Reklama:
Reported speech (Nepřímá řeč)
2 ways of quoting someone´s words:
- So he comes into a pub and says: “I´ll have a beer.“ = direct speech
- So he comes into a pub and says (that)he´ll have a beer. = indirect speech
A. If the reporting verb is in the PRESENT, FUTURE or PRESENT PERFECT, all the following tenses remain the same as in the original speaker´s verbs
B. If the reporting verb is in the PAST or PAST PERFECT, all the following tenses are backshifted = they go to the past
BUT!!!
- Some “eternal truths” are not backshifted:
- “The earth goes around the sun.” => Galileo proved that the earth goes (přít.čas!!!) around the sun.
- In spoken English, if we report people saying things which are still true at the moment of reporting, we don´t have to use the backshift.
- “ I am only twenty.“ => She told me the other day, that she is only twenty.
- But, some speakers would prefer to use the backshift even here, however.
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED SPEECH
“ I like apples.” He said, he liked apples.
“ I didn´t recognize you.“ He explained, he didn´t recognize me.
“ I haven´t recognized you.“ - II -
“ I´ll be late.“ He was afraid, he would be late.
“ You could be right.” -podm.zp. = stejné He felt I could be right.
“ You must stop smoking. =permanent ban The doctor said I must stop smoking.
“ I must leave.” She said she have to / must leave.
“ He must be her brother.” She believed he must be her brother.
1st Conditional:
- “When I see him, I´ll tell him.“ = He said that he would tell him when he saw him.
2ndConditional:
- “If I had a screwdriver, I would repair it.” - ale nemám, takže smůla = nereálné, že by se to dalo ještě opravit
- = He explained that if he had had a screwdriver, he could have repaired it.
- “If you came tomorrow, we would discuss it. = a reference to a possible future - mohlo by se to ještě splnit, zítřek teprve bude, tak ještě může přijít, ale jisté to není
SOUVĚTÍ V MINULÉM ČASE
- When I was walking home, I saw an accident.
- (hl.věta - the main word is backshifted)
- => He said that when he was walking home, he had seen an accident.
- (hl.věta - the main word is backshifted)
QUESTIONS
- Yes / No questions are backshifted with “whether” / ‘if”:
- Do you like hamburgers?
- They asked me if / whether I liked hamburgers.
- = There is no question word “do“ and no question mark.
Wh-questions are reported with the question word:
- “What´s your name?“ - They wanted to know what my name was.
- “What time is it?“ - She asked what time it was.
- “Where do you live?”- They inquired where do we live.
- “Can you tell me where the station is?”
- = He wanted to know where the station was. - polite phrase”can you tell me” = reporting verb”want”
COMMANDS AND REQUESTS:
- “Go away.” - He told me / ordered me (+inf.) to go away.
- “Please, help me.” She asked (požádala) me to help her.
PARAPHRASE:
- “Hi, how are you.” - He greeted me.
- “What a beautiful coat.” - She praised my coat.
Words like:
- yes, no, question tags, exclamations, interjections...are either left out or a paraphrase is used.
REFERENCE WORDS:
- All references to places or times have to be changed because the point of view has changed:
- “I like it here.” She said she liked it there.
- “I like this town (+object).” He said he liked the town.-ne
that-nemá význam jako this chair, that chair!! - × “We are meeting them this evening.” He claimed they were meeting them that evening.
- today → that day
- tomorrow → the next / following day
- next week → the next / following week
- yesterday → the previous day / the day before
- a week ago → the week before
- not yet → so far
- “This / That is the last time.“ - He threatened it was the last time.
- “The chair is over there.” - They told where the chair was.
- “May I use your phone?“ - She asked if she could use our phone.
