1. When we want to tell what some body said, we can repeat the very actual words of the speaker without any change. Such a process is called Direct Speech. It is always placed within invented Commas and the first letter of the question begins with a capital letter. There is a comma after the reporting verb or the receiver if there is any.
1. The body says “The books are on the table.”
2. The girl said, “The boys are tired of playing.”
3. The boys said to the girl, “I shell give you any book.”
2. When we want to tell what somebody said, we can also give an account of what he said. Such a process is called Indirect Speech. In this process it will be seen that the commas after reporting verb, the inverted commas and the capital letter of the first word of the question are all removed.
1. The boy says that the books are on the table.
2. The girl said that the boys were tired of playing.
3. The boy told the girl that he would give her his book.
3.. The verb “ say” or said” before the direct speech is called the reporting Verb.
The verb in the direct speech is called the reporting Verb.
4. The subject of the reporting Verb is called the speaker.
The abject of the reporting Verb is called the receiver.
(1) Singular Number – I me my mine myself.
(2) Plural Number- we us our ours ourselves
5. The Speaker may be the pronouns of the first person.
(1)Singular Number – I me my mine myself.
(2)Plural Number- we us our ours ourselves
6. The receiver may be the pronouns of the second person.
(1) Singular Number- You, you, your, yours, yourself
(2) Plural number- You, You, your, yours, yourselves
7. The following are the rules for changing a speech from the direct to the indirect form.
Rule (1) If the reporting verb is the present or future tense, the verb in the direct speech should not be changed in the indirect.
(a) Direct- He says, “ The boys are playing.”
Indirect- He says that the boys are playing.
(b) Direct- He will say,” the birds are flying in the sky.”
Indirect- He will say that the birds are flying in the sky.
Rule (2) if the reporting Verb is the past tense, a present tense verb in the direct speech must be changed to the past tense in the indirect.
(a) Direct- He said,” the boys are playing.”
Indirect- He said that the boys were playing.
(b) Direct-She said,” the birds are flying in the sky.”
Indirect- She said that the birds were flying in the sky.
Rule (3) if the reporting verb is the past tense, a past tense verb in the direct speech must be changed to past perfect tense in the indirect.
(a) He said, “ The boys played football.”
He said that the boys had played football.
(b) She said , “ The teacher went to America.”
She said that the teacher had teacher had gone to America.
Rule( 4) If the reporting Verb is in the past tense, a past continuous tense in the direct speech must be changed to past perfect continuous tense in the indirect.
(a) He said, “ They boys were playing near the garden.”
(a) He said, “ They boys were playing near the garden.”
He said that the boys had been playing near the garden.
(c) He said, “ The birds were flying in the sky.”
He said that the birds had been flying in the sky.
Rule (5)
If the direct speech states some general or Universal truth ( what is true for all time) or habitual fact ( what is thought to be true till now) the present tense Verb used there is no changed in the indirect , which ever tense may be in the reporting verb.
(a) He said, “ Men are mortal.”
He said that men are mortal.
(b) She said, “ Honesty is the best policy.”
She said that honesty is the best policy.
(c) He said, “ nobody in his world is completely happy.”
He said that no body in his world is completely happy.
(d) He said , “ my brother is addicted to gambling.”
He said that his brother is addicted to gambling.
(e) They said, “ the sun arises in the east and sets in the west.
They said that the sun arises in the east and sets in the west.
Rule(6)
The following adjectives and adverbs of time showing nearness in the direct speech should be changed to corresponding words showing distance in the indirect.
1. Now is changed into then
2. This is changed into that
3. These is changed into those
4. Thus is changed into so
5. Here is changed into there
6. Hence is changed into thence
7. Just is changed into then
8. Come is changed into go
9. Today is changed into that day
10 tonight is changed into that night
11 tomorrow is changed into the next day
11 tomorrow is changed into the next day
12 yesterday is changed into the previous day
13 last year is changed into the previous year
14 Lat night is changed into the previous night
15 this year is changed into that year.
Study the following examples:..
(a) Direct- He said, “ I can write tomorrow.”
Indirect- He said that he could write next day.
(b) Direct- she said, “ I was here last night.”
Indirect- she said that she had been there the previous night.
(c) Direct- they say, “ We must start now.”
Indirect- They say that they must start then.
Note:-
The word “ this need not be changed to “ that “ if the object is still before the speaker ( reporter)
Rule(7)
A pronoun of the first person in the direct speech is changed in the indirect to the same person as the subject of the reporting verb.
(1) Direct- He said, “ I have lost my book.”
He said that he had lost his book.
(2) Direct- she said, “ I have lost my boom.”
She said that she had lost her boom.\
(3) Direct – They said, “ We have lost our books.”
They said that they had lost their books.
Rule ( 8)
A person of the second person in the direct speech is changed in the indirect to the seam person as the receiver ( object) of the reporting verb.
(1) Direct- she said to me, “ I have brought our book.”
She told me that I had brought my book.
(2) Direct- He said to her, “ You have brought your books.”
He told her that he had brought her books.
(3) Direct- She said to him, “ You have brought your books.”
She told him that he had brought his book.
(4) Direct- She said to them, “ You have brought your books.”
She told them that they had brought their books.
Rule (10)
Generally a pronoun of the third person in the direct speech remains unchanged in the indirect.
(1) Direct- He said to me, “ They want to see me.”
He told me that they wanted to see him.
(2) Direct- She said to him, “ They were absent.”
She told him that they were absent.
(3) Direct- He said to me, “ She is in her house.”
He told me that she was in her house.
Rule (11)
In reporting an affirmative Sentence or a negative sentence, The conjunction “ That” should always be put before the reported speech if the reporting verb is not followed by an object.
(1) Direct- He said, “ I am very happy here.”
He said that he was very happy there.
(2) He says, “ I want this book.”
He says that he wants that book.
(3) He will say, “ I have done all the exercise.”
He will say that he has done all the exercises.
(4) He said, “ Honesty is the best policy.”
He said that honesty is the best policy.
(5) He said, “ My friend is a drinker.”
He said that his friend is a drinker.
Rule (12)
In reporting an affirmative sentence or a negative sentence the reporting verb “ say” to or said to” may be changed to “ tell” or “told” if the reporting verb is followed by an object or receiver.
(1) Direct- He said to me, “ You are very lazy.”
He told me that I was very lazy.
(2) She said to him, “ I can not oblige you in this way.”
She told him she could oblige him in that way.
(3) He said to her, “ Men are mortal.”
He told her that men are mortal.
(4) She says to me, “ You are a good boy.”
She tells me that I am a good boy.
Rule( 13)
In reporting an interrogative sentence and a Negative question, the following rules should be observed.
(1) The reporting verb “ say” or said should be changed to require or inquired ask or asked to suit the tense of the reporting verb in the direct speech.
(2) The conjunction “ whether or if should be used before the reported speech.
(3) When one of the verbs as “ is am are was were, has have, had, does, do , did, shall, should.” Will would, can, could, may might, or must, to suit the tense of the reporting verb.
(4) The Interrogative sentence should be changed into the Affirmative and the Negative Question to the negative in Indirect speech.
(a) He said to me, “ Are you happy here.?”
He asked me whether I was happy there.
(b) She said to him, “ Have you not done your work?”
She required him if he had not done his work.
(c) He said to her, “ Do you write an essay.?”
He asked her whether she wrote an essay.
(d) They said to me, “ Can you do this work?”
They asked me whether I could do this work.
(e) Which is the proper way to answer this question, teacher?”
The boys inquired the teacher which the proper way was to answer that question.
(5) When the direct speech is introduced by one of these interrogative words “ who, whose, whom, which, what, why, when, where, how much, how many, how often,” the conjunction” whether or if should not be used in the direct speech. The interrogative word in the direct speech may be used as conjunction in the Indirect.
Rule (14)
In reporting an Imperative sentence, the following rules should be observed in addition to other rules mentioned in rules 1 to 10.
(1) The reporting verb “ say” or said is changed into request order, command , advise, beg, threaten, whish , propose, suggest, or some other verbs, befitting the sentence of the reporting verb in the indirect speech should agree with that of the reporting verb in the direct.
(2) The reported verb in the direct speech is put in the infinitive.
Study the following example
(1) Direct- He said to them, “ Come here.”
He ordered them to go there.
(2) He said to the teacher, “ Please teach me a new lesson.”
He requested the teacher to teach him a new lesson.
(3) The captain said to the solders” Halt”
The captain commanded the solders to halt.
(4) He said to his master, “ Please give me some money”.
He begged his master to give him some money.
(5) He said to the little girl, “ Give me your ring or I shall kill you,”
He threatened the little girl to give him her ring or he would kill her.
(6) Direct- My grandfather said to me, May you live long.”
Indirect- My grandfather wished that I might live long.
(7) God save the president.”
We pray that God may save the president.
(8) “Good night all” said our teacher.
Our teacher wished all good night.
(9) He said, “ let us stop here for the night .”
He proposed to stop here for the night.
(10) She said, “ let them go.”
She suggested that they might be allowed to go.
Rule (15)
In reporting an Exclamatory sentence in the indirect way, the reporting verb is changed into “ wish, bless, pray, cry, declaim, or come other verbs befitting the sense or meaning of the direct speech. The tense of the reporting verb in the indirect speech should agree with that of the reporting verb in the direct. The words, “ how or what “ in the direct one replaced by “ great, greatly, or very.
Study the following examples carefully.
1. Direct- He said, “ what a fine building it is.?”
Indirect- He said that it was very fine building.
2. She said to me, “ How obliged I am to you!”
She said to me that she was greatly obliged to me.
3. He said, “ Blass I am ruined!”
He explained that he was ruined.
4. He cried, “ Help me Heaven!”
He called upon Heaven to help him.
5. He said, “ Brevo! You have done well.”
He applauded him saying that he had done well.
6. She said, “ How beautiful I am!”
She said that she was very beautiful.
7. He said, “ What a liar you are.”
He said that I was a great liar.
( He called me a great liar.)
represented by Ashin thuseitta ( M.A - Philosophy- Magadh University
as way of Pro. Mr. Min Lwin , Yangon
represented by Ashin thuseitta ( M.A - Philosophy- Magadh University
as way of Pro. Mr. Min Lwin , Yangon
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