Grammar Topic 9(b) - Direct and Indirect Speech (Questions and Imperatives)

Grammar – Topic 9(b)

Direct and Indirect Speech (Questions and Imperatives)

In the earlier post on changing direct to indirect speech, I showed how tenses, pronouns, adverbs and some modals are changed. 

This post is on changing direct questions to indirect questions. This can be a little trickier than changing direct statements to indirect statements because besides changing tenses, pronouns, adverbs and some modals, we also need to change the order of the words. 

This is what I mean. 

Example: 

Direct Speech: "Where is Jack?" Daniel asked. 

Indirect Speech: Daniel asked where Jack was. 

tenses: 'is' (present tense) changed to 'was' (past tense) 

Notice that instead of the order 'is Jack’, the word order is now different (Jack is). 

The question word (where) still comes first. 

Although we are reporting a question, we are no longer using the actual words of the speaker so the indirect or reported question now becomes a statement. 

Example: 

Direct Speech: "What are you doing?" James asked Peter. 

Indirect Speech: James asked Peter what he was doing. 

Notice that the question word (what) still comes first. 

Then we write ‘he’ followed by the verb (was doing). 

Do you know how the tenses were changed? 

The present continuous tense (are doing) was changed to the past continuous tense (was doing) 

Click here to learn more about the present continuous tense. (TBD)

Click here to learn more about the past continuous tense. (TBD)

Example:  

Direct Speech: "What is that?" Ann asked. 

Indirect Speech: Ann asked what that was. 

Notice that the order of verb (is) and ‘that’ is switched in indirect speech to ‘that’ and verb (was)

Remember that the tenses must be changed. 

What is that tense of the direct question? Present tense (is)

What should then be the tense of the indirect question? Simple past tense (was)

Direct Speech: "Where can I rent a bicycle?" Alex asked Mark.
Indirect Speech: Alex asked Mark where he could rent a bicycle.

If there is a modal verb (can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must), change the order of the noun or pronoun and the modal verb.

The order of 'modal verb + pronoun' (can I) is changed to 'pronoun + modal verb' (he could).

Example: 

Direct Speech: "Who likes chicken rice?" Jane asked. 

Indirect Speech: Jane asked who liked chicken rice. 

Notice that when there is no linking verb, auxiliary verb or modal verb, the order of words stays the same. 

Remember that the tense of the sentence must still be changed. 

What is that tense of the direct question? Present tense (likes)

What should then be the tense of the indirect question? Simple past tense (liked)

Some questions do not start with question words (who, what, when, where, which, why, how). They start with auxiliary verbs (do, does, did, is, are, have, has, am) or modal verbs (can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must). 
These are known as yes/no questions.

Examples:
Direct Speech: "Do you enjoy learning English?" John asked Ben.
Indirect Speech: John asked Ben if/whether he enjoyed learning English.

Direct Speech: "Shall I bring chicken nuggets for the picnic?" Mary asked Jill.
Indirect Speech: Mary asked Jill if/whether she should bring chicken nuggets for the picnic.


Notice that you need to use either 'if' or 'whether' in the indirect speech. 
Remember to make changes in tenses, pronouns and adverbs as well.

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Now that you know about direct and indirect questions, read on to find out about direct and indirect imperatives. 

Imperatives are sentences that we use to give an order, give advice, make a request, make a suggestion or give instructions. 

Examples: 

Direct Speech: "Queue up for your food," the teacher said to the students. 

Indirect Speech: The teacher told the students to queue up for their food.

Direct Speech: "Take an extra pen along for the examination," my mother said to me.

Indirect Speech: My mother advised me to take an extra pen along for the examination.

Direct Speech: "Exercise daily," the doctor said to the patient.

Indirect Speech: The doctor suggested to the patient that he/she should exercise daily.

Notice that 'said' is not used in the indirect speech for imperatives. Verbs like 'advice', 'common', 'requested', 'suggested', 'forbade', 'ordered' and 'instructed' are some of the common verbs used in indirect imperatives. 

What about the subject of the imperative? 

It is usually not mentioned because the subject is usually 'you' and it is understood. Instead, the imperative starts with a verb. 

Since the subject is 'you', then when changing a direct imperative to an indirect imperative, take note of whom the imperative is addressing. 

"Do not gobble down your food," Mrs Tan told her son.

The subject 'you' that is not stated in the imperative is Mrs Tan's son. 

So when we change the direct speech to the indirect speech, we include the correct pronoun to refer to Mrs Tan's son.

Mrs Tan told her son not to gobble down his food. 

Before doing the practice to check how well you are able to change direct speech to indirect speech, read a little about changing negative direct imperatives to negative indirect imperatives.

Example: 

Direct Speech: "Do not bring your phones into the examination hall," the teacher said to the students.

Indirect Speech: The teacher warned the students not to bring their phones into the examination hall.

Notice that 'do not' in the direct imperative becomes 'not to' in the indirect imperative. 

Let's Practise

Change the following from direct speech to indirect speech.

1. The sales assistant asked the customers, "How may I help you?"
The sales assistant asked the customers _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________


2. "Listen carefully to my instructions," Mr Li said to his students.
Mr Li told his students ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________


3. Zoe asked her brother, "Where did you go yesterday?"
Zoe asked her brother ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________


4. "How long did you take to travel from Singapore to Hong Kong?" Peter asked Noel.
Peter asked Noel __________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


5. Andrew asked Vicky, "Whom will you invite to your party?"
Andrew asked Vicky ________________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________



Change the following from indirect speech to direct speech.

6. Nathan asked Marie if she could teach him how to bake a butter cake.
Nathan asked Marie, "______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________"

7. Joel asked Chloe how much her new shoes were.
Joel asked Chloe, "______________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________"



8. The guide suggested that the hikers make the climb down the mountain the next day.
The guide said to the hikers, "_________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________"


9. Anabel asked her mother whom she had been talking to the previous day. 
Anabel asked her mother, "___________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________"


10. My best friend asked me when I had bought that bicycle.
My best friend asked me, "___________________________________________________


________________________________________________________________________"



Answers:
1. The sales assistant asked the customers how she/he might help them. 
2. Mr Li told his students to listen carefully to his instructions.
3. Zoe asked her brother where he had gone the day before.
4. Peter asked Noel how long he had taken to travel from Singapore to Hong Kong.
5. Andrew asked Vicky whom she would invite to her party.
6. Nathan asked Marie, "Can/Could you teach me how to bake a butter cake?"
7. Joel asked Chloe, "How much are your new shoes?"
8. The guide said to the hikers, "Make the climb down the mountain tomorrow."
9. Anabel asked her mother, "Whom were you talking to yesterday?"
10. My best friend asked me, "When did you buy this bicycle?"