Lecture 3

Direct and Indirect Speech

Sequence of Tenses
Conditional Mood and Conditional
Clauses
Direct Speech: sentences as they are
uttered by speakers
Indirect Speech: reported sentences
Reporting verbs: to say, to tell, to ask, to
answer, to reply, to inquire, to complain, to
doubt, to boast, to recommend, to
suggest, to warn, to inform, to insist, to
advise, to deny, to declare, to state, etc
Changes in passing from direct to
indirect speech
1. Reporting verb in the present tense:
- No changes in the tenses of the subordinate clause:
e.g. 1. A global agreement on climate change still hangs in
the balance.
The Financial Times reports that a global agreement on
climate change still hangs in the balance.
2. Can I use this laptop for a second?
She has just asked you if she can use this laptop.
3. You cant smoke in here.
She has forbidden him to smoke in there.

Changes in verb tenses when
passing from direct to indirect
speech
Reporting verb in the past tense
Present Tense Simple Past Tense Simple
Present Tense
Continuous
Past Tense Continuous
Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple
Present Perfect
Continuous
Past Perfect Continuous
Past Tense Simple Past Perfect
Past Tense Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple
Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
Future Tense Simple Future in the Past
Future Tense
Continuous
Future Continuous in the
Past
Future Perfect Future Perfect in the
Past
Be to, be about to.
be going to
was/were to,
was/were about to,
was/were going to
Examples: Use the following sentences in Indirect
Speech, with a reporting verb in a past tense:
1. I am sorry that I missed your presentation last
week.
2. He is working on a report and is not available
for phone calls or appointments.
3. I havent received your invoice so far.
4. We have been working for this company for
15 years and we have always been pleased
with our wages and work conditions.

You spent 5 years in Japan, didnt you?
You werent sleeping when I called, were
you?
We had been with ADIDAS for 3 years
when we decided to go back to school and
get a PhD.
We will contact you after we study your CV
and we will invite you for an interview if
your skills match our needs.

I will be traveling back from California on
the day when you arrive in Washington
DC.
They are going to launch a new product on
the market and advertise it heavily.
The plane is about to take off, so we must
switch off our phones now.
The Conditional Mood

Form:
Present Conditional:
Affirmative: Subject + should/would + verb Infinitive
Negative: Subject + should/would + not + verb
Infinitive
Interrogative: Should/Would + subject + verb
Infinitive?
- expresses an action that could be completed in the
present or in the future if the condition expressed in
the subordinate clause is fulfilled
Past Conditional:
Affirmative: Subject + should/would + have +
verb Past Participle
Negative: Subject + should/would + not + verb
Past Participle
Interrogative: Should/Would + Subject + Verb
Past Participle ?
expresses an action that could have been completed
in the past if the condition expressed in the
subordinate clause had been fulfilled (unreal,
hypothetical condition).

Conditional Clauses:
Type 1

- it is possible and likely that the condition will be
fulfilled

Main Clause Subordinate Clause
Present, Future, Imperative Present
They always give you a
good price
if you manage to persuade
them that you are a good
business partner and friend.

We will launch our new
product next week
if we receive all promotional
materials on time
J oin us if you can spare a moment!
Conditional Clauses:
Type 2

- it is possible but quite unlikely that the condition
will be fulfilled




Main Clause Subordinate Clause
Present Conditional Present Subjunctive
(identical in form with Past
Tense)
Our products would sell
better
if their price were lower.

Conditional Clauses:
Type 3

- the condition is unreal, hypothetical; it refers to
the past and cannot be fulfilled


Main Clause Subordinate Clause
Past Conditional Past Subjunctive (identical in
form with Past Perfect)
The meeting would have
started on time
if everybody had received the
email about it in due course.
Mixed Conditionals
Combinations of Type 2 and Type 3
1. Present result of past condition

Main Clause Subordinate Clause
Present Conditional
Past Subjunctive (identical
in form with Past Perfect)
I would be the Executive
Manager of a multinational
company
if I had studied harder in
school and got an MBA
Mixed Conditionals

2. Past result of present or continuing condition

Main Clause Subordinate Clause
Past Conditional
Present Subjunctive
(identical in form with Past
Tense)
She would have started
her own company a long
time ago
if she werent afraid of
failure.