Causes of Error Error 1. Understanding of Error
where necessary. This kind of structure is called ‘indirect speech’ or ‘reported speech’
Example:
So he said that he wanted to go home, and just walked out. Did she just ask what I wanted?
Commas are not put before that, what, where, etc in indirect speech structures.
Example:
Everybody realised that I was a foreigner.
NOT Everybody realised that,.... Reported speech is used when it is interested not in the words that
someone has chosen, but in the essential information they conveyed. It is often used far fewer words to report this than were originally spoken. Reported speech
is found in newspaper reports, fiction, talking, or writing about conversation, reports, articles or speeches that have been heard or read.
42
In reported speech, the tenses, word-order, pronouns and other words may be different from those in the original sentence.
Example:
Direct speech Reported speech
He said, ‘I am going home.’ He said he was going home.
‘Is it raining?’ He asked if it was raining
He said ‘I love you.’ He said he loved me.
43
To indicate that it is quoting or reporting what someone has said or thought is by using a reporting verb. Every reporting clause contains a reporting
verb.
44
The most neutral and most common verbs to use to introduce what are reported are say and tell, and choosing between these verbs often poses a problem
to learners. Say is never followed by an indirect object e.g. him, us, them, my sister, whereas it has to use an indirect object after tell. It is better to choose to
tell when to draw attention specifically to the person who is being addressed.
42
Martin Parrot, loc. cit.
43
Michael Swan, op. cit., pp.533—534.
44
John Sinclair, Collins Cobuild Grammar, London: Harper Collins, 1990, p. 314.
Example: He said that he was ill. He told me that he was ill.
45
Here is a list of reporting verbs which can be used to report what people say:
46
Table 2.2 The List of Reporting Verbs
Acknowledge Add
Admit Advise
Agree Announce
Answer Argue
Ask Assert
Assure Beg
Begin Boast
Call Complain
Concede Confess
Confirm Continue
Convince Cry
Declare Demand
Deny Describe
Direct Discuss
Dispute Enquire
Explain Imply
Inform Inquire
Insists Instruct
Invite Maintain
Mention Mumble
Murmur Mutter
Note Notify
Object observe
Order Predict
Proclaim Promise
Prophesy Propose
Reassure Recall
Recite Recomm
end Record
Refuse Remark
Remind Repeat
Reply Report
Request Say
Scream Shout
Shriek State
Stipulate Suggest
Swear Teach
Tell Threaten
Urge Vow
Wail Warn
Yell
The following table is some common changes in expression of time in indirect speech:
47
Table 2.3 The Common Changes of Expression Time
Direct Speech Indirect Speech
Today That day
Yesterday The day before
The day before yesterday Two days before
Tomorrow The next daythe following day
45
Martin Parrot, op. cit., pp. 217—218.
46
Sinclair, op. cit., p. 315.
47
A.J. Thomson A.V. Martinet, op. cit., pp. 274—275.
dge de
dict
day day
The day after tomorrow In two days’ time
Next weekyear, etc. The following weekyear, etc.
Last weekyear, etc. The previous weekyear, etc.
A year, ago, etc. A year before the previous year
But if the speech is made and reported on the same day these time changes are not necessary.
Example: At breakfast this morning he said, ‘I’ll be very busy today’
At breakfast this morning he said that he would be very busy today.