REPORTED SPEECH

Reporting verbs: say and tell.

To say and to tell are both reporting verbs. However, to tell must be followed by an indirect object while to say is
normally followed by that or, occasionally, by to + indirect object.
He says that he is listening.
He tells me that he is listening.
He said to me that he was listening.

To say is used to introduce direct speech, greetings or commands:
He said, I am listening to you. He said goodbye He said no.
To tell can also be used in expressions such as:
To tell a story To tell the time - To tell a lie - To tell the truth - To tell the difference.


Reported speech (I)

I verbi pi comuni per introdurre il discorso indiretto sono: say, tell, ask, suggest. Di seguito i loro usi specifici:
Tell (+ infinitive) is used to report commands: Go away! She told me to go away.
Do not drive too fast She told me not to drive too fast.
Ask (+ infinitive) is used to report requests: Please, help me find my memory stick He asked me to help him
find his memory stick.
Suggest (+ -ing form; or subject + verb base form; or subject + should + verb base form) is usually used to
report suggestions: Lets send for a doctor. He suggested sending for a doctor.
that we send
that we should send...
He should apologise She suggested that he should apologise
that he apologise.

Altri reporting verbs possono tuttavia essere usati:
Add, exclaim, explain, etc. invite, order, etc. advise, promise, etc. wonder, reply, etc.

Nel passaggio dal discorso diretto al discorso indiretto si devono rispettare certi rapporti in termini di:
pronomi tempi verbali espressioni di tempo e di luogo

Se il verbo (ovvero say, tell, etc.) che introduce il discorso indiretto al:
Simple Present
Present perfect nel passaggio da discorso diretto a discorso indiretto non c cambiamento di tempo.
Future

a) Ill come tomorrow John says (Simple Present) that he will come tomorrow.
b) She can lend you her PC John says (Simple Present) that she can lend me her PC

Se, invece, il verbo che introduce il discorso indiretto al:
Simple Past
nel passaggio da discorso diretto a discorso indiretto si osservano i seguenti cambiamenti di tempo:
Past Perfect

Direct speech Reported speech
Simple present Simple Past
Present continuous Past continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Present perfect continuous Past perfect continuous
Simple past Past perfect
Will future Present conditional (regola generale, ma vedi sotto Future in the Past)
Future continuous Present conditional continuous
Imperative Infinitive

Rimangono invece invariati i seguenti tempi verbali:
Direct speech
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Present conditional
Past conditional

Future in the Past
Study the following examples:
I will bring you a nice present from England.
a) He promised he would bring a nice present from
England.
b) He promised he would have brought us a nice present
from England (but he didnt).
Ill come tomorrow.
John said (Simple Past) that he would
come tomorrow.

Variazione delle espressioni di tempo e luogo nel reported speech.
This that
Here there
Now then
Today/tonight that day/night
Yesterday the previous day, the day before
Tomorrow the following day, the day after, the next day
The day before yesterday two days before
The day after tomorrow in two days time
An hour/a day/ a week ago an hour/a day/ a week before
Last week/month the previous week/month
Next week/month the following week/month

Reported speech (II) Periodo ipotetico nel discorso indiretto
Study the following examples:
Ill come if I have time He said he would come if he had time
I would come if I had time He said he would come if he had time
I would have come if I had had time He said he would have come if he had had time.
Se ne ricava che nel riferire un periodo ipotetico cambia solo quello denominato First conditional