direct / reported speech

A. study the following table.

Note the changes

  • in verb tenses
  • in pronouns
  • in structures (questions)
  • in words referring to moments

Direct speech / Reported speech
Main clause (proposition principale) in the present
The manager says : "You will die if you sit on your laurels." / He says thay they will die if they sit on their laurels.
Main clause in the past
The manager said : "Youwill die if you sit on your laurels." / The manager said theywould die if they sat on their laurels.
He said : "I have always believed in innovation." / He said (that) he had always believed in innovation."
He said : "Weare less successful when we are carrying out less research." / He said (that) theywere less successful when theywere carrying out less research.
He told the employees : "Youmust/should always do your best." / He told the employees theymust/should always do their best.
He asked : "What areour competitors doing?" / He asked what their competitors were doing.
He wondered : "What profits do other firms make?" / He wondered what profits other firms made.
He wondered : "Am I right ?" / He wondered if / whetherhewas right.
One client asked : "Who's the boss ?" / One client asked who the boss was.
Other words
now / then
today / that day
tomorrow / the next day
yesterday / the day before
next week / the following week
last year / the past year

Now turn the following sentences into direct speech if they are in reported speech or vice-versa, as in the examples above.

B. ACTIVITY one :

  1. The manager said they'd better boost their productivity if they wanted to survive.
  1. He thought there should be a more competitive spirit in the company.
  1. He announced : "Three new products will soon come out of our labs."
  1. An FDA official declared : "All firms must test a product before getting approval."
  1. A client complained :"The company has increase its prices too much recently."
  1. The manager answered that high prices were necessary for R&D.
  1. He added : "Any company needs high profits."
  1. And he concluded : "This has always been our policy."
  1. One journalist wrote that Peters was one of the best managers the firm had ever had.
  1. He wondered what would happen when Peters retired the following year.

C. ACTIVITY two :

  1. The chairman asked the treasurer if he could make a report on the new project.
  1. Afterwards, he asked : "Will someone put a question about it ?"
  1. Somebody queried whether the price would be reduced.
  1. Another member asked : "Who will be in charge of the construction ?"
  1. Someone else asked if it was possible to use another type of material.
  1. "Do we really need this new building ?" one member enquired.
  1. In fact, he wondered whether that building was absolutely necessary.
  1. His neighbour asked when the building would be completed.
  1. A fifth member questioned them : "What do you propose to do ?"
  1. Finally the Treasurer wondered if the project would ever be realised.

Direct / Reported speechPage 1F.D.