Direct Speech (El estilo directo)

Cuando queremos informar exactamente de lo que otra persona ha dicho,

utilizamos el estilo directo. Con este estilo lo que la persona ha dicho se coloca
entre comillas () y deber ser palabra por palabra.

Ejemplos:
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.(Tienes un bolgrafo que puedas
prestarme?, l pregunt.)
Alice said, I love to dance.(Alice dijo, Me encanta bailar.)
Chris asked, Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?(Chris
pregunt, Te gustara cenar conmigo maana 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 indirecto, el tiempo
verbal cambia. A continuacin tienes una explicacin 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.

Nota: Ten en cuenta tambin que las expresiones de tiempo cambian en el estilo
indirecto. Fijate en los cambios de tiempo en los ejemplos ms abajo y despus,
encontrars una tabla con ms explicaciones de los cambios de tiempo en el
estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Simple Past Simple

He is American, she said. She said he was American.

I am 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 that night.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

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

He said, Im making dinner. He told me that he was making dinner.

Why are you working so hard? they

They asked me why I was working so hard.
asked.

Past Simple Past Perfect Simple

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

Greg said that he hadnt goneto work the

Greg said, I didnt go to work yesterday.
day before.

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

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Vicki told me shed been working late the

I was working late last night, Vicki said.
night before.

They said that they hadnt been

They said, we werent waiting long.
waiting long.

He asked, were you sleepingwhen I He asked if Id been sleepingwhen he

called? called.

Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple

Heather said, Ive already eaten. Heather told me that shedalready eaten.

We havent been to China, they said. They said they hadnt been to China.

I asked her whether shed worked there

Have you worked here before? I asked.
before.

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Ive been studying English for two years, He said hed been studyingEnglish for two
he said. years.

Steve said, weve been datingfor over a Steve told me that theyd been dating for
year now. over a year.

Have you been waitinglong? they

They asked whether Id been waiting long.
asked.

Past Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple (NO CHANGE)

Id been to Chicago before for work, he He said that hed been to Chicago before
said. for work.

Past Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous (NO CHANGE)

She said, Id been dancingfor years She said shed been dancingfor years
before the accident. before the accident.

Nota: Cuando hablamos de algo que no ha cambiado (que sigue siendo cierto) o
de algo en el futuro, no es necesario cambiar el tiempo verbal.
Ejemplos:

Im 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
goingto Tokyo next week.
Ill 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 tambin con algunos de los verbos
modales.

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

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Will Would

John said he would go to the movies the

Ill go to the movies tomorrow, John said.
next day.

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

Can Could

Debra said Allen could workthe next

Debra said, Allen can worktomorrow.
day.

Can you open the window, please?, he

He asked me if I could openthe window.
asked.

Must Had to

You must wear your seat belt, mom said. My mom said I had to wear my seat belt.

She said, You must worktomorrow. She said I had to work the next day.

Shall Should

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

asked. beach that day.

She asked me what we should do that

What shall we do tonight? she asked.
night.

May Might/Could
 Jane said she might not be in class the
Jane said, I may not be in class tomorrow.
next day.

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

Nota: A continuacin tienes una tabla donde puedes observar los cambios que
sufren las expresiones de tiempo cuando usamos el estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

today that day

tonight that night

this week/month/year that week/month/year

tomorrow the next day

next week/month/year the following week/month/year

the day before or the previous

yesterday
day

the week/month
last week/month/year year before or the
previous week/month/year

now then/at that moment

Otros cambios
 here there

EXAMPLES

1. "Where is my umbrella?" she asked.

She asked where her umbrella was.
2. "How are you?" Martin asked us.
Martin asked us how we were.
3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
He asked if he had to do it.
4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.
The mother asked her daughter where she had been.
5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.
She asked her boyfriend which dress he liked best.
6. "What are they doing?" she asked.
She wanted to know what they were doing.
7. "Are you going to the cinema?" he asked me.
He wanted to know if I was going to the cinema.
8. The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?"
The teacher wanted to know who spoke English.
9. "How do you know that?" she asked me.
She asked me how I knew that.
10. "Has Caron talked to Kevin?" my friend asked me.
My friend asked me if Caron had talked to Kevin