Direct And Reported Speech

Direct and Reported Speech (El estilo directo y indirecto)

Cuando queremos comunicar o informar de lo que otra persona ha dicho, hay dos maneras de hacerlo: utilizando el estilo directo o el estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech (El estilo directo)

Cuando queremos informar exactamente lo que otra persona ha dicho, utilizamos el estilo directo. Con este estilo lo que la persona ha dicho se coloca entre comillas y deberá ser palabra por palabra.

• Ejemplos:

• I am going to London next week, she said.

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"I am going to London next week," she said.("Voy a Londres la semana que viene," ella dijo.)

• Do you have a pen I could borrow, he asked.

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"Do you have a pen I could borrow," he asked. ("Tienes un bolígrafo que puedas prestarme," él preguntó.)

• Alice said, I love to dance.

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Alice said, "I love to dance." (Alice dijo, "Me encanta bailar.")

• Chris asked, Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?

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Chris asked, "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" (Chris preguntó, "Te gustaría cenar conmigo mañana por la noche?")

Reported Speech (El estilo indirecto)

El estilo indirecto, a diferencia del estilo directo, no utiliza las comillas y no necesita ser palabra por palabra. En general, cuando se usa el estilo indirecto, el tiempo verbal cambia. A continuación tienes un explicación de los cambios que sufren los tiempos verbales.

A veces se usa "that" en las frases afirmativas y negativas para introducir lo que ha dicho la otra persona. Por otro lado, en las frases interrogativas se puede usar "if" o "whether".

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Simple Past Simple

He's American she said.

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"He's American" she said. She said he was American.

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She said he was American.

I'm happy to see you, Mary said.

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"I'm happy to see you", Mary said. Mary said that she was happy to see me.

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Mary said that she was happy to see me.

He asked, Are you busy tonight?

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He asked, "Are you busy tonight?" He asked me if I was busy tonight.

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He asked me if I was busy tonight.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Dan is living in San Francisco, she said.

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"Dan is living in San Francisco," she said. She said Dan was living in San Francisco.

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She said Dan was living in San Francisco.

He said, I'm making dinner.

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He said, "I'm making dinner" He told me that he was making dinner.

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He told me that he was making dinner.

Why are you working so hard? They asked.

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"Why are you working so hard?" they asked. They asked me why I was working so hard.

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They asked me why I was working so hard.

Past Simple Past Perfect Simple

We went to the movies last night, he said.

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"We went to the movies last night," he said. He told me they had gone to the movies last night.

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He told me they had gone to the movies last night.

Greg said, I didn't go to work yesterday.

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Greg said, "I didn't go to work yesterday." Greg said that he hadn't gone to work yesterday.

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Greg said that he hadn't gone to work yesterday.

Did you buy a new car? she asked.

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"Did you buy a new car?" she asked. She asked me if I had bought a new car.

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She asked me if I had bought a new car.

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

I was working late last night, Vicki said.

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"I was working late last night," Vicki said. Vicki told me she'd been working last night.

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Vicki told me she'd been working last night.

They said, We weren't waiting long.

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They said, "We weren't waiting long." They said that they hadn't been waiting long.

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They said that they hadn't been waiting long.

He asked, Were you sleeping when I called?

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He asked, "Were you sleeping when I called?" He asked if I'd been sleeping when he called.

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He asked if I'd been sleeping when he called.

Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple

Heather said, I've already eaten.

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Heather said, "I've already eaten." Heather told me that she'd already eaten.

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Heather told me that she'd already eaten.

We haven't been to China, they said.

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"We haven't been to China," they said. They said they hadn't been to China.

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They said they hadn't been to China.

Have you worked here before? I asked.

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"Have you worked here before?" I asked. I asked her whether she'd worked there before.

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I asked her whether she'd worked there before.

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

I've been studying English for two years, he said.

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"I've been studying English for two years," he said. He said he'd been studying English for two years.

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He said he'd been studying English for two years.

Steve said, We've been dating for over a year now.

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Steve said, "We've been dating for over a year now." Steve told me that they'd been dating for over a year.

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Steve told me that they'd been dating for over a year.

Have you been waiting long? they asked.

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"Have you been waiting long?" they asked. They asked whether I'd been waiting long.

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They asked whether I'd been waiting long.

Past Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple (*NO CHANGE)

I'd been to Chicago before for work, he said.

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"I'd been to Chicago before for work," he said. He said that he'd been to Chicago before for work.

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He said that he'd been to Chicago before for work.

Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous (*NO CHANGE)

She said, I'd been dancing

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