英语单词短语词组“grammar/british-grammar/reported-speech-indirect-speech”的中文翻译、释义及用法解析-英汉词典

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words.In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

	direct	indirect	reported clause
statement	‘I’m tired,’ I said.	I told them (that)Iwas tired.	that-clause
question	‘Are you ready?’ the nurse asked Joel. ‘Who are you?’ she asked.	The nurse asked Joelif/whether he was ready. She asked mewho I was.	if-clause/whether-clause wh-clause
command	‘Leave at once!’ they ordered.	They ordered usto leave at once.	to-infinitive clause

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and athat-clause. We often omitthat, especially in informal situations:

The pilot commentedthatthe weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land.(The pilot’s words were:‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’)

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday.(that-clause withoutthat) (orI told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday.)

Indirectreports ofyes-noquestions and questions withorconsist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced byiforwhether.Ifis more common thanwhether. The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She askedif[S] [V]I wasScottish.(originalyes-noquestion:‘Are you Scottish?’)

The waiter askedwhether[S]we[V]wanteda table near the window.(originalyes-noquestion:‘Do you want a table near the window?)

He asked meif[S] [V]I had comeby train or by bus.(original alternative question:‘Did you come by train or by bus?’)

See also:

Questions:yes-noquestions (Are you feeling cold?)
Whether

Indirect reports ofwh-questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with awh-word (who, what, when, where, why, how). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked mewhatI wanted.

Not:He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who[S]we[V]hadinvitedto the party.

Not: …who had we invited…

In indirect questions withwho, whomandwhat, thewh-word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked themwhocame to meet them at the airport.(whois the subject ofcame; original question:‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’)

He wonderedwhatthe repairs would cost.(whatis the object ofcost; original question:‘What will the repairs cost?’)

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked uswhat[S]we[V]were doing.(original question:‘What are you doing?’)

Not:She asked us what were we doing?

See also:

Whom

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) withwhen,where, whyandhow:

I asked herwhen[S]it[V]had happened(original question:‘When did it happen?’).

Not:I asked her when had it happened?

I asked herwhere[S]the bus station[V]was.(original question:‘Where is the bus station?’)

Not:I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked themhow[S]they[V]wantedto do the activity.(original question:‘How do you want to do the activity?’)

Not:The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

See also:

Questions:wh-questions

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with ato-infinitive:

The General ordered the troopsto advance.(original command:‘Advance!’)

The chairperson told himto sit downandto stop interrupting.(original command:‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’)

We also use ato-infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example,advise, encourage, warn:

They advised meto waittill the following day.(original statement:‘You should wait till the following day.’)

The guard warned usnot to enterthe area.(original statement:‘You must not enter the area.’)

See also:

Verbs followed by ato-infinitive

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheilasaysthey’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henrytellsme he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupertsaysdogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach.(Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGETELLSREPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTERSAYSFAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

See also:

Present simple (I work)
Reported speech
Reported speech: direct speech

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usuallysayortell). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rorywas tellingme the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alexwas sayingthat book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

See also:

Indirect speech: reporting statements

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time ofthe report.

Compare

direct speech	indirect speech
I said, ‘I’mnotvery happy at work.’	I told her Iwasnotvery happy at work.
They said: ‘We’regoinghome.’	They told us theyweregoinghome.
He said, ‘Janewillbe late.’	He said that Janewouldbe late.
‘I’vebeenworking,’ she said.	She said shehad been working.
‘Whathappenedto make her so angry?’ he asked.	He asked whathad happenedto make her so angry.

In these examples, the present (am) has become the past (was), the future (will) has become the future-in-the-past (would) and the past (happened) has become the past perfect (had happened). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

direct		indirect
present simple	→	past simple
present continuous	→	past continuous
present perfect simple	→	past perfect simple
present perfect continuous	→	past perfect continuous
past simple	→	past perfect simple
past continuous	→	past perfect continuous
future (will)	→	future-in-the-past (would)
past perfect	↔	past perfect (no change)

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Direct speech

Indirect speech

He asked: ‘Hadthe girls alreadyleft?’

He asked if the girlshadalreadyleft.

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

	direct speech	indirect speech	change
will	‘Wewillbe there,’ he promised.	He promised theywouldbe there.	willbecomeswould
shall	She said, ‘Ishallneed more money.’ ‘ShallI open it?’ she asked.	She said shewouldneed more money. She asked if sheshouldopen it.	shallusually becomeswould in reported questions,shallbecomesshould
can	‘Icansee you at 2.30,’ he added.	He added that hecouldsee me at 2.30.	canbecomescould
may	‘Imaybe back later,’ she said. ‘Youmaywait in the hallway,’ he said.	She said shemightbe back later. He said wecouldwait in the hallway.	may(possibility) becomesmight may(permission) becomescould
must	She said, ‘Youmustpay by 30th April.’ ‘Itmustbe awful to live in such a noisy place,’ she said.	She said wehad topay by 30th April. She said itmustbe awful to live in such a noisy place.	must(obligation) usually becomeshad to must(speculation) does not change
could	‘Wecouldsell it for about 2,000 euros,’ he said.	He said theycouldsell it for about 2,000 euros.	no change
should	‘Youshouldgo there immediately,’ she said.	She said Ishouldgo there immediately.	no change
would	‘Iwouldbuy it if I had the money,’ he said.	He said hewouldbuy it if he had the money.	no change
might	‘Itmightsnow tonight,’ he warned.	He warned that itmightsnow that night.	no change
need	‘Youneedn’tcome till six o’clock,’ he said.	He said weneedn’tcome till six o’clock.	no change

We can use a perfect form withhave+ -edform after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noisemight have beenthe postman delivering letters.(original statement:‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’)

He said hewould have helpedus if we’d needed a volunteer.(original statement:‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’or‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’)

Used toandought todo not change in indirect speech:

She said sheused tolive in Oxford.(original statement:‘I used to live in Oxford.’)

The guard warned us that weought toleave immediately.(original statement:‘You ought to leave immediately.’)

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

Hetoldme his brotherworksfor an Italian company.(It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

Shesaidshe’sgettingmarried next year.(For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

Hesaidhe’sfinishedpainting the door.(He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she’ll helpus.(The promise applies to the future.)

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

direct	indirect
‘Idon’t want to shock people,’Tomsaid.	Tomsaidhedidn’t want to shock people.	different speakers (Ichanges tohe)
‘I’ll look after Toby,’Isaid.	IsaidIwould look after Toby.	same speaker (no change)
‘Youneed to be here at nine o’clock,’Georgetold Beatrice.	Georgetold Beatricesheneeded to be there at nine o’clock.	different speakers (youchanges toshe)
‘Ihopeyouwill join us tonight,’Isaid to James.	Itold JamesIhopedhewould join us that night.	same speaker (no change toI;youchanges tohe)

We often change demonstratives (this, that) and adverbs of time and place (now, here, today, etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Compare

direct speech	indirect speech
I said, ‘I’ll meet youhere tomorrow.’	I told her I would meet hertherethe next/following day.
She said, ‘I do not wish to discuss itatthis moment in time.’	She said she did not wish to discuss itat that moment in time.
He said, “I want itnow.”	He said he wanted itthen/at that moment.
‘I finished the jobthree weeks ago,’ the boy protested.	The boy protested that he had finished the jobthree weeks before.

direct		indirect
this	→	that
these	→	those
now	→	then
yesterday	→	the day before
tomorrow	→	the next/following day
two weeks ago	→	two weeks before
here	→	there

The word order in indirect reports ofwh-questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks mewhere[S] [V]I amgoing.

Not:She always asks me where am I going.

We don’t use aquestion mark when reportingwh-questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not:I asked him what he was doing?

Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reportingyes-noquestions and alternative questions

Reportingwh-questions

Who,whomandwhat

When,where,whyandhow

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

Newspaper headlines

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

Backshift

Backshift changes

Modal verbs

No backshift

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors