If you are among those who believe that sentences should always have sweet rhythms and flow like a calm morning stream, you will often have problems with Reported Speech. The same thing happens if you insist that language should always be governed by common sense.
This is due to the fact that when some clauses or sentences in Direct Speech change to the Indirect or Reported Speech, they sound so awkward that many are tempted to say they are wrong. Yet, they are very correct:
John said, “I want to s ee you tomorrow.’’ (Direct Speech. Note that John just made this statement and the ‘tomorrow’ is still some hours away.)
John said (that) he wanted to see me the day after. (Indirect Speech.)
The minister of information said, “President Muhammadu Buhari always wants the best for this country.” (Direct Speech.)
The minister of information said (that) President Muhammadu Buhari always wanted the best for this country. (Indirect Speech).
If common sense were to prevail, two questions would knock off the clauses in the Indirect Speech form since ‘wanted’ has been used instead of the present tense, ‘want’. Does it mean that John will no more visit the person? Does it mean that it was in the past that President Muhammadu Buhari WANTED the best for Nigeria but that, now, the country is on its own?
It is this line of thinking that made a reader to ask me what the right answer should be (in reported speech) if someone asks him the question, “What is your name.” Is it ‘He asked me what my name is’ or “He asked me what my name was’? He is puzzled because his name will remain the same probably till eternity.
Need for Reported Speech
It is a fact that only a small percentage of the people in a country are journalists. Yet, all users of a language often find themselves directly or indirectly narrating or reporting one event or another. Someone has said something and you want to tell another person what he said. This is how Reported Speech becomes very important in English.
Of course, this is also the digital/social media age when everyone is engaged in various media adventures. When you are sending text messages or sending information via Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, you discover that you are somehow reporting scenarios. This is apart from pupils or students who have to confront Reported Speech in the class and during examinations.
But as popular as the topic is supposed to be, there are grey areas that we need to tackle. Thus, today’s lesson is a very important one because one of the ways to detect whether someone has mastered English grammar is by closely looking at how he handles Indirect Speech.
Between Direct and Reported Speech
In direct speech, you present an idea in the speaker or writer’s exact words. It is very useful when we need to establish facts and enrich the style of presentation. It normally comes with quotation marks, which can be double or single:
Dauda said, “I did not go there.”
The policeman remarked, “We will soon arrest those who killed Bola Ige.’’
On the other hand, in indirect speech, someone else reports what the speaker has said:
Dauda said he did not go there.
The policeman remarked that they would soon arrest those who killed Bola Ige.
Things to note
The use of ‘that’ is optional. However, reporting verbs like ‘remark’ and ‘noted’ seem better with ‘that’ in many contexts. Compare:
He remarked he was there
He remarked that he was there.
The second is surely better.
In Reported Speech, apart from the fact that the structure of the clause changes, the quotes also automatically disappear. This sounds too simple, but some people still mix up the two forms:
He asked me what my name was. (Correct)
He asked me what is my name. (Mixed up and wrong)
The present tense changes to the past most times. This is a reality that many fail to embrace because a sentence, even in the future tense, has to change to the past tense:
Daddy said, “She IS my second child.”
Daddy said I WAS his second child.
“I always respect elders,” Gideon said.
Gideon said he always respected elders.
NOTE: If the Direct Speech is in present tense, the present tense has to be retained in the Indirect Speech, too. So, the following are correct:
Daddy says, “She is my first child.”
Daddy says I am his first child.
“I always respect elders,” Gideon says.
Gideon says he always respects elders.
Also, you can retain the present tense if the statement refers to what is called general and constant facts:
Gideon said, “God is wonderful.”
Gideon said that God is wonderful.
The teacher said, “The earth rotates around the sun.”
The teacher said the earth rotates around the sun.
You should, however, be careful in handling this exception of ‘general fact or ‘eternal truth’. What looks like eternal truth to you may not be to other people. This is what happens in the case of “He asked me what my name is” and “He asked me what my names was”. Although your name may always remain the same, the second option – with ‘was’ – is the one acceptable:
He asked me what my name was.
The American asked me what the name of the current Ooni of Ife was.
Besides, it is also correct to use past tense with the ‘general facts’:
The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
The teacher said the sun rose in the east and set in the west.
Apart from the fact that the tenses normally change, adverbs – especially adverbs of time and place – also change.
Dr. Johnson said, “I met him yesterday.”
Dr. Johnson said he met him the previous day/the day before.
Kunle asked, “Can he come tomorrow?”
Kunle asked (him) if he could come the day after.
“We always meet here,” the driver said.
The driver said they always met there.
Personal pronouns such as I and we also change forms:
The man said, “I did not participate in the protest.”
The man said he did not participate in the protest.
Note that there are several other reporting verbs that can be used to introduce the Indirect Speech instead of ‘said’. These include noted, explained, remarked, averred, claimed, argued, professed, confessed, exclaimed and announced. Treat the reported speech the same way when any of these is used – including ‘concluded’.
The politician claimed, “The Goodluck Jonathan government is the best Nigeria has had.”
The politician claimed that the Goodluck Jonathan administration was the best Nigeria had had.
“I will not hesitate to sack the accountant,” the proprietor concluded.
The proprietor concluded that he would not hesitate to sack the accountant.
As you can see in the example above, modal verbs such as may, can, will and shall change to might, could and would.
The engineer said, “I may come back next month.”
The engineer said he might come back the following month.
“I will be there early,” the beautiful girl said.
The beautiful girl said she would be there early.
“I shall see him tomorrow,” Jonson said.
Johnson said he would see him the day after.
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