Forum newsfeeds 
|  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
19-Nov-2006, 23:58
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Country: England
Posts: 671
First Language: English Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| |  Re: Reported speech.
Quote:
Originally Posted by riverkid  Please don't assume that brevity means sarcasm, Coffa.
Could you please explain your last comment. I'm not sure what your point was/is. | In the absence of explanation, brevity can mean nothing other than sarcasm I feel.
However, my point was that you reported my speech ('Coffa wrote a reply...'), and I confirmed that by writing 'indeed'. I went on to point out that your intentions in writing the report had nothing to do with the reporting itself, and that any feelings you had on what I wrote could only be inferred from context, not the fact that you had made a report. |
20-Nov-2006, 00:15
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,009
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 57
Thanked 672 Times in 605 Posts
| |  Re: Reported speech.
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/reported-speech.htmlReported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact words. A few changes are necessary; often a pronoun has to be changed and the verb is usually moved back a tense, where possible.
EG: He said that he was going to come. (The person's exact words were "I'm going to come.")
Direct speech: Matt said to his girlfriend, “Shall I buy you some crisps?”
Reported speech: Matt asked his girlfriend if she wanted him to buy her some crisps.
|
20-Nov-2006, 04:32
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,095
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
| | Re: Reported speech.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble Hi,
Matt said to his girlfriend, “Shall I buy you some crisps?”
1. Matt offered his gilfriend to buy some crisps.
2. Matt offered to buy some crisps for his girlfriend.
Please, which is better?
TIA | Just another opinion. I agree with those who have told you that #1 is incorrect and that #2 is correct.
IMO, your sentence is not indirect speech. Indirect speech is reporting what another person said. Your second sentence is just a statement of fact. |
20-Nov-2006, 06:46
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: May 2006 Country: Belarus
Posts: 1,335
First Language: Russian Thanks: 0
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| | Re: Reported speech.
Hi,
Well, nitpicking does let us find an interesting species sometimes. 
I’d say
Matt asked his girlfriend if she wanted him to buy her some crisps.
and
Matt offered to buy some crisps for his girlfriend.
are both equal versions of reported speech.
My thanks to all of you.
|
22-Nov-2006, 02:28
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Country: Canada
Posts: 3,025
Current Location: Canada First Language: English Thanks: 4
Thanked 474 Times in 437 Posts
| | Re: Reported speech.
Humble,
"offer" is not, IMO, considered to be a reporting verb. |
22-Nov-2006, 03:07
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,009
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 57
Thanked 672 Times in 605 Posts
| | Re: Reported speech.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Humble Hi,
Well, nitpicking does let us find an interesting species sometimes.
I’d say
Matt asked his girlfriend if she wanted him to buy her some crisps.
and
Matt offered to buy some crisps for his girlfriend.
are both equal versions of reported speech.
| Please use the links I posted. The first sentence is reported speech. The second is not.
Whenever you have a question on grammar you can consult the glossary.
~R |
22-Nov-2006, 04:21
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: May 2006 Country: Belarus
Posts: 1,335
First Language: Russian Thanks: 0
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| | Re: Reported speech.
The link does not work. |
25-Nov-2006, 22:02
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
Posts: 13,009
Current Location: North Carolina First Language: English Thanks: 57
Thanked 672 Times in 605 Posts
| | Re: Reported speech.
Try this: http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary...ed-speech.html Reported Speech (also called Indirect Speech) is used to communicate what someone else said, but without using the exact words. A few changes are necessary; often a pronoun has to be changed and the verb is usually moved back a tense, where possible. EG: He said that he was going to come. (The person's exact words were "I'm going to come.") ~R |
26-Nov-2006, 04:45
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: May 2006 Country: Belarus
Posts: 1,335
First Language: Russian Thanks: 0
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
| | Re: Reported speech.
Thanks, RonBee. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 21:35. | |
