liz

Considerations

In some cases, indirect speech can look quoted speech with incorrect punctuation.

I said I don't like pink!

vs

I said, "I don't like pink!"

Which of the above sentences is grammatically correct depends on whether or not I don't like pink! is a direct quote; thus, it shouldn't be assumed that the first sentence is incorrect without understanding the original intent of the author.

182 questions
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Indirect speech for “Was there a chair there at the last lesson”

Could you please to help me with translating it to indirect speach: "Was there a chair there at the last lesson?" This exercise is from "Get your tenses right" by Ronald Barnes, and I have doubts about second "there", what is it, a subject? I think…
Statnik Evgenij
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Direct to Reported Speech - a scenario of ambiguity

The question is: How would one convert He said, "My name is Harry" to reported speech? Rules do say that the converted sentence reads He said that his name was Harry. The factor causing discomfort is the 'was' part of it. So it means that his…
Karthik C
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A bit confused! does indirect speech apply to other verbs such as "think", "hope",.. instead of "say"?

Ok, I am not native speaker & all my knowledge normally came from textbook. When teacher teaches Indirect speech at school, they often use the verb "say". For example: Direct speech: It is raining hard today. Indirect speech: She said that it was…
Tom
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Is it grammatically incorrect to not change past continuous to past perfect cont. in reported speech?

"When Bill called me I was discussing the outcome of the project with Jessie," said Daniel. Daniel said he was discussing the outcome of the project with Jessie when Bill called him. Is this correct?
Arthur Hmayakyan
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Why do some people speak like they are speaking as the person they are speaking to?

I know that question sounds confusing, but let me explain. Alice was walking down the street when she met John. Instead of saying, "John, please listen to me.", Alice speaks as if she is John, "Will I listen to Alice, please?" Its not third person,…
sigsegv
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Use suggestions in reported speech

What I have proposed is that we should have begun to think seriously about a thorough reform in the legal system. What I am proposing is that we begin to think seriously about a thorough reform in the legal system. Which one is the correct…
Sanjar Igamov
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A puzzle about direct/indirect question

First of all, I know that if we ask "who is he.", normally the indirect question which corresponds with it would be "who he is." (for example: do you know who he is?) Still, recently, one question has been worrying me. Here's what I'm thinking…
sunny1991225
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Different form of reported speech

In indirect speech we generally backshift the tense. For ex - Direct speech : "I am the most powerful person." Indirect speech : "He said that he was the most powerful person." What if someone reports like - He denied the charges claiming that he…
iamRR
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Converting direct to reported speech: who-question

The teacher asked Marga, "Who helped you with your work?" Would "The teacher asked Marga who had helped her with her work." be an acceptable conversion to reported speech?
Chechu
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question on past or present in indirect speech

Amit: I will send you an email. Me: OK. After one day how can i tell this indirectly. Should i say Amit told me that he would send me an email or Amit told me that he will send me an email. It is now past because he didn't send me an email It is…
Vishal
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Indirect speech: The day after

I want to change the following sentence into indirect speech with backshift: “There will be a show next Saturday.” He said there would be a show the following Saturday. Is it also possible to say the following? He said there would be a show the…
Chesterfield
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How to report when having a Future Perfect introductory clause?

How to change this into reported speech? He will have said, "John is so bad!" Would it be: He will have said that John was so bad (Past tense), or He will have said that John is so bad (no change).
English--more exc than laws
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Indirect speech - which statement is correct?

I read this statement in an English book and I wonder if this statement is correct: She told me that she still remembers how scared everyone was. I have learned that in indirect speech statements the present-tense verbs must be converted to…
hosseinAmini
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How to change following sentence into Reported Speech?

This is not the time or place for this. Please, help I have no idea how to do it.
Martina
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3 answers

Reported Speech for a sentence with two clauses with 'when' conjunction;one in past continuous while the other in simple past

What will be the reported speech for the following sentence: She said, "I was walking down the road when I saw the accident." Possibility 1: She said that she had been walking down the road when she had seen the accident. Possibility 2: She said…
BenHuman
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