Reported Speech / Estilo Indirecto

REPORTED SPEECH  / DEL ESTILO DIRECTO AL ESTILO INDIRECTO

De todos los temas, este probablemente es el más complicado porque para saber hacer esto hay que saber todo lo demás. Pero no te agobies. Esto es muy parecido al español.

Direct Speech / Estilo directo: “I live in London.”  (La misma Mary dice esto.)

Reported Speech / Estilo indirecto: Mary says that she lives in London. (otra persona dice que Mary dijo eso)

El estilo indirecto o reported speech se produce cuando alguien dice o cuenta lo que otra persona ha dicho.

Por eso se usan los verbos say y tell.  En este blog tienes ejercicios sobre cuando se utiliza say y cuando tell. Conviene que los busques y repases. Pero mejor haz eso después de haber leído todo esto. También hay otros verbos que se pueden usar en lugar de say y tell, como por ejemplo shout (gritar), whisper (susurrar) y muchos más. Pero ahora no los vamos a usar. Vamos a trabajar con say (decir) y (ask) preguntar.

Detrás del verbo say puede ir o no ir that. She said (that) she was coming.

Despues  de tell no puede ir  that si no va por medio una persona, la persona a la que se dijo lo que se dijo: She told me that she was coming.

Por lo demás, esto es bastante parecido al español, y hay que usar la lógica.

Si te fijas en el ejemplo de arriba, en el estilo directo hay quotation marks o comillas. Lo que ha dicho alguien y que otro alguien luego va a contar, va entre comillas. “I live in London.”

En el estilo indirecto no se usan comillas. 

Vamos a comparar las dos formulas.

Formula del estilo directo: "I know David and Ana," said Mary.

" + sujeto + verbo en el tiempo correcto + resto de la oración +, +" + said u otro verbo que indique que alguien habló + la persona que habló + .

Míralo bien, que todo eso está ahí en el ejemplo, las comillas y la coma y el punto final incluidos. No te olvides de ponerlo todo. 

Formula del estilo indirecto: Mary said she knew David and Ana.

Persona que habla + said u otro verbo que indique que alguien habló + sujeto de lo que se dijo + el verbo de lo que se dijo en el tiempo verbal correspondiente que es distinto al del estilo directo + el resto de la oración +. 

La segunda oración, la que está en estilo indirecto, se parece más al español si metes that. That equivale a que. No tienes porque poner that, pero si lo haces, se parece más a la versión española.

Mary said that she knew David and Ana.

Mary dijo que conocía a David y a Ana.

Para pasar de direct speech a reported speech, hay que hacer una serie de cambios.

Estos cambios se hacen en los tiempos verbales, en los pronombres, los posesivos y demostrativos y a veces en lo referente al tiempo y el lugar.  

Cambios en los tiempos verbales:

Cuando se habla, se pueden decir muchas cosas. Así que el cuadro que viene debajo no es perfecto, pero si sirve para la mayoría de los casos.  Este cuadro hay que aprendérselo por narices.

Direct Speech …………………………………………………Indirect or Reported Speech

Present Simple………………………………………………Past  simple

I open the door. …………………………………………She said (that) she opened the door.

Present Continuous………………………………………..Past continuous

I am opening the door. …………………………………She said (that) she was opening the door.                                

Past Simple ................................................................Past perfect 

I opened the door. ………………………………………She said (that) she had opened the door.

Past Continuous …………………………………………….Past perfect continuous

I was opening the door. …………………………………. She said( that) she had been  opening the door.

Present Perfect Simple………………………………… Past Perfect Simple

I have opened the door. ………………………………She said (that) she had opened the door.

Past Perfect Simple ……………………………………..Past Perfect Simple (no cambia)

I had opened the door …………………………………She said (that) she had opened the door.

Future Simple ……………………………………………..  Would (will se convierte en would)

I will open the door. ……………………………………. She said (that) she would open the door.

Be going to ………………………………………………….. Was / were going to

I am going to open the door. ………………………. She said she was going to open the door.

Present continuous as future ………………………. Past continuous as future.

I am opening the door (tomorrow). …………She said she was opening the door (tomorrow.)

Future Perfect ………………………………………….. Will se convierte en would.

I will have opened the door by ten tonight…… She said she would have opened the door by ten tonight.

Future continuous ………………………………………..Will se convierte en would.

I will be opening the door. ………………………………..She said she would be opening the door.                                                                              

Present Perfect Continuous …………………………….. Have /has se convierte en had

I have been opening the door. …………………………She said (that)she had been opening the door.

Past Perfect Continuous ……………………………………. Igual. No cambia.

She had been opening the door …………………………She said(that) she had been opening the door.

Can………………………………………………………………………Could

I can open the door.  …………………………………………She said (that) she could open the door.

Could…………………………………………………………………..Could, no cambia.

I could open the door. ………………………………………She said (that) she could open the door.

Shall…………………………………………………………………...Would

I shall open the door. …………………………………………She said (that) she would open the door.

Should………………………………………………………..…….…Should, no cambia.

I should open the door. ………………………………………She said that she should open the door.

Might ……………………………………………….………………...Might, no cambia.

I might open the door. ………………………………She said (that) she might open the door.

Must ……………………………………………………………Must, no cambia.

I must open the door. …………………………………She said (that) she must open the door.

Si te fijas, lo que más sucede en el cuadro es que los tiempos presentes se cambian por tiempos pasados.

A) Practice: Change the following sentences to reported speech.

1. “I like chocolate cake,” said Mary.

 

2. “Sara is studying medicine,” said Mrs. Jones.

 

3. “I saw Elizabeth at the supermarket,” said Peter.

 

4. “Anne was dancing with Alfred,” said Jerry.

 

5. “Susan has visited us,” said Lisa.

 

6. “Elizabeth has been to London before,” said Herbert.

 

7. “The children had been eating too many sweets,” said Clover.

 

8. “I will see Ben later,” said John.

 

9. “Sondra can help Sam,” said Grace.

 

10. “I might phone Bill,” said Sara.

 

11. “Peter must study for the test,” said Peter’s mother.

 

12. “I would go to the doctor with Alice,” said Luisa.

 

13. “I might have enough money,” said Paul.

 

14. “Anne shall come too,” said Harry.

 

15. “Ron can swim,” said Edward.

 

Cambios en los pronombres, los posesivos y los demostrativos:

Para hacer estos cambios hay que saberse bien los pronombres, los posesivos y los demostrativos. Eso es imprescindible.

Esto se tiene que hacer por lógica. Normalmente es fácil. Porque hay que hacer lo mismo que se hace en español. Pero hay que acordarse de hacer el cambio siempre que sea necesario.

Lo difícil (tanto en inglés como en español) a veces es identificar a la persona que representa el pronombre.

Hay casos fáciles, por ejemplo:

1. “I am happy,”  said Mary. / Mary said (that) she was happy.

En ese ejemplo, está clarísimo. Yo se convierte en ella, porque representa a Mary.

“Yo soy feliz,” dijo Mary. / Mary dijo que ella era feliz.

2. “Give it to me,”said Mary. / Mary said to give it to her.

También está bastante claro que se  refiere a Mary.

“Dámelo a mí,” dijo Mary.  / Mary dijo que se lo diese a ella.

3.  “That is my book,” said Bill. / Bill said that was his book.

  También está clarísimo que se trata del libro de Bill.

“Ese es mi libro,” dijo Bill. / Bill dijo que ese era su libro.

4.  “That is mine,” said Bill. / Bill said that was his.

También muy claro, la persona que es dueña es Bill.

“Eso es mío,” dijo Bill. / Bill dijo que eso era suyo.

5.  “I saw you,” said Mary to Bill. / Mary said to Bill that she had seen him.

Aquí por lo menos sabemos a quién se refiere ese you, porque la oración menciona a Bill.

“Te vi,” Mary le dijo a Bill. / Mary le dijo a Bill que le había visto.

Y ahora empiezan los problemas:

6. “I saw you,” said Mary. / Mary said that she had seen _____?____.

Aquí tenemos un problema. No sabemos a quién vio Mary, y por lo tanto no sabemos que pronombre usar. Porque “you” puede ser cualquiera.

“Te vi,” dijo Mary. / Mary dijo que __?___ había visto.

Si os encontraseis  ante esta situación, podéis hacer varias cosas. La más fácil es la siguiente.

Podéis asumir que Mary está hablando con la persona que luego lo cuenta.

Mary said that she saw me. / Mary dijo que me había visto a mí.

No os compliquéis la vida más.  Yo tampoco lo voy a hacer. Cambias you por me y ya está.

7. “You are rich,” said Mary. Mary said __?___ was / were rich.

No sabemos a quién llama rico Mary, así que lo más fácil es asumir que se lo dice a la persona que luego lo cuenta. 

Mary said that I was rich. / Mary dijo que yo era rica/ rico.

No te compliques más.

8. “We ate pizza,” said Mary. / Mary said ____?_____ had eaten pizza.

Aquí hay varias respuestas posibles. Podemos rellenar el hueco con we ( nosotros o nosotras) asumiendo que también comió pizza la persona que luego cuenta lo que dijo Mary, o podemos usar they ( ellos o ellas) si la persona que luego lo cuenta no estaba entre los que comieron pizza. Elegir entre we o they, que cualquiera de las dos se va a dar por válida.

Mary said (that) we had eaten pizza. /  Mary said that they had eaten pizza.   

Mary dijo que nosotros / nosotras comimos pizza. / Mary dijo que ellos / ellas comieron pizza.

9. “Lisa called us,” said Mary. / Mary said (that) Lisa had called ___?____.

Lo mismo que en los ejemplos 4. Y 5. Elegid entre us (nosotros / nosotras)  o them  (ellos, ellas)

Mary said (that) Lisa had called us. / Mary said that Lisa had called them.

Mary dijo que Lisa nos había llamado  a nosotros / nosotras.

Mary dijo que Lisa les había llamado a ellos / ellas.

10.  “That is our house,” said Mary. /  Mary said that that was our / their   house.

Eligid entre our o their.

Mary dijo que esa era nuestra casa.  / Mary dijo que esa era su casa. 

11.  “That car is ours,”said Mary. / Mary said that car was ours / theirs. 

Elegid entre ours o theirs.

Mary dijo que esa casa era nuestra. / Mary dijo que esa casa era suya (de ella y más gente, pero no de la persona que luego lo cuenta.)

CONSEJO GENERAL: Usa la lógica, y si no identificas a la persona o personas representadas por un pronombre, lo más fácil es asumir que se refiere o incluye a la persona que luego cuenta lo que se ha dicho.

This, that, these, those:

This (esto)  se puede convertir en that (eso). Y eso suele hacer.

These (estos)  se puede convertir en those (esos, aquellos). Y eso suele hacer también.

Por ejemplo:

1. “This is beautiful,”said Mary. Mary said that was beautiful.

“Esto es hermoso,” dijo Mary./ Mary dijo que aquello era hermoso.

2. “These are beautiful,” said Mary. / Mary said those were beautiful.

“Estos son hermosos,” dijo Mary. / Mary dijo que aquellos eran hermosos.

Estos cambios en realidad dependen del contexto. Tú usa la lógica y yo procuraré poner ejercicios claros.

B) Practice: Change these sentences from direct speech to reported speech. Puedes tener que hacer más de un cambio en algunas de las oraciones.

1.  “Alice is my sister,” said Elsa.

 

2. “That is his shirt,” said Jane.

 

3. “Where is he?” asked Edith.

 

4. “He lives in the red house,” said Jane.

 

5. “Where is your dog?” said Patty.

 

6. “This is yours,” said Andrew.

 

7. “I told them to go home,” said Amy.

 

8. “You should eat more vegetables,” said the doctor.

 

9. “These books belong to Henry,” said Mr. Lewis.

 

10. “Arthur gave us many  gifts,” said Karina.

 

11. “That car is mine,” said Julia.

 

12. “We had breakfast early this morning,” said Lucy.

 

13. “You can use our bicycles,” said Ted and Ed. 

 

14. “Robert is our brother,” said Sybil and Anne.

 

15. “It is too late for me,” said0 Frank.

 

16. “Alan sent Jill these flowers,” said Mrs. Smith.

 

Cambios relacionados con el tiempo:

También es cuestión de lógica y del contexto.

Unos ejemplos:

1. “I saw Jane today,” said Mary. / Mary said she had seen Jane that day. 

2. “I saw Ben yesterday,” said Mary. / Mary said she had seen Ben the day before.

3. “I will see Alice tomorrow,” said Mary. / Mary said she would see Alice the day after.

4. “I have seen Meg before,” said Mary. / Mary said she had seen Meg before.

5. “I saw Susan two months ago,” said Mary. / Mary said she had seen Susan two months earlier/ before.

6. “I will see Betty next year,” said Mary. / Mary said she would see Betty (the) next year.

7. “I will see George now,” said Mary. / Mary said she would see George then.

8. “At that moment, I saw Elsa enter the room,” said Mary. / Mary said she had seen Elsa enter the room at that moment.

Esta es una lista de los cambios más frecuentes:

now………………….then, at that time,

today ………………that day

yesterday …………..the day before

tomorrow …………..the day after, the following day,

next month …………. the next month

last week ……………the week before,  the previous week, the past week

two years ago ……….. two years before

Hay muchos casos en que no hay que hacer cambios.

later ……………………later

at that moment ………..at that moment

earlier……………….earlier

before ……………..before

since ………………..since

C) Practice:

1. “I will go to the cinema tonight,” said Lisa.

 

2. “At that moment, Mrs. Brown fainted,” said Peter. (faint = desmayarse)

 

3. “The children will go to bed now,” said Elizabeth.

 

4. “Mary will see me later,” said Leo.

 

5. Edward was in Berlin two years ago,” said Lucas.

 

6. “I  ate paella yesterday,” said Jessica.

 

7. “Fatima has never seen her cousins before,” said Thomas.

 

8. “The girls went to school the next day,” said Rita.

 

Cambios relacionados con el lugar:

Otra vez hay que usar la lógica y fijarse en el contexto.

El cambio más corriente es poner there por here.

“Jane was sitting here,” said Mary. / Mary said Jane was sitting here / there.

“Jane estaba sentada ahí,” dijo Mary. / Mary dijo que Jane estaba sentada ahí / allí.

Si la persona que cuenta lo que dijo Mary está en el mismo lugar en el que estaba Mary y apunta al mismo sitio al que apuntó Mary al decir donde estaba sentada Jane, no hace falta cambiar here por  there. Si no es así, hay que cambiar here por there. La mayoría de los profesores prefieren que hagas el cambio para demostrar que puedes. Yo prefiero que te fijes en el contexto, si lo hay.

LA NEGATIVA

Para las oraciones negativas, todo igual pero en negativa.

Por ejemplo:

1.  “I haven’t seen Jane today,” said Bill. / Bill said he hadn’t seen Jane that day.

2. “Edgar didn’t eat the pizza,” said Joseph. / Joseph said Edgar hadn’t eaten the pizza.

3. “The children won’t stop shouting,” said Sam. / Sam said the children wouldn’t stop shouting.

D) Practice:

1. “The dogs weren’t barking last night,” said Arthur.

 

2. “Samantha didn’t open the windows,” said George.

 

3. “Susan didn’t go to school this morning,” said Charles.

 

4. “They haven’t forgotten your birthday,” said Georgia.

 

5. Betty doesn’t know how to read,” said Darcy.

 

YES /NO QUESTIONS / PREGUNTAS QUE SE CONTESTAN CON SÍ O CON NO

Aquí lo importante es poner “if.”  Es igual que en español, hay que poner “si.” Y en el mismo sitio que en español.

Ejemplos:

1.  “Is Yolanda happy?” asked Seth. / Seth asked if Yolanda was happy.

“¿Es Yolanda feliz?” preguntó Seth. / Seth preguntó si Yolanda era feliz.

2. “Are they Hungarian?” asked Fred. / Fred asked if they were Hungarian.

“¿Son ellos húngaros?” preguntó Fred. / Fred preguntó si ellos eran húngaros.

3. “Were the students in the library?” asked the teacher. / The teacher asked if the students were in the library.

“¿Estaban los alumnos en la biblioteca?” preguntó la maestra. / La maestra preguntó si los alumnos estaban en la biblioteca.

4. “Have the children had breakfast?” asked Mrs. Scott. / Mrs. Scott asked if the children had had breakfast.

“¿Han desayunado los niños?” preguntó la Señora  Scott. / La Señora Scott preguntó si los niños habían desayunado.

5. “Does Eva play the piano?” asked Gregory. / Gregory asked if Eva played the piano.

“¿Toca Eva el piano?” preguntó Gregory. / Gregory preguntó si Eva tocaba el piano.

6. “Didn’t you see Mark?” asked Francis. / Francis asked if I  hadn’t seen Mark.

“¿No vistes a Mark?” preguntó Francis. / Francis preguntó si yo no vi a Mark.

Este último ejemplo es más fastidiado porque did se cambia por  have. Sí, las cosas se pueden fastidiar todavía más, pero ni te preocupes. Ya irás aprendiendo.

Por supuesto hay que hacer los cambios necesarios como siempre.

E) Practice:

1.  “Am I pretty?” asked the little girl.

 

2. “Is Priscilla Jane’s sister?” asked Harry.

 

3. “Is there enough bread to make sandwiches?” asked the cook.

 

4. “Have you seen Theo?” asked Paulina.

 

5. “Do the neighbours make noise?” asked Gloria. 

 

 7. “Did John study for the test?” asked John’s mother.

 

8. “Has Sylvia cleaned the kitchen?” asked Mr. Bolton.

 

9. “Does anybody have a pen?” asked Louis.

 

10. “Wasn’t Tim Irish?” asked Milton.

 

11. “Did you sleep well last night?” asked Eliza.

 

12. “Did Rose wear a red dress?” asked Felisa.

 

QUESTIONS WITH QUESTION WORDS / PREGUNTAS CON PALABRAS PREGUNTA

Aquí la palabra pregunta encabeza la cita. Por lo demás recuerda hacer los cambios necesarios.

Unos cuantos ejemplos:

1. “How is Fred?” asked Luther. / Luther asked how Fred was.

2. “When is the party?” asked Irina. / Irina asked when the party was.

3. “What did Paul do?” asked Eloisa. / Eloisa asked what Paul had done.

4. “Who is dancing with Elvira?” asked Mrs. Lee. / Mrs. Lee asked who was dancing with Elvira.

5. “Where is the bowl?” asked Martha. / Martha asked where the bowl was.

6.  “Why is Paul laughing?” asked Rose.  / Rose asked why Paul was laughing.

7. “Whose are those flowers?” asked Gina. / Gina asked whose flowers those were.

 

 F) Practice:

1. “When will the train arrive?” asked Lucille.

 

2. “Where is your school?” asked Petra.

 

3. “How old is Stella?” asked Bing.

 

4. “Whose doll is this?” asked Lily.

 

5. “Who married Cecilia?” asked Martin.

 

6. “Can Alvin swim?” asked Charlotte.

 

7. “When should we call our parents?” asked the girls.

 

8. “Why are those boys shouting?” asked Gerard.

 

9. “How can I open this box?” asked Lana.

 

10. “To whom did Frank  give the money?” asked Al.

 

11. “Which of these hats is mine?” asked Celia.

 

12. “Whose is that house?” asked Walter.

 

13. “Which ring did she choose?” asked Elvis.

 

14. “When are Paul’s friends coming to dinner?” asked Nancy.

 

15. “How many cats does Grandma have?” asked Betty.

 

Para ser unos estudiantes, ya tenéis más que suficiente con todo este rollo, por ahora. Pero si queréis más, me lo pedís. Por ejemplo, ahí van treinta oraciones surtidas en estilo directo para que practiquéis pasándolas a estilo indirecto si os da la gana.

G) Practice:

1.  “Harry Potter is a character in a popular series of books,” said Emma.

 

2. “The gardener is planting tulips,” said Elsie.

 

3. “Sheila has never eaten sushi,” said Tommy.

 

4. “Should I wear a white dress?” asked Blanca.

 

5. “Who are Richard’s friends?” asked Olivia.

 

6. “Is that lady your mother?” Mary asked Tom.

 

7. “Will Edmund marry Emilia?” asked Mrs. Wales.

 

8. “I found a pirate´s treasure in a cave,” said Patrick.

 

9. “Tim and I are going to a football match tomorrow,” said Samuel.

 

10. “How many students are there in Miss Susan’s class?” asked Felisa.

 

11. “Were you at home yesterday?” Vicky asked me.

 

12. “I remembered to buy Nancy’s birthday cake,” said Joshua.

 

13. “Whose bag is that?” asked Fe.

 

14. “What are you reading?” Mary asked me.

 

15. “Is Priscilla as pretty as her sister?” asked Florence-

 

16. “James wrote that poem many years ago,” said Helena.

 

17. “I will go to the bank tomorrow,” said Alexander.

 

18.  “I can vote because I am 18 years old,” said George.

 

19. “When is your birthday?” Anne asked Robert.

 

20. “Anna slept here last night,” said Georgina.

 

21. “I should clean my room,” said Veronica.

 

22. “How do you dance the polka?” asked Michael.

 

23. “We could go to the cinema tonight,” said Martina.

 

24. “Do you like Italian food?” Monica asked me?

25. “I water the plants once a week,” said Angela.

 

26. “I haven’t seen my uncle in eight years,” said Albert.

 

27. “Paula isn’t married to Elvis,” said Rita.

 

28. “The lemonade is very sour,” said Bertha.

 

29. “Has Mathilda written this letter?” asked Teddy.

 

30. “Which dress is more expensive?” asked Flora.

 

ANSWERS / RESPUESTAS:

A) Practice: 

Change the following sentences to reported speech.

1. “I like chocolate cake,” said Mary.

Mary said that she liked chocolate cake.

2. “Sara is studying medicine,” said Mrs. Jones.

Mrs. Jones said that Sara was studying medicine.

3. “I saw Elizabeth at the supermarket,” said Peter.

Peter said he had seen Elizabeth at the supermarket.

4. “Anne was dancing with Alfred,” said Jerry.

Jerry said that Anne was dancing with Alfred.

5. “Susan has visited us,” said Lisa.

Lisa said that Susan had visited us / them.

6. “Elizabeth has been to London before,” said Herbert.

Herbert said that Elizabeth had been to London before.

7. “The children had been eating too many sweets,” said Clover.

Clover said that the chilren had been eating too many sweets.

8. “I will see Ben later,” said John.

John said that he would see Ben later.

9. “Sondra can help Sam,” said Grace.

Grace said that Sondra could help Sam.

10. “I might phone Bill,” said Sara.

Sara said that she might phone Bill.

11. “Peter must study for the test,” said Peter’s mother.

Peter’s mother said that Peter had to study for the test.

12. “I would go to the doctor with Alice,” said Luisa.

Luisa said that she would go to the doctor with Alice.

13. “I might have enough money,” said Paul.

Paul said that he might have nough money.

14. “Anne will come too,” said Harry.

Harry said that Anne would come too.

15. Ron can swim,” said Edward.

Edward said that Ron could swim.

B) Practice:

1.  “Alice is my sister,” said Elsa.

Elsa said that Alice was her sister.

2. “That is his shirt,” said Jane.

Jane said that that shirt was his. / Jane said that that was his shirt.

3. “Where is he?” asked Edith.

Edith asked where he was.

4. “He lives in the red house,” said Jane.

Jane said he lived in the red house.

5. “Where is your dog?” Patty asked me.

Patty asked me where my dog was.

6. “This is yours,” said Andrew.

Andrew said this /that was mine.

7. “I told them to go home,” said Amy.

Amy told them to go home.

8. “You should eat more vegetables,” said the doctor.

The doctor said I should eat more vegetables.

9. “These books belong to Henry,” said Mr. Lewis.

Mr. Lewis said those books belonged to Henry.

10. “Arthur gave us many  gifts,” said Karina.

Karina said that Arthur had given us / them many gifts.

11. “That car is mine,” said Julia.

Julia said that car was hers.

Julia said that car was her car.

12. “We had breakfast early this morning,” said Lucy.

Lucy said that they had had breakfast early that morning.

13. “You can use our bicycles,” said Ted and Ed. 

Ted and Ed said that we could use their bicycles.

14. “Robert is our brother,” said Sybil and Anne.

Sybil and Anne said that Robert was their brother.

15. “It is too late for me,” said Frank.

Frank said it was too late for him.

16. “Alan sent Jill these flowers,” said Mrs. Smith.

Mrs. Smith said that Alan had sent Jill those flowers.

 

C) Practice:

1. “I will go to the cinema tonight,” said Lisa.

Lisa said that she would go to he cinema that night.

2. “At that moment, Mrs. Brown fainted,” said Peter. (faint = desmayarse)

Peter said that at that moment Mrs. Brown fainted.

3. “The children will go to bed now,” said Elizabeth.

Elizabeth said that the children would go to bed then.

4. “Mary will see me later,” said Leo.

Leo said that Mary would see him later.

5. “Edward was in Berlin two years ago,” said Lucas.

Lucas said that Edward had been in Berlin two years before.

6. “I  ate paella yesterday,” said Jessica.

Jessica said that she hade aten paella the day before.

7. “Fatima has never seen her cousins before,” said Thomas.

Thomas said that Fatima had never seen her cousins before.

8. “The girls went to school the next day,” said Rita.

Rita said that the girls had gone to school the next day.

 

D) Practice:

1. “The dogs weren’t barking last night,” said Arthur.

Arthur said the dogs weren’t barking the previous night.

2. “Samantha didn’t open the windows,” said George.

George said Samantha hadn’t opened the windows.

3. “Susan didn’t go to school this morning,” said Charles.

Charles said that Susan hadn’t gone to school that morning.

4. “They haven’t forgotten your birthday,” said Georgia.

Georgia said they hadn’t forgotten my birthday.

5. Betty doesn’t know how to read,” said Darcy.

Darcy said that Betty didn’t know how t oread.

 

E) Practice:

1.  “Am I pretty?” asked the little girl.

The little girl asked if she was pretty.

2. “Is Priscilla Jane’s sister?” asked Harry.

Harry asked if Priscilla was Jane’s sister.

3. “Is there enough bread to make sandwiches?” asked the cook.

The cook asked if there was enough bread to make sandwiches.

4. “Have you seen Theo?” asked Paulina.

Paulina asked if I had seen Theo.

5. “Do the neighbours make noise?” asked Gloria. 

Gloria asked if the neighbours made noise.

 7. “Did John study for the test?” asked John’s mother.

John’s mother asked if John had studied for the test.

8. “Has Sylvia cleaned the kitchen?” asked Mr. Bolton.

Mrs. Bolton asked if Sylvia had cleaned the kitchen.

9. “Does anybody have a pen?” asked Louis.

Louis asked if anybody had a pen.

10. “Wasn’t Tim Irish?” asked Milton.

Milton asked if Tim was Irish.     Probablemente esta es mejor, pero valen las dos.

Milton asked if Tim wasn’t Irish.

11. “Did you sleep well last night?” asked Eliza.

Eliza asked if I had slept well the night before.

12. “Did Rose wear a red dress?” asked Felisa.

Felisa asked if Rose had worn a red dress.

 

F) Practice:

1. “When will the train arrive?” asked Lucille.

Lucille asked when the train would arrive.

2. “Where is your school?” asked Petra.

Petra asked where my school was.

3. “How old is Stella?” asked Bing.

Bing asked how old Stella was.

4. “Whose doll is this?” asked Lily.

Lily asked whose doll this was.

5. “Who married Cecilia?” asked Martin.

Martin asked who married Cecilia.

6. “Where was Ned when we needed him?” asked Christine.

Christine asked where Ned was when we / they needed him.

7. “When should we call our parents?” asked the girls.

The girls asked when they should call their parents.

8. “Why are those boys shouting?” asked Gerard.

Gerard asked why those boys were shouting.

9. “How can I open this box?” asked Lana.

 Lana asked how she could open that box.

10. “To whom did Frank  give the money?” asked Al.

Al asked to whom Frank had given the money.

Al asked who Frank had given the money to.

11. “Which of these hats is mine?” asked Celia.

Celia asked which of those hats was hers.

12. “Whose is that house?” asked Walter.

Walter asked whose house that was.

13. “Which ring did she choose?” asked Elvis.

Elvis asked which ring she had chosen.

14. “When are Paul’s friends coming to dinner?” asked Nancy.

Nancy asked when Paul’s friends were coming to dinner.

15. “How many cats does Grandma have?” asked Betty.

Betty asked how many cats Grandma had.  ( her grandma puede también)

 

G) Practice:

1.  “Harry Potter is a character in a popular series of books,” said Emma.

Emma said that Harry Potter was a character in a popular series of books.

2. “The gardener is planting tulips,” said Elsie.

Elsie said that the gardener wa planting tulips.

3. “Sheila has never eaten sushi,” said Tommy.

Tommy said that Sheila had never eateh sushi.

4. “Should I wear a white dress?” asked Blanca.

Blanca asked if she should wear a white dress.

5. “Who are Richard’s friends?” asked Olivia.

Olivia asked who Richard’s friends were.

6. “Is this lady your mother?” Mary asked Tom.

Mary asked Tom if that lady was his mother.

7. “Will Edmund marry Emilia?” asked Mrs. Wales.

Mrs. Wales asked if Edmund would marry Emilia.

8. “I found a pirate´s treasure in a cave,” said Patrick.

Patrick said that he had found a pirate´s treasure in a cave.

9. “Tim and I are going to a football match tomorrow,” said Samuel.

Samuel said that he and Tim were going to a football match the next day.

10. “How many students are there in Miss Susan’s class?” asked Felisa.

Felisa asked how many students there were in Miss Susan’s class.

11. “Were you at home yesterday?” Vicky asked me.

Vicky asked me if I was at home the day before.

12. “I remembered to buy Nancy’s birthday cake,” said Joshua.

Joshua said he had remembered to buy Nancy’s birthday cake.

13. “Whose bag is that?” asked Tony.

Tony asked whose that bag was.

14. “What are you reading?” Mary asked me.

Mary asked me what I wa reading.

15. “Is Priscilla as pretty as her sister?” asked Florence-

Florence asked if Priscilla was as pretty as her sister.

16. “James wrote that poem many years ago,” said Helena.

Helena said that James had written that poem many years before.

17. “I will go to the bank tomorrow,” said Alexander.

Alexander said that he would go to the bank the next day.

18.  “I can vote because I am 18 years old,” said George.

George said that he could vote because he wa eighteen years old.

19. “When is your birthday?” Anne asked Robert.

Anne asked Robert when his birthday was.

20. “Anna slept here last night,” said Georgina.

 Georgina said that Anna had slept there the night before.

21. “I should clean my room,” said Veronica.

Veronica said that she should clean her room.

22. “How does one dance the polka?” asked Michael.

Michael asked how one danced the polka.

23. “We could go to the cinema tonight,” said Martina.

Martina said that we could go to the cinema that night.

24. “Do you like Italian food?” Monica asked me?

Monica asked me if I liked Italian food.

25. “I water the plants once a week,” said Angela.

Angela said that she watered the plants once a week.

26. “I haven’t seen my uncle in eight years,” said Albert.

Albert said that he hadn’t seen his uncle in eight years.

27. “Paula isn’t married to Elmer,” said Rita.

Rita said that Paula wasn’t married to Elmer.

28. “The lemonade is very sour,” said Bertha.

Bertha said that the lemonade was very sour.

29. “Has Mathilda written this letter?” asked Teddy.

Teddy asked if Mathilda had written that letter.

30. “Which dress is more expensive?” asked Flora.

Flora asked which dress wa more expensive.

 

PARA PASAR ORACIONES DEL ESTILO INDIRECTO AL DIRECTO, SOLO TIENES QUE HACER  LOS MISMOS CAMBIOS PERO AL REVÉS. RECUERDA QUE HAY QUE PONER COMILLAS.

Por ejemplo: Mary said it was getting dark then. / “It is getting dark now,” said Mary.

Formula del estilo indirecto: 

Persona que habló + said o verbo equivalente + sujeto de lo que dijo la persona que hablo + verbo(s) en el tiempo que corresponde + resto con los cambios pertinentes. 

Formula del estilo directo:  

"+ Sujeto + verbo(s) en el tiempo que corresponde + resto con los cambios necesarios +, + " + verbo said o equivalente + la persona que habla +.

En el ejemplo de arriba, los verbos han cambiado del pasado continuo al presente continuo. Sólo hay un cambio en el resto y es que then se ha convertido en now.

H) Practice:

1. Sam said he was tired.

 

2. Bill said Carlota was very beautiful.

 

3. Anne said her dog didn’t bite.

 

4. Arthur asked me where I lived.

 

5. Susan asked us if we were sisters.

 

6. Emily asked me when I had lunch.

 

7. Nancy said the children were sleeping.

 

8. Paul asked me if I had a cat.

 

9. Julie said she had read my book.

 

10. Herbert said he could swim.

 

11. Peter asked whose was the blue car.

 

12. Gina asked Lisa why she was crying.

 

13. Mara asked Tom if he would take her home.

 

14. Angela asked Helen which dress she had bought.

 

15. Magda asked Susan if there was a bank in this neighbourhood.

 

16. Ralph said he would send his mother flowers.

 

17. John’s sister said she was going to visit her brother.

18. Peter said he hadn’t slept well the night before.

 

19. Shaun said he saw the eclipse the past night.

 

20. Alfred said he hadn’t seen Peter before.

21. Vera asked if John was at home.

22. Emilia asked Sam why he was sad.

   

23. She asked me where I lived.

24. The teacher asked me if I had done my homework.

25. Julie asked me how I felt.

ANSWERS / RESPUESTAS

H ) Practice:

1. Sam said he was tired.

“I am tired,” said Sam.

2. Bill said Carlota was very beautiful.

“Carlota is very beautiful,” said Bill.

3. Anne said her dog didn’t bite.

“My dog doesn’t bire,” said Anne.

4. Arthur asked me where I lived.

“Where do you live?” Arthur asked me.

5. Susan asked us if we were sisters.

“Are you sisters?” Susan asked us.

6. Emily asked me when I had lunch.

“When do you have lunch?” asked Emily.

7. Nancy said the children were sleeping.

“The children are sleeping,” said Nancy.

8. Paul asked me if I had a cat.

“Do you have a cat?” Paul asked me.

9. Julie said she had read my book.

“I have read your book,” said Julie.

10. Herbert said he could swim.

“I can swim,” said Herbert.

11. Peter asked whose was the blue car.

“Whose is the blue car?” asked Peter.

12. Gina asked Lisa why she was crying.

“Why are you crying?” Gina asked Lisa.

13. Mara asked Tom if he would take her home.

“Will you take me home?” Mara asked Tom.

14. Angela asked Helen which dress she had bought.

“Which dress did you buy?” Angela asked Helen.

“Which dress have you bought?” Angela asked Helen.

15. Magda asked Susan if there was a bank in this neighbourhood.

“Is there a bank in this neighbourhood?” Magda asked Susan.

16. Ralph said he would send his mother flowers.

“I will send my mother flowers,” said Ralph.

17. John’s sister said she was going to visit her brother.

“I am going to vist my brother,” said John’s sister.

18. Peter said he hadn’t slept well the night before.

“I haven’t slept well last night,” said Peter.

19. Shaun said he had seen the eclipse the past night.

“I saw the eclipse last night,” said Shaun.

20. Alfred said he hadn’t seen Peter before.  

“I haven’t seen Peter before,” said Alfred.

21. Vera asked if John was at home.

"Is John at home?" asked Vera.

22. Emilia asked Sam why he was sad.

"Why are you sad?" Emilia asked Sam.

23. She asked me where I lived.

"Where do you live?" she asked me.

24. The teacher asked me if I had done my homework.

"Have you done your homework?"

25. Julie asked me how I felt.

"How do  you feel?" Julie asked me.