INDIRECT QUESTIONS

Indirect questions are polite, longer forms of normal questions. For example:

- Where's the department store? - Direct question

- Could you tell me where the department store is, please? - Indirect question

- What's his name? - Direct question

- Do you know what his name is? - Indirect question

Form

Indirect questions are formed of two parts: a polite expression, and a question which has no subject/verb inversion like a

normal question . For example:

- What's his name? >>

- Do you know what his name is? - Indirect question

Here the polite expression is "Do you know...", and the question part is "...what his name is?". Note that the subject and verb

have not changed place in the question part. So if you said "Do you know what is his name?", this would be incorrect.

Another example:

- What's the time? >>

- Do you have any idea what the time is? - Indirect question

The polite expression is "Do you have any idea...?", and the question is "...what the time is?".

The question is not "...what is the time?" - you don't invert the subject and verb kike a normal question.

Auxiliary Verb "To do"

The auxiliary verb "to do"is used in questions when there is no other auxiliary verb. For example:

- You like Chinese food. >>

- Do you like Chinese food?

Indirect questions do not use the auxiliary verb "to do" in the main question. For example:

- When does the next train arrive? - Direct question

- Do you know when the next train arrives? - Indirect question

- Do you know when does the next train arrive? - Incorrect

Another example:

- When does the restaurant close? - Direct question

- Could you tell me when the restaurant closes? - Indirect question

- Could you tell me when does the restaurant close? - Incorrect

There are infinite ways to make indirect questions. Not all indirect questions are questions at all, rather they are polite

statements which encourage some kind of response. Some common polite expressions include:

- I wonder if/whether...?

- I can't remember if/whether...?

- Could you tell me if/whether...?

- Would you mind telling me if/whether...?

- Would it be possible for you to...?

- Is there any chance you could...?

- I don't suppose you could...

- I'd like to know if/whether...

- I can't remember...

PASSIVE VOICE

Use of Passive

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence

the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)

the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object

Simple Present Active: Rita

writes a letter.

Passive

:

A letter is written

by Rita.

Simple Past Active: Rita wrote

a letter.

Passive

:

A letter was written

by Rita.

Present Perfect Active: Rita has written

a letter.

Passive:

A letter has been written

by Rita.

Future I Active: Rita will write

a letter.

Passive

:

A letter will be written

by Rita.

Hilfsverben Active: Rita can write

a letter.

Passive

:

A letter can be written

by Rita.

Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object

Present Progressive Activ

e:

Rita

is writing a letter.

Passi

ve:

A letter is being written

by Rita.

Past Progressive Activ

e:

Rita was writing

a letter.

Passive:

A letter was being written

by Rita.

Past Perfect Activ

e:

Rita had written

a letter.

Passi

ve:

A letter had been written

by Rita.

Future II Active:

Rita will have written

a letter.

Passi

ve:

A letter will have been written

by Rita.

Conditional I Activ

e:

Rita would write

a letter.

Passive:

A letter would be written

by Rita.

Conditional II Activ

e:

Rita would have written

a letter.

Passi

ve:

A letter would have been written

by Rita.

Passive Sentences with Two Objects

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object.

Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2

Active: Rita

wrote a letter to me.

Passive: A letter was written to me

by Rita.

Passive: I was written a letter

by Rita.

.

As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object

(transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.

Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the

passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal

Passive.

Example: he says – it is said

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with

verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).

Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men.

Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.

Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men.

The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the

sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped).

Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive

sentence.

REPORTED SPEECH

Cuando queremos informar exactamente lo que otra persona ha dicho, utilizamos el estilo directo. Con este estilo lo que la persona ha dicho se coloca

entre comillas y deberá ser palabra por palabra.

Ejemplos:

I am going to London next week, she said.

Play

"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.

Play

"Do you have a pen I could borrow," he asked. ("Tienes un bolígrafo que puedas prestarme," él preguntó.)

Alice said, I love to dance.

Play

Alice said, "I love to dance." (Alice dijo, "Me encanta bailar.")

Chris asked, Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?

Play

Chris asked, "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" (Chris preguntó, "Te gustaría cenar conmigo mañana 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 directo,

el tiempo verbal cambia. A continuación tienes un explicación 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".

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Simple Past Simple

"He's American" she said. She said he was American.

"I'm 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 tonight.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

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

He said, "I'm 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

"We went to the movies last night," he said. He told me they had gone to the movies last night.

Greg said, "I didn't go to work yesterday." Greg said that he hadn't gone to work yesterday.

"Did you buy a new car?" she asked. She asked me if I had bought a new car.

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

"I was working late last night," Vicki said. Vicki told me she'd been working last night.

They said, "We weren't waiting long." They said that they hadn't been waiting long.

He asked, "Were you sleeping when I called?" He asked if I'd been sleeping when he called.

Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple

Heather said, "I've already eaten." Heather told me that she'd already eaten.

"We haven't been to China," they said. They said they hadn't been to China.

"Have you worked here before?" I asked. I asked her whether she'd worked there before.

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

"I've been studying English for two years," he said. He said he'd been studying English for two years.

Steve said, "We've been dating for over a year now." Steve told me that they'd been dating for over a year.

"Have you been waiting long?" they asked. They asked whether I'd been waiting long.

Past Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple (*NO CHANGE)

"I'd been to Chicago before for work," he said. He said that he'd been to Chicago before for work.

Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous (*NO CHANGE)

She said, "I'd been dancing for years before the accident." She said she'd been dancing for years before the accident.

Nota: Cuando hablamos de algo que no ha cambiado (todavía es verdad) o que es en el futuro, no tenemos que cambiar el tiempo verbal.

Ejemplos:

"I'm 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 going to Tokyo next week.

"I'll 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 también con algunos de los verbos modales:

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Will Would

"I'll go to the movies tomorrow," John said. John said he would go to the movies tomorrow.

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

Can Could

Debra said, "Allen can work tomorrow." Debra said Allen could work tomorrow.

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

Must Had to

"You must wear your seatbelt," mom said. My mom said we had to wear my seatbelt.

She said, "You must work tomorrow." She said I had to work tomorrow.

Shall Should

"Shall we go to the beach today?" Tom asked. Tom asked if we should go to the beach today.

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

May Might/Could

Jane said, "I may not be in class tomorrow." Jane said she might not be in class tomorrow.

"May I use the bathroom, please?" the boy asked. The boy asked if he could use the bathroom.

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

Say vs. Tell

En español podemos traducir "say"o "tell" como "decir", pero en inglés se usan estos verbos de maneras distintas. Hay unas reglas que indican el uso de

uno sobre el otro en inglés, aunque en general usamos "say" para "decir algo" y "tell" para "decir algo a alguien."

Say

Se usa "say" en el estilo directo y el indirecto. Si queremos usar "say" con un objeto personal, necesitamos usar el preposicion "to".

Ejemplos:

Estilo directo

"I'm hungry," he said. ("Tengo hambre," él dijo.)

"I need your help," Glen said to Mike. ("Necesito tu ayuda," Glen dijo a Mike.)

She said, "Do you like to dance?" (Ella dijo, "¿Te gusta bailar?")

Estilo indirecto

He said he was hungry. (Él dijo que tenía hambre.)

Glen said to Mike that he needed his help. (Glen dijo a Mike que necesitaba su ayuda.)

She asked me if I liked to dance. (Me preguntó si me gustaba bailar.)

Tell

También se puede usar "tell" con el estilo directo y el indirecto, aunque el uso con el estilo directo no es tan común. Cuando usamos "tell" necesitamos

usar un objeto indirecto que va detrás del verbo.

Ejemplos:

Estilo directo

He told me, "I'm hungry." (Me dijo, "Tengo hambre.")

Glen told Mike, "I need your help." (Glen dijo a Mike, "Necesito to ayuda.")

Estilo indirecto

He told me that he was hungry. (Me dijo que tuvo hambre.)

Glen told Mike that he needed his help. (Glen dijo a Mike que necesitaba su ayuda.)

Otros usos de "tell":

1. Se usa "tell" con ordenes o instrucciones.

o Ejemplos:

o I told him, "Stop complaining." (Le dije, "Deja de quejarte.")

o She told us to hurry. (Nos dijo de darnos prisa.) 2. Usamos "tell" cuando damos o pedimos información.

>

o Ejemplos:

o "Can you tell me your name please." ("Dime tu nombre, por favor.")

o You told him the address of the office? (¿Le dijiste la dirección de la oficina?) 3. Se usa "tell" con cuentos o bromas. En esto caso, se puede traducir "tell" como "contar" en español.

o Ejemplos:

o He told us a great story. (Nos contó un cuento maravilloso.)

o "Tell me a joke," she said. ("Cuéntame un chiste," ella dijo.)

4. Con la verdad y las mentiras, se usa "tell."

o Ejemplos:

o "Tell me the truth," she said. ("Dime la verdad," ella dijo.)

o Keith never tells lies. (Keith nunca miente.) 5. Usamos "tell" con el tiempo o la fecha.

>

o Ejemplos:

o "Could you tell me the time, please?" she asked. ("Podrías decirme la hora, por favor?" me preguntó.)

o Bob told me the date. (Bob me dijo la fecha.)