Past tenses sometimes remain unchanged
A)
In theory the
past tense changes to the past perfect, but in spoken English it is often left
unchanged, provided this can be done without causing confusion about the
relative times of the actions.
For example,
He said, “I loved her” must become He said he had loved her as otherwise there would be a change of
meaning.
But He said, “Ann arrived on Monday” could be reported He said Ann
arrived/had arrived on Monday.
B)
The past
continuous tense in theory changes to the past perfect continuous but in
practice usually remains unchanged except when it refers to a completed action:
She
said, “We were thinking of selling the house but we have decided not to” =
She
said that they had been thinking of selling the house but had decided not to.
But He
said, “When I saw them they were playing tennis” =
He said
that when he saw them they were playing tennis.
C)
In written
English past tenses usually do change to past perfect but there are the
following exceptions:
1) Past/Past continuous tenses in time clauses do not
normally change:
He said, “When we were living/lived in
Paris . . .” = He said that when they were living in Paris . . .
The main verb of such
sentences can either remain unchanged or become the past perfect:
He said, “When we were living/lived in
Paris we often saw Paul” = He
said that when they were living/lived in Paris they often saw/had often seen
Paul.
2) A past tense used to describe a state of affairs
which still exists when the speech is reported remains unchanged:
She
said, “I decided not to buy the
house because it was on a main road” =
She
said that she had decided not to buy the house because it was on a main road.
Expressions of time and place in indirect speech
A)
Adverbs and
adverbial phrases of time change as follows:
Direct
|
Indirect
|
today
|
that day
|
yesterday
|
the day before
|
the day before
yesterday
|
two days before
|
tomorrow
|
the next day/the
following day
|
the day after
tomorrow
|
in two days '
time
|
next week/year etc.
|
the following
week/year etc.
|
last week/year etc.
|
the previous
week/year etc.
|
a year etc. ago
|
a year
before/the previous year
|
“I saw her the day
before yesterday,” he said = He said
he’d seen her two days before.
“I’ll
do it tomorrow,” he promised = He promised that he would do it the next
day.
“I’m
starting the day after tomorrow, mother,” he said = He told his mother that he was starting in
two days’ time.
She
said, “My father died a year ago” = She
said that her father had died a year before/the previous year.
B)
But if the
speech is made and reported on the same day these time changes are not
necessary:
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.
C)
Logical
adjustments are of course necessary if a speech is reported one/two days after
it is made.
On Monday Jack
said to Tom: “I’m
leaving the day after tomorrow”.
If Tom reports this speech on the next day
(Tuesday) he will probably say:
Jack
said he was leaving tomorrow.
If he reports it on Wednesday, he will probably
say:
Jack
said he was leaving today.
D)
Here can become there but only when it is clear
what place is meant:
At the
station he said, “I’ll be here again tomorrow” = He said that he’d be there
again the next day.
Usually here has to be replaced by some
phrase:
She
said, “You can sit here, Tom” = She
told Tom that he could sit beside her etc...
But He
said, “Come here, boys” would
normally be reported: He called the boys.
Let's, let us, let him/them in indirect speech
A)
let's
1) let's usually
expresses a suggestion and is reported by suggest in indirect speech:
He
said, “Let's leave the case at the station” would be reported:
He
suggested leaving the case at the station or He suggested that they/we should
leave the case at the station.
He
said, “Let's stop now and finish it later” would be reported:
He
suggested stopping then and finishing it later or He
suggested that they/we should stop then and finish it later.
Similarly in the negative:
He
said, “Let's not say anything about it till we hear the facts” = He
suggested not saying anything/saying nothing about it till they heard the facts
or He suggested that they shouldn't
say anything till they heard the facts.
But let’s not used alone in
answer to an affirmative suggestion is often reported by some phrase such as opposed
the idea/was against it/objected.
So that we could report:
“Let’s sell the
house,” said Tom. “Let’s not,” said Ann by Tom suggested selling the house
but Ann was against it.
2) let's/let us sometimes expresses a call to action. It is then usually reported by urge/advise + object +
infinitive:
The
strike leader said, “Let’s show the bosses that we are united” = The strike
leader urged the workers to show the bosses that they were united.
B)
let him/them
1)
In theory let
him/them expresses a command. But very often the speaker has no authority
over the person who is to obey the command:
“It’s
not my business,” said the postman. “Let the government do something about it.”
Here, the speaker is not issuing a command but
expressing an obligation. Sentences of this type are therefore normally
reported by ought/should:
He said that it wasn’t his business and
that the government ought to/should do something about it.
2)
Sometimes,
however, let him/them does express a command. It is then usually
reported by say + be + infinitive:
“Let
the boys clear up this mess,” said the headmaster = The headmaster said that
the boys were to clear up the mess.
“Let the guards be armed,” he ordered = He ordered that the guards should
be armed.
3)
Sometimes let
him/them is more a suggestion than a command. In such cases it is usually
reported by suggest, or say + should:
She
said, “Let them go to their consul. He’ll be able to help them” = She suggested their/them going to
their consul etc. or
She
suggested that they should go to their consul or
She said that they should go to their
consul.
4)
let him/them can also indicate the speaker’s indifference:
“The
neighbours will complain,” said Ann.
“Let
them (complain),” said Tom = Tom expressed indifference or
Tom
said he didn't mind (if they complained).
C)
let there be
Here the speaker could be ordering, advising,
urging or begging:
“Let
there be no reprisals,” said the widow of the murdered man = The widow urged/begged that there
should be no reprisals.
D)
let is also an
ordinary verb meaning allow/permit:
“Let
him come with us, mother; I’ll take care of him,” I said =
I asked my mother to
let him come with us and promised to take care of him.
Exclamations and yes and no
A)
Exclamations
usually become statements in indirect speech. The exclamation mark disappears.
1)
Exclamations
beginning What (a) ... or How . . . can be reported (a) by exclaim/say
that:
He
said, “What a dreadful idea!” or “How
dreadful!” = He exclaimed that it was a dreadful idea/was dreadful
or (b) by give an exclamation of delight/disgust/horror/relief/surprise
etc.
Alternatively,
if the exclamation is followed by an action we can use the construction (c) with an exclamation of
delight/disgust etc. + he/she etc. + verb.
2)
Other types of
exclamation, such as Good! Marvellous! Splendid! Heavens! Oh! Ugh! etc.
can be reported as in (b) or (c) above:
“Good!”
he exclaimed = He gave
an exclamation of pleasure/satisfaction.
“Ugh!” she exclaimed, and turned the
programme off = With an
exclamation of disgust she turned the programme off.
3)
Note also:
He
said, “Thank you!” = He thanked
me.
He
said, “Curse this fog!” = He cursed the fog.
He
said, “Good luck!” = He wished
me luck.
He
said, “Happy Christmas!” = He wished me a happy Christmas.
He
said, “Congratulations!” = He
congratulated me.
He
said, “Liar!” = He called me a liar.
He
said, “Damn!” etc. = He swore.
The
notice said: ‘WELCOME TO WALES’. = The notice welcomed visitors to Wales.
B)
yes and no
are expressed in indirect speech by subject + appropriate auxiliary verb:
He
said, “Can you swim?” and I said “No” = He
asked (me) if I could swim and I said I couldn't.
He
said, “Will you have time to do it?” and I said “Yes” = He asked if I would have time to do it and
I said that I would.
(From A.J. Thomson, A.V.Martinet A Practical English Grammar)
