INTRODUCTION

Contrastive linguistics is the systematic comparison of two or more languages,

with the aim of describing their similarities and differences. “Language comparison
is of great interest in a theoretical as well as an applied perspective. It reveals what
is general and what is language specific and is therefore important both for the
understanding of language in general and for the study of the individual languages
compared.” (Johansson and Hofland)
The objective of the comparison may be diversified. In this paper, I would like
to analysis some main features in indirect speech in English and Vietnamese in
order to show the similarities and differences in indirect speech between two
languages, mistake can occur and how to repair.
Design of the study:
Introduction
Development
1. Similarities between two languages in the indirect speech
1.1. Function of the indirect speech
1.2. Change of person
1.3. Change of adverbs of time and place
2. Differences between English and Vietnamese in the indirect speech
2.1. Use of tense
2.3. Reporting question
3. Mistake and the way to repair
Conclusion
References
 DEVELOPMENT
1. Similarities between two languages in the indirect speech
1.1. Function of the indirect speech
Indirect Speech (or “reported speech”) refers to a sentence reporting
what someone has said. It is almost always used in spoken English.
Indirect speech does not use quotation marks to enclose what the person
said and it does not have to be word for word.
For example:
1. Tom: I am hungry.
Indirect speech: Tony said he was hungry.
2. Nam: Tôi thích ngôi nhà này.
Indirect speech: Nam nói cậu ấy thích ngôi nhà này.
1.2. Change of person in the indirect speech
Personal pronouns and possessive adjectives in both languages are
usually changed from the first or the second person to the third person.
Ex1: Tom: I am going back to my country.
Indirect speech: He said that he was going back to his country.
Ex2: Nam: Tôi không tìm thấy cái bút của tôi
Indirect speech: Nam nói cậu ấy không tìm thấy cái bút của cậu ấy.
1.3. Change of time and place in the indirect speech
In both English and Vietnamese, if the reported sentence contains an
expression of time or place, we all must change it to fit in with the time or
place of reporting.
Expressions of time and place if speech is reported on a different day
and place:
 Speaker’s speech Reported speech
Now Then/ at that time/ immediately
Today Yesterday/ that day
Yesterday The day before/ the previous day
Tomorrow The next day/ the following day
This week/ year Last week (year)/ that week (year)
Last year/ month The year (month) before/ the previous year (month)
Next year/ month The year (month) after/the following year (month)
An hour ago An hour before/an hour earlier
Here There
This/ that The

Ex1: Tom: I met her about three months ago

IS: He said that he had met her three months before
Ex2: Nam: Hôm nay tôi đã đến thăm ông bà.
IS (in the next day): Nam nói hôm qua cậu ấy đã đến thăm ông bà.
However, there are still some differences in the way of change of “last year/
month” (năm ngoái/ tháng trước); next year/month (năm tới/ tháng tới) or “an
hour ago” (cách đây vài giờ) because Vietnamese speech sometimes do not have
any changes in these adverb phrase when changing from direct speech to indirect
speech, but preserve them as “năm ngoái/ tháng trước”; “năm tới/ tháng tới” or
“cách đây vài giờ”
Ex: Nam: Tôi sẽ đi du lịch với đồng nghiệp vào mùa hè tới.
IS : Nam nói cậu ấy sẽ đi du lịch với đồng nghiệp vào mùa hè tới
2. Differences between English and Vietnamese in the indirect
speech
2.1. Use of tense
In Vietnamese, tense of verb in the direct speech is repeated in indirect
one. No changes were made.
While in English, tense of verb in the direct speech must be changed into
the other form when the direct speech is changed into the indirect one.
Speaker’s words Reported statement
Will Would
Shall Should
Is going to Was going to
Present simple Past simple
Present continuous Past continuous
Past continuous Past perfect continuous
Present perfect Past perfect
Past simple Past perfect
Must Had to
Can Could

Ex: 1. Tom: I bought the shirt

=> He told us he had bought the shirt
2. Nancy: It is cold
=> She said it was cold
3. Rose: I have been learning English for seven years
=> Rose said she had been learning English for seven years
While in Vietnamese, it is expressed simply:
 Nam: Tôi vừa gặp cô ấy cách đây vài giờ
=> Nam nói cậu ấy vừa gặp cô ấy cách đây vài giờ.
2.2. Reporting question
When reporting questions, it is especially important to pay attention
to word order in English while there is hardly any change in word order in
Vietnamese.
Ex: In English: What is the time?
=> She asked what time it was
In Vietnamese: bây giờ là mấy giờ?
=> Cô ấy đã hỏi bây giờ là mấy giờ.
3. Mistake and the way to repair
Because of the differences above, Vietnamese people who want to learn English
as well as English people learn Vietnamese will get some difficulties in grammar
structure when they want to express an indirect speech. Vietnamese people cannot
avoid some mistake on tense of verbs or the word order such as not changing the
tense of verbs into the appreciate form; choosing wrong tense for the indirect
speech or not reverse the word order and so on.
Ex: How’s your mother?
 He asked me how my mother was
Not “He asked me how was my mother”
These mistakes cause many disadvantages for studying and teaching foreign
language. Students sometimes impose their tongue language on the foreign one and
accidentally make the mistake. Hence, it is advisory for us to distinguish the
differences between two languages in the indirect speech in order to master the
grammar structure and avoid causing mistake.
 CONCLUSION
To sum up, in the indirect speech, Vietnamese is partly simpler, not so many
changes as English. Maybe it is a convenient point for English people who want to
learn Vietnamese. Vietnamese people, however, have to pay more attention in
grammar structure when they want to change an English indirect speech into the
direct one.
Due to comparison and contrast, the similarities and the differences in English
and Vietnamese indirect speech were shown in order to help student avoid the basic
mistake during the process of study. It also helps us have the deep knowledge about
English grammar, and helps English people learn Vietnamese more conveniently.

REFERENCES
1. Nguyen Thien Giap, (2000) Dụng học Việt ngữ Hanoi National University
Press.

2. Albertus, T. (1996) Reported Speech: Forms and Functions of the Verb John
Benjamin Publishing Co.
3. Asa, N. (2001) Speech about Speech: A Developmental Study on Form and
Function of Direct and Indirect Speech Goteborg University Press.
4. Bertolet, T. (1990) What is said: A Theory of Indirect Speech Reports
Springer.
5. Edward, C. (2002) A grammar book for you and I Capital Books.
6. Elizabeth, H. (2007) Reporting Talk: Reported Speech in Interaction
Cambridge University Press.