REPORTED SPEECH: EL ESTILO INDIRECTO

El estilo indirecto consiste en decir lo que otra persona ha dicho con anterioridad. Para ello hay que realizar unos
cambios en la oración: el tiempo del verbo, la colocación de determinadas palabras y determinadas palabras.
Para introducir lo que se dijo se utiliza a menudo el verbo say (decir), pero lo normal es contarlo en pasado, por lo
que se utiliza said. Normalmente va seguido de la conjunción that (aunque se puede omitir) y después la frase, lo
que dijo esa persona
(He said that he loved her = el dijo que la quería a ella).

 Cambio de tiempos verbales

ESTILO DIRECTO ESTILO INDIRECTO

Presente simple Pasado simple

“I like listening to pop music”, Peter said Peter said that he liked listening to pop music

Presente continuo Pasado continuo

“I am leaving on Tuesday”, I said I said that I was leaving on Tuesday

Pasado simple Pasado perfecto simple

“I learnt a lot” he said He said that he had learn a lot

Presente perfecto simple Pasado perfecto simple

“Mr Jackson has left”, she said She said that Mr Jackson had left

Futuro (will) Futuro (would)

“I’ll help you”, she said She said that she would help me

Can Could
“I can’t find my money”, he said He said that he couldn’t find his money

Must Had to
“I must go”, Miss Honey said Miss Honey said that she had to go

Be going to (presente) Be going to (pasado)

“I’m going to tell the truth”, he said He said that he was going to tell the truth

 Cambios de palabras: expresiones de tiempo y de lugar, demostrativos y posesivos.

ESTILO DIRECTO ESTILO INDIRECTO
Now Then
Today, tonight That day, that night
Tomorrow The next/following day
Yesterday The previous day, the day before
Last night The previous night, the night before
Next week/ year The following week/ year
A week ago A week before
Here There
This, these That, those
My His, her,….
REPORTING VERBS
 Introducen lo que se dijo, trasmiten el mensaje sin añadir más información: say y tell

Tell + complemento indirecto sin to = she told us that she had bought a kitten
Say (+ to + complemento indirecto) = she said (to us) that she had bought a kitten

 Comunica la intención o el tono del hablante:

Órdenes: tell + complemento indirecto + (not) infinitivo con to
The doctor told him to stay in bed (el doctor le ordenó quedarse en la cama)
The teacher told us not to be noisy (el profe nos ordenó no hacer ruido)
Peticiones: ask + complemento indirecto + (not) infinitivo con to
Liz asked us not to shout (Liz nos pidió que no gritaramos)
The teacher asked me to be quiet (El profe nos pidió que nos callaramos)

Admit (admitir), announce (anunciar), complain (quejarse), explain (explicar), agree (estar de acuerdo),
convince (convencer), reply (contestar), hear (oír), read (leer), insist (insistir), remind (recordar),…

INDIRECT QUESTIONS
¿Cómo se pasa del estilo directo al indirecto?
- Yes/No questions
Al pasar a estilo indirecto añadimos if o whether
“Can you help me?”, he asked me = He asked me if / whether I could help him

- WH- questions
El Wh se conserva
“Where did Frank go?”, they asked us = They asked us where Frank had gone

¿Para qué sirve preguntar de forma indirecta en vez de directa?

Las preguntas directas se sustituyen por las indirectas para que suenen más educadas.

Preguntas directas Preguntas indirectas

Why did you break your
promise?
Have you seen my book?
Can you tell me
I’d like to know why you broke your promise.
I was wondering
Can you tell me if/whether
I’d like to know if/whether you’ve seen my book.
I was wondering if/whether