Direct and Reported Speech

Cuando queremos comunicar o informar de lo que otra persona ha dicho, hay dos maneras de hacerlo: utilizando el estilo directo o el
estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech (El estilo directo)

Cuando queremos informar exactamente de lo que otra persona ha dicho, utilizamos el estilo directo. Con este estilo lo que la persona ha
dicho se coloca entre comillas () y deber ser palabra por palabra.
Ejemplos:
I am going to London next week, she said. (Voy a Londres la semana que viene, ella dijo.)
Do you have a pen I could borrow, he asked. (Tienes un bolgrafo que puedas prestarme?, l pregunt.)
Alice said, I love to dance. (Alice dijo, Me encanta bailar.)
Chris asked, Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night? (Chris pregunt, Te gustara cenar conmigo maana por la
noche?)

Reported Speech (El estilo indirecto)

El estilo indirecto, a diferencia del estilo directo, no utiliza las comillas y no necesita ser palabra por palabra. En general, cuando se usa el
estilo indirecto, el tiempo verbal cambia. A continuacin tienes un explicacin de los cambios que sufren los tiempos verbales.
A veces se usa that en las frases afirmativas y negativas para introducir lo que ha dicho la otra persona. Por otro lado, en las frases
interrogativas se puede usar if o whether.

Nota: Ten en cuenta tambin que las expresiones de tiempo cambian en el estilo indirecto. Fijate en los cambios de tiempo en los ejemplos
ms abajo y despus, encontrars una tabla con ms explicaciones de los cambios de tiempo en el estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Simple Past Simple

He is American, she said. She said he was American.

I am happy to see you, Mary said. Mary said that she was happy to see me.

He asked, Are you busy tonight? He asked me if I was busy that night.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Dan is living in San Francisco, she said. She said Dan was living in San Francisco.

He said, Im making dinner. He told me that he was making dinner.

Why are you working so hard? they asked. They asked me why I was working so hard.

Past Simple Past Perfect Simple

He told me they had gone to the movies the

We went to the movies last night, he said.
night before.

Greg said that he hadnt gone to work the day

Greg said, I didnt go to work yesterday.
before.
 Did you buy a new car? she asked. She asked me if I had bought a new car.

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Vicki told me shed been working late the night

I was working late last night, Vicki said.
before.

They said, we werent waiting long. They said that they hadnt been waiting long.

He asked, were you sleeping when I called? He asked if Id been sleeping when he called.

Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple

Heather said, Ive already eaten. Heather told me that shed already eaten.

We havent been to China, they said. They said they hadnt been to China.

Have you worked here before? I asked. I asked her whether shed worked there before.

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Ive been studying English for two years, he He said hed been studying English for two
said. years.

Steve said, weve been dating for over a year Steve told me that theyd been dating for over a
now. year.

Have you been waiting long? they asked. They asked whether Id been waiting long.

Past Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple (NO CHANGE)

He said that hed been to Chicago before for

Id been to Chicago before for work, he said.
work.

Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous (NO CHANGE)

She said, Id been dancing for years before the She said shed been dancing for years before
accident. the accident.

Nota: Cuando hablamos de algo que no ha cambiado (que sigue siendo cierto) o de algo en el futuro, no es necesario cambiar el tiempo
verbal.
Ejemplos:
Im 30 years old, she said. She said she is 30 years old.
Dave said, Kelly is sick. Dave said Kelly is sick.
We are going to Tokyo next week, they said. They said they are goingto Tokyo next week.
Ill cut my hair tomorrow, Nina said. Nina said she is cutting her hair tomorrow.
 Modal Verbs (Los verbos modales)

El tiempo verbal cambia en el estilo indirecto tambin con algunos de los verbos modales.

Nota: Con would, could, should, might y ought to, el tiempo no cambia.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Will Would

John said he would go to the movies the next

Ill go to the movies tomorrow, John said.
day.

Will you help me move? she asked. She asked me if I would help her move.

Can Could

Debra said, Allen can worktomorrow. Debra said Allen could workthe next day.

Can you open the window, please?, he asked. He asked me if I could open the window.

Must Had to

You must wear your seat belt, mom said. My mom said I had to wear my seat belt.

She said, You must worktomorrow. She said I had to work the next day.

Shall Should

Tom asked if we should go to the beach that

Shall we go to the beach today? Tom asked.
day.

What shall we do tonight? she asked. She asked me what we should do that night.

May Might/Could

Jane said she might not be in class the next

Jane said, I may not be in class tomorrow.
day.

May I use the bathroom, please?, the boy

The boy asked if he could use the bathroom.
asked.

Nota: A continuacin tienes una tabla donde puedes observar los cambios que sufren las expresiones de tiempo cuando usamos el estilo
indirecto.
Direct Speech Indirect Speech

today that day

tonight that night

this week/month/year that week/month/year

tomorrow the next day

next week/month/year the following week/month/year

yesterday the day before or the previous day

the week/month year before or the

last week/month/year
previous week/month/year

now then/at that moment

Otros cambios

here there