Stephen van Vlack

Sookmyung Women`s University

Graduate School of TESOL

Approaches to English Grammar

Spring 2005

Notes and comments on Yule Explaining English Grammar Chapter 10: Direct and Indirect Speech.

    In this chapter, Yule tries to link function to form using comparisons of direct and indirect speech. In my opinion a lot of what he focuses on in this chapter is more applicable to reception than production. Many of the different functions that he gives us are unclear and are used in informal as opposed to standard or more formal contexts. We really need to ask ourselves if this is the type of language that we should be using our valuable time to teach.

    In order to understand all the subtleties in functions, we first need to understand the basic differences between the forms and related functions associated with direct and indirect speech.

Direct Speech

    Speakers/writers use direct speech is when we are giving the exact words that the speaker used. The writer/speaker does not change the tense, word order, or pronouns. The only mechanics we have to think of are the comma and quotes.

EG: Betty: ̋Roasted bear sandwiches always give me indigestion.̋

    Doris: ̋Yes but, you like the way they taste, don`t you?̋

    Betty: ̋Oh yes, I just love them.̋

    In direct speech, the author/speaker is not inflicting any of their own opinion on the utterance. They are rendering it completely accurately. The time is also generally assumed to be the same.

Indirect Speech

    In indirect speech, the speaker/writer is giving us their own rendition of what someone else originally said. It is assumed that the second rendition is not exact and that there is a lag in time between the person saying it and the utterance being reported. When reporting speech, we also need to be careful of certain grammar points.

EG: Betty complained that roasted bear sandwiches always give her indigestion. Doris reminded her that she does like the taste. Betty had to agree by saying she does, in fact, love them.

    When using indirect speech, we have to be careful about tenses, pronouns, place and time adverbials, and word order. These must be changed when we shift from direct to indirect speech.

1a. ̋Have you finished making the test yet?̋

1b. ̋Have you seen my wallet?̋

1c. ̋You had better meet me here at 10:00 tomorrow?̋

2a. The mean lead-teacher asked if we had finished making the test yet.

2b. Mr. Williams inquired as to whether we had seen his wallet or not.

2c. The boss said that I had better meet her there at 10:00 the following day.

    Now that we have done the basics, we can take a quick look at the three main functions that are associated with indirect and direct speech.

Drama -vs- Narrative

    Direct speech is generally used in drama while indirect speech is used for more narrative types of discourse.

    By drama we mean literary situations in which the author is not inflicting any of their own thoughts or perceptions on the speakers. The speakers words are their own and they are not introduced by anything that will distract the reader/listener from them. Furthermore, there is no distance between the speaker and their words.

    In narrative, by using indirect speech, the writer/speaker is able to give their own interpretation of the situation based generally on the verb they chose to use to introduce the indirect speech. They are reporting what is being said accurately but also report on what is going on at the same time, adding much of their own commentary and adding meaning to the words that are actually being spoken. The author is also showing distance between the speaker and their words. The commentary is often as important or more important than the actual words being spoken.

Summarizing

    Indirect speech is often used for summarizing. Writers do this when they have no intention of rendering what the speaker/writer has said completely. They just highlight the main idea. Because the words are even further from what the speaker actually said there is more perceived distance between the speaker and the words.

EG: Harry talked about how much he hated his math class for three hours.

    Because there is more perceived distance the author`s interpretation becomes even more important and prevalent.

Say and Tell

    The verbs say and tell (used in the progressive) are able to be used in sentences that both report and summarize at the same time.

EG: Harry was saying that he hates his math class.

    After having shown the major structural and functional differences between direct and indirect speech, Yule goes on the tell us that in reality, things are not so clear. The distinctions between the two are blurred in reality. We often quote directly without the use of quotes, or hybrids are created, which share structural elements of both direct and indirect speech (pronouns or tenses, for example). Despite all the mechanical marking seemingly falling apart, readers are still able to figure out if the speech being used is direct or indirect. This comprehension is based on the use of context. The last, and longest section of this chapter, should simply serve to remind that if the language we use is contextualized well, comprehension will occur despite some mechanical problems. This, in itself, is probably one of the most important lessons about language and grammar we can pass on to our students.