JU UNIVERZITET SINERGIJA BIJELJINA BIJELJINA FAKULTET ZA POSLOVNU INFORMATIKU

DELI NERMIN REPORTED SPEECH (SEMINARSKI RAD)

Bijeljina, february, 2012.

Contents
1. 2. OVERVIEW OF STRATEGIES FOR REPORTING........................................................................................ 3 REPORTING STRUCTURES..................................................................................................................... 3

2.1. DIRECT SPEECH ..................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2. INDIRECT SPEECH ................................................................................................................................. 4 2.2.1. How to transform a reported speech sentence.................................................................................. 5 3. 4. A NOTE ON SAYING AND TELLING......................................................................................................... 6 OTHER COMMON TRANSFORMATIONS: .............................................................................................. 7

1.

OVERVIEW OF STRATEGIES FOR REPORTING

The pfenomenon of reported speech involves a number of intricately related syntactic, semantic and pragmatic factors that do not all lend themselves to neat formulation. The most sensible approach is to examine the relationship between the original utterance on the one hand and the form it has in the relationship between the original utterance on the one hand form it has in the reported version, as well as its immediate context, on the other.

2.

REPORTING STRUCTURES

There are two principal ways in which to report other people s language. The most explicit way is to introduce it by means of a structure referring to the speaker and the act of communication in speech or writing, and perhaps also to the person spoken to, to the manner of speaking, or to the circumstances of the speech: Ex: The grandfather said/wrote The grandfather told us The grandfather replied/explained/ said while sipping his coffee

It is thus necessary to distinguish these reporting structures from what is actually reported. When the reporting clause introduces the report of the communication, the reported clause may take the form of direct speech or indirect speech. The former is an attempt to give the exact words the someone utters, the indirect speech conveys in the words of a subsequent report what has been uttered by the original speaker or writer. The distinction between direct (unreported) speech and indirect (reported) speech is demonstrated in the following set of sentences:

I enjoy reading Christie`s novels. Larry said that he enjoyed reading Christies novels. Larry said, I enjoy reading Christie`s novels

2.1. DIRECT SPEECH

Direct speech is usually signaled by being enclosed in quotation marks. The reporting clause may occur before, within, or after the direct speech. Medial position is very frequent. When the reporting clause is medial or final, subject-verb inversion may occur if the verb is in the simple present or past, most commonly with the verb said , and when the subject is not a pronoun and if reporting clause is medial: I wonder, Sheila said, whether I can borrow you pen. I wonder, she said, whether I can borrow you pen. I wonder, whether I can borrow you pen.

2.2. INDIRECT SPEECH

Indirect speech (reported speech) is typically used to report statements in the form of normal that-clauses, but it can take other forms as well, depending on the sentence type of report. Hence, reported declarative clause is usually introduced by the conjunction that, report yes/no questions are introduced by whether/if wh-questions are reported as wh-finite clauses or occasionally , as wh-to- infinitives. We use reported speech to speak about what someone has said. For example: Lisa: I like Beyonce. Lisa said (that) she liked Beyonce. We usually change what the person said in the present into the past tense: Lisa said: I like Beyonce . Lisa said (that) she liked Beyonce.

2.2.1. How to transform a reported speech sentence.

Present- past I am happy. She said that she was happy.

Past simple past perfect I bought a t-shirt. She said that she had bought a t-shirt.

Present perfect past perfect Susan has lived in Madrid since 1998. She said that Susan had lived in Madrid since 1998.

Present continuous past continuous I am cooking spaghetti. She said that she was cooking spaghetti.

Future simple whould + infinitive . I will go to the beach. She said she would go to the beach.

Can could I can play the guitar. She said she could play the guitar.

Must had to I must go. He said he had to go. Sometimes you have to change the pronouns: I he, she We they You must use common sense here. If you are transforming a sentence you said yourself, of course you dont have to make this transformation. e.g. You must write a composition I said that you had to write a composition. (Im the same person) BUT if you tell this to your mum: She said that we had to write a composition.

Same problem when using time references: Tuesday: You have to write the composition tomorrow. She said I had to write the composition tomorrow .(still Tuesday) She said I had to write the composition the next day. (NOT on Tuesday)

3.

A NOTE ON SAYING AND TELLING

Verb say can be used to reprt or quote. It introduces not only direct and indireclaratives, but also questions on direct speech. Tell is normal not used to introduces direct speech. In indirect speech it is used to erport statements and directiveves. There are two main reporting verbs: SAY and TELL. Say has only one object: She said that she liked Beyonce.
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Tell has TWO objects: She told Karen that she liked Beyonce. She told her that she liked Beyonce. (note that we use the object pronouns: told me, told you, told him, told her, told us, told them).

4.

OTHER COMMON TRANSFORMATIONS:

This, these That, those Now Then Today That day Yesterday The day before The day before yesterday Two day before Tomorrow The next day The day after tomorrow Two days later Next week/month/year The following week/month/year Last week/month/year The previous week/month/year Two days/three hours ago Two days/three hours before.