| ENGLISH GRAMMAR for Spanish Speakers |
1. Direct and Indirect Speech
2. Time reference
3. Tense shifts
|
Direct speech |
Indirect speech |
|
simple present present progressive present perfect simple past (past actions) simple past (narrative) past progressive present perfect progressive future can may must will shall need (special verb) |
simple past past progressive past perfect past perfect simple past past progressive or past perfect progressive past perfect progressive conditional could might must / had to would should / would had to / need |
*This table is only a guide
4. Other changes
|
Direct speech |
Indirect speech |
|
I me my mine we us our ours this/these here now ago today tonight tomorrow yesterday |
he (she) him (her) his (her) his (hers) they them their theirs that/those there then before that day that night the next/the following day the previous day/the day before |
5. Types of sentence
a) Statements
b) Questions
* Yes-No questions
* Wh-questions
c) Commands
d) Exclamations
6. Statements
* Change into indirect speech by means
of a that-clause
[ John said: I don't like meat à John said (that) he didn't like meat]
7. Questions
1. Yes-No questions à
in the form of a if/weather clause
[Shall
I open the door? à He asked if he should open the door]
2. Wh-questions à
using an interrogative clause introduced by the appropriate question word
[What
are you doing? à He asked what they were doing]
8. Commands
* Command à
to-infinitive: [Wait for me here à
He told me to wait for him here]
* Request à
to-infinitive or if-clause: [Will you lend me your car?
à
a) He asked him to lend him his car
à
b) He asked him if he would lend him his car]
* 1st person imperative à
to suggest + -ing participle
[Let's go to the party à
He suggested going to the party]
9. Exclamations
* Exclamations à
that-clause or a clause introduced by the exclamative particle itself
[What a wonderful day! à
She exclamed that it was a wonderful day
à She said what a wonderful day it was]
10. Verbs and expressions that introduce indirect speech
* With statements: say, tell
* With questions: ask
* With commands: tell
* With exclamations: exclaim
* Other verbs that serve: declared,
insisted, denied, wanted, demanded, suggested
* Special dificulties
|
Direct speech |
Indirect speech |
|
Hello! Let me do it! Help! Gosh! Now, now! (reprobatory) |
He greeted him and ... He begged to be allowee to do it He yelled for help He was astonished (surprised, etc.) He scolded (reprimanded, etc.) him |
11. The difference between to tell and to say
Both mean "decir"; to
tell must be followed by an indirect object, whereas with to say it is not necessary. When to say takes an indirect object, it is constructed with the
preposition to; to tell is constructed without a preposition when the indirect object precedes the direct object and with to if that is not the case:
[I told him nothing
I told nothing to him]
12. Free indirect speech