Indirect Speech 2 间接引语(下)
My question is how to turn a direct speech into an indirect one?
Huang Huisheng
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Turning direct speech into an indirect one is a basic skill for communication. Knowing the grammatical rules is one thing but being able to use it well is quite another.
This is the second part of the programme on indirect speech.
Today, Yang Li and Diarmuid Mitchell look at two other elements in turning direct speech into indirect speech.
1. The transformation of questions.
"I don’t know whether I should drive or take the train." - He hesitated about whether to drive or take the train.
2. The transformation of imperatives
"Don’t forget your passport please." – She told us not to forget our passport.
3. Time reference change
"I haven’t seen the boss today." - He said he hadn’t seen the boss that day. (If you are reporting the speech at a later date)
The use of reported speech is especially important at higher English levels.
Students, at this point, are fine tuning their communication skills to include
expressing the ideas of others, as well as their own opinions.
Listen to the programme and see how well you do with the exercise. Good luck.
If you have a question about English, email our team at questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk. We may answer it on this programme.
Glossary 词汇
transformation 转换
questions 疑问句
imperatives 祈使句
time reference 时间参照
fine tuning 推敲
communication skills 交流技巧