16/2/14

Preparing for the 'oposiciones': indirect/reported speech

Indirect/reported speech


Si al contar lo que alguien dijo usamos las mismas palabras dichas por la persona en cuestión estamos empleando el estilo directo:

Derek told me: «You're very pretty» Derek me dijo: «Estás muy guapa»

Pero si  contamos lo que la otra persona dijo con nuestras propias palabras entonces estamos empleando el estilo indirecto:


Derek told me that I was very pretty Derek me dijo que estaba muy guapa

Para practicar, os propongo pasar a estilo indirecto las frases en los siguientes ejercicios: 

EXERCISE 1: Declarative sentences (aseveraciones)

1.- Mother to her son: "I think that sport is not safe."
2.- John to Elizabeth: "We're going to be late again."
3.- Elizabeth to John: "I´m nearly ready."
4.- Helen to Jane: "I bought this dress yesterday."
5.- Wife to mother: "John is being buried next week."
6.- In-laws comment to Charles: "We think that our daughter has made a mistake marrying you."

EXERCISE 2: Questions (preguntas)

7.- "What are you reading?", he asked her.
8.- "Was your train late?", she asked him.
9.- "Is your boyfriend English or American?", he wanted to know.
10.- "Can you lend me twenty pounds'", I asked Alfred
11.- "Where shall we meet tomorrow?", he asked her.
12.- "May I use your telephone?", she asked him.

EXERCISE 3: Commands and requests (órdenes y peticiones)

13.- Wife to husband: "Don´t forget to ring my mother's doctor".
14.- "Stand to attention when I'm talking to you", the sergeant ordered the soldier.
15.- "Turn right at the next set of traffic lights and stop at the end of the street", the passenger told the taxi driver.
16.- "Don't smoke in my car", Sue begged Tony.
17.- "Wait for me here", Doris told her daughter.
18.- "Buy me a magazine on your way back", she told her husband.

EXERCISE 4: Exclamations and special difficulties (exclamaciones y dificultades especiales)

19.- "Help!", the drowning man said.
20.- "The school is on fire!", our teacher said.
21.- "Let's invite our friends to a barbecue tonight", he said
22.- "How expensive Spain has become!, the tourist said.
23.- "I'm innocent", the defendant said.
24.- "Damn! The light has gone out!, he said.

KEY

EXERCISE 1

1.- The mother told her son (that) she thought that sport was not/wasn't safe.
2.- John told Elizabeth (that) they were going to be late again.
3.- Elizabeth told John (that) she was nearly ready.
4.- Helen told Jane (that) she had bought the/that dress the day before.
5.- The wife told her mother that John was being buried the following week/the next week.
6.- Charles´s in-laws commented to him that they thought their daughter had made a mistake marrying him.

EXERCISE 2

7.- He asked her what she was reading.
8.- She asked him if his train had been late.
9.- He wanted to know whether/if her boyfriend was English or American.
10.- I asked Alfred if he could lend me twenty pounds.
11.- He asked her where they should meet the following day/the next day.
12.- She asked him if she might use his telephone.

EXERCISE 3

13.- The wife told her husband not to forget to ring her mother's doctor.
14.-- The sergeant ordered the soldier to stand to attention when he was talking to him.
15.- The passenger told the taxi driver to turn right at the next set of traffic lights and to stop at the end of the street.
16.- Sue begged Tony not to smoke in her car.
17.- Doris told her daughter to wait for her there.
18.- She told her husband to buy her a magazine on his way back.

EXERCISE 4

19.- The drowning man yelled for help.
20.- Our teacher shouted/cried (out) that the school was on fire.
21.- He suggested inviting their friends to a barbecue that night/evening.
22.- The tourist exclaimed that Spain had become very expensive.
23.- The defendant shouted/cried that he was innocent.
24.- He cursed aloud when the light went out.

TIP

Si alguno de los ejercicios, especialmente el nº 4, os dado algún problema, os recomiendo consultar mi Gramática Inglesa, 9ª ed., pp. 608-617.



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