Indirect speech

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo g
• Leerjaar 2

Indirect speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect speech 

Directe rede = Als iemand iets zelf  zegt

Indirecte rede = Wanneer je wilt vertellen wat iemand anders heeft gezegd. 

Direct speech = John: "I am going home".

Indirect speech = John said (that) he was going home.

Wat is er veranderd aan de zin om er indirecte rede van te maken?

Rule no 1: 

Take a step back in time

Present simple > Past simple

Jessie: "I am happy with my mark for English."

Maria: "Jessie said that she was happy with her mark for English"

Present continuous > Past continuous

Jessie: "I am going to visit my aunt."

Maria: "Jessie said that she was going to visit her aunt." 

Past simple   >   Past perfect

Jessie: "Last week I worked at McDonalds."

Maria: "Jessie said that she had worked at McDonalds the week before."

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation

Je gaat als het ware 1 stap terug op de tijdlijn:

present simple >> past simple

present continuous >> past continuous

present perfect >> past perfect

past simple >> past perfect

Changing the tense

Direct speech Mary:          "He tells a lie"

Reported speech:                She said that he told a lie

Present simple → Past simple

So what happens is that when we change the verb tense, we take a step 'back in time', as it were. Have a look →

Grammar explanation: Indirect Speech

Grammar explanation: Indirect speech 

LET OP: vaak moet je het persoonlijk voornaamwoord, bezittelijk voornaamwoord en/of tijdsaanduiding aanpassen:

Samantha: "I have a nice car". Samantha said that she had a nice car.

Mr. Jones: "I am doing the dishes". Mr. Jones said that he was doing the dishes.

Jayden: "I will do it right now." Jayden said that he would do it straight away.

Jim: "Our neighbours moved last year." Jim said that their neighbours had moved last year.

Tense changes

Mary: "He will tell a lie"                                                               She said that he would tell a lie

Will     →                                                                                             would

Mary: "He can tell a lie"                                                              She said that he could tell a lie

Can     →                                                                                            could

Mary: "He should tell a lie"                                                       She said that he should tell a lie

Should    →                                                                                      should / should have + past participle

When something is reported that is a general truth, there is often no tense change.

Teacher: “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

The teacher said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.  

Tense changes

Mary: "He is telling a lie"                                                            She said that he was telling a lie

Present continuous    →                                                            Past continuous

Mary: "He has told a lie                                                              She said that he had told a lie

Present perfect    →                                                                    Past perfect

Mary: "He told a lie"                                                                     She said that he had told a lie

Past simple    →                                                                            Past perfect

Mary: "He was telling a lie"                                                      She said that he had been telling a lie

Past continuous    →                                                                  Past perfect continuous

Mary: "He had told a lie"                                                           She said that he had told a lie

Past perfect    →                                                                          Past perfect  

Brandon: 'I don't want to hurt your feelings.'

Firemen: 'We have extinguished the fire in your kitchen.'

The reporter: 'A disaster has taken place in Japan.'

Our guests: 'Your restaurant is the best in town!'

I: 'Could you show me the story you've been working on?'

The author: 'I spent almost five years writing this story.'

My teacher: 'Can you hand in your stories tomorrow?'