Getting To Know Reported Speech: Rules and Examples
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is when someone else’s words are used to describe one’s own thoughts, feelings, or actions without altering the original speaker’s intended meaning. Sentences with verbs like “said” or “told” indicate to the reader or listener that the report or quotation is the consequence of what another person said in reported speech.
The Rules of Reported Speech
The guidelines are as follows:
Reporting verb: A reporting verb, such as said, told, asked, or replied, is used to begin the phrase
Change of pronouns: In reported speech, pronouns are substituted based on the sentence’s subject. Saying “He said, “I am happy,” for instance, would become “He said he was happy.”
Change of tenses: When reporting speech, tenses are often changed to match the time of the reporting verb. Instead of saying, “She said, “I will go to the market,” for example,” she might say, “She said that she would go to the market.
Change of adverbs of time and place: Adverbs of time and place are frequently altered to match the time and location of the reporting verb. He would say “He said that he was there then” instead of “He said, “I am here now,” for instance
Reporting statements and questions: Questions are reported with a reporting verb and a question word like if or whether, but statements are reported with a reporting verb and a statement word like that.
Types of Scholarship Selection and Success Tips for Each Stage
Examples
| Contoh Direct Speech | Contoh Reported Speech |
| Kondisi 1 | |
| “Water boils at 100 degrees Celcius.” – Air mendidih pada 100 derajat Celcius. | He said that water boils at 100 degrees Celcius. – Dia mengatakan bahwa air mendidih pada 100 derajat Celcius. Verba dalam bentuk present tidak berubah menjadi past karena pernyataan tersebut merupakan general truth. |
| Kondisi 2 | |
| “I feel so lonely.” – Saya merasa sangat kesepian. | He said that he feels so lonely. – Dia mengatakan bahwa dia merasa sangat kesepian. Penyampai berita percaya bahwa apa yang disampaikannya masih benar atau berlaku karena setelah mendengar langsung dilaporkan. |
In reported speech, the verb tense of the original statement is changed to the past tense if the speaker is dubious of the veracity or authenticity of the original remark or wishes to appear impartial. The same rule applies if the speaker is focused on the fact that the dialogue happened in the past even though they feel the remark is still true or hasn’t happened yet.
What is Part of Speech, Its Functions and Examples of Its Use.
Examples
Examples include the following:
- Direct speech: “I love watching movies,” said Jane. Reported speech: Jane said that she loved watching movies.
- Direct speech: “I am working on a new project,” said John. Reported speech: John said that he was working on a new project.
- Direct speech: “I will call you later,” said Sarah. Reported speech: Sarah said that she would call later.
- Direct speech: “We have already finished the assignment,” said the students. Reported speech: The students said that they had already finished the assignment.
- Direct speech: “I didn’t eat breakfast this morning,” said Tom. Reported speech: Tom said that he hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning.
What is Present Tense, Types and How to Use It
Combining Direct Speech
“Here are some examples of transforming direct speech into reported speech using various combinations of changes
| 1 | Statement Sentence “I’m so grateful.” – Saya sangat bersyukur. Reported speech: She told me that she was so grateful. – Dia mengatakan padaku bahwa dia sangat bersyukur. Keterangan: Subjek I menjadi she (orang ketiga).Verba am (present tense) menjadi was (past tense). Perubahan terjadi karena diasumsikan dia sudah tidak terlihat sangat bersyukur lagi. |
| 2 | Imperative Sentence “Please reconsider my advise.” – Tolong pertimbangkan kembali saran saya. Reported speech: He requested that I reconsider his advise. – Dia meminta saya mempertimbangkan kembali saran darinya. Keterangan: Pronomina my menjadi his (orang ketiga).Verba tidak berubah karena diasumsikan penyampai berita langsung menyampaikan perkataan tersebut atau dengan kata lain permohonan masih berlaku. |
| 3 | Imperative Sentence “Don’t be sad.” – Jangan sedih. Reported speech: She told me not to be sad. – Dia mengatakan pada saya untuk tidak sedih. Keterangan: Verba menjadi infinitive pada reporting command. |
| 4 | Yes-no question Sentence “Can I put my bag here?” – Dapatkan saya meletakkan tas saya di sini? Reported speech: He asked if he could put his bag there. – Dia bertanya apakah ia bisa meletakkan tasnya di sana. Keterangan: Verba can menjadi could karena penyampai berita fokus pada fakta bahwa pembicaraan itu merupakan past conversation. Time reference here berubah menjadi there. Kemudian if ditambahkan pada yes-no question. |
| 5 | Yes-no question Sentence “Will you help me?” – Maukah kamu menolong saya? Reported speech: He asked if I would help him. – Dia bertanya apakah saya akan menolong dirinya. Keterangan: Verba will menjadi would karena penyampai berita telah menolong pembicara. |
| 6 | Information Question “What‘s your answer?” – Apa jawaban kamu? Reported speech: She wanted to know what my answer is. – Dia ingin tau apa jawaban saya. Keterangan: Verba tetap is karena penyampai berita masih belum memutuskan apa jawabannya. |
