126
INDIRECT CONSTRUCTIONS
There are two ways to write a piece of speech expressing a thought. They are direct speech, using quotation marks and phrases like I said, he said, Robert said, she told me, the
teacher asked and so on, and indirect speech using a noun clause from the actual word spoken. Here is a direct statement. Roger said, “Ronal has finished his assignments.” It can
be changed into Roger said that Ronal had finished his assignment. Roger said that Ronal had finished his assignment is called an indirect statement.
The following formulas are ways of change direct constructions into indirect constructions for statements and questions which are divided into three types.
DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
I
II
III
A. STATEMENTS
The following are the examples of the use of the formulas above in changing direct constructions into indirect constructions in the form of statements. The changes are concerned
with pronoun and verbs. PRESENT + PRESENT
V
1
V
1
PRESENT + PRESENT V
1
V
1
PAST + PRESENT V
2
V
1
PAST + PAST V
2
V
2
PAST + PAST V
2
V
2
PAST + PAST PERFECT V
2
V
3
C
HAPTER
10
127 1.
Father said, “Diana went to Jakarta.” type III V
2
V
2
Father said that Diana had gone to Jakarta. V
2
V
3
2. Sarah said, “I am hungry.” type II
V
2
V
1
Sarah said that she was hungry. V
2
V
2
3. Vera told me, “Thomas gave me a present yesterday.” type III
V
2
V
2
Vera told me that Thomas had given her a present the day before. V
2
V
3
4. Oscar said, “I do my homework seriously.” type II
V
2
V
1
Oscar said that he did his homework seriously. V
2
V
2
Note: In indirect constructions, the object of the sentence is in the form of a noun clause which
begins with conjunction that. Because of its position, the conjunction that can be omitted.
B. QUESTIONS
There are two types of questions. They are verbal questions and pronominal questions. Verbal questions are questions that begin with a verb whereas pronominal questions are
questions that begin with a question word. Verbal questions are usually called yesno questions because they ask for yes or no for their answers. Pronominal questions are usually
called wh-questions because they begin with question words what, why, where, when, who, whom, and how. They ask for a piece of information.
The direct constructions in the form of verbal questions can be changed into indirect constructions using whether or if. The direct constructions in the form of pronominal
questions can be changed into indirect constructions using the intended question words in the direct constructions.
Verbal questions YesNo questions ifwhether
Pronominal questions WH questions question word
128 Note:
The object of the sentence in the indirect constructions is in the form of a noun clause.
1. Roy asked Bob, “Are you a student?” type II
V
2
V
1
Roy asked Bob whether he was a student. V
2
V
2
2. Sandy asked Frank, “Did you visit Sarah last night?” type III
V
2
V
2
Sandy asked Frank if he had visited Sarah the night before. V
2
V
3
3. The teacher asked the students, “Why do you come late?” type II
V
2
V
1
The teacher asked the students why they came late. V
2
V
2
4. Mother asked me, “Why did you buy a secondhand car?” type III
V
2
V
2
Mother asked me why I had bought a secondhand car. V
2
V
3
C. IMPERATIVES
