Indirect speech (1)

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Please read:

Direct speech:

I must go now. (1)
I must go soon. (2)

Case 1: Must expresses certainty.

So, indirect speech for (1) and (2):

  1. She said she [color=red]must go then.
  2. She said she [color=red]must go soon.

Case 2: Must expresses necessity.

So, indirect speech for (1) and (2):

  1. She said she [color=red]must go then.
  2. She said she [color=red]would have to go soon.

Am I right?If not, please give me examples and analyse them.

Thanks
Quoc

2

Hi Quoc,

I think it’s best if you read stories that contain a lot of dialogues. They contain authentic expressions and grammar structures. This approach might be much more effective than trying to learn grammar rules.

How about finding examples and analysing them yourself? After a while you will pick up the pattern without thinking about it too much.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, photographs: In the deep South[YSaerTTEW443543]

3

Thanks Sir,

But you know, for this question (with the use of mustin indirect speech), some people don’t use then in indirect speech but they use now, don’t use would have to in indirect speech, even must expresses necessity. They always use must for all cases in direct speech as well as in direct speech.

Please share with me your opinion about this case.

Quoc

4

Hi,

The important point about indirect speech is whether it’s being used as an academic exercise, which is what you seem to be applying to all your questions, or whether it’s being used for practical purposes of simply repeating what another person has said. If the speech being repeated has a distance in time between the actual words spoken and the words being repeated, some of these functions about which you have been asking questions do apply. If on the other hand you are repeating what the speaker has just said and the speaker is still present and within hearing distance, the functions do not apply. This is something you should examine and observe in practice

As Torsten has suggested, you really need to put aside your grammar books and its host of ‘rules’ for a time and read stories where people are actually talking to each other. In that way you can see the language functions in practice.

Alan