Usamos un verbo introductorio especial seguido de to-infinitive, -ing form o that-clause, dependiendo del verbos introductorio.
Introductory verb Direct Speech Reported Speech
+ to-infinitive
agree "Yes, I'll lend you the He agreed to lend me
CD." the CD.
secret project." working on a top se-
cret project.
*demand "I want to be served He demanded to be
immediately." served immediately.
offer "Would you like me to He offered to buy
buy tickets for the tickets for the
concert?" concert.
*promise "I promise I'll call you He promised to call
as soon as I get home." me as soon as he got
home.
refuse "No, I won't do what He refused to do what
she wants." she wants.
*threaten "Be quiet or I'll give He threatened to give
you extra homework." us extra homework if
we weren't quiet.
advise "You should try to get He advised me to
more exercise." try to get more
exercise.
allow "You can watch the film He allowed me to
on TV." watch the film on TV.
ask "Where do you live?" He asked me where I
live.
beg "Please, please, you He begged me to do
have to do something." something.
command "Put the gun down." He commanded her to
put the gun down.
encourage "You should come to He encouraged me to
the party." go to the party.
forbid "You cannot listen to He forbade me to
your music at this time listen to my music at
of night." that time of night.
invite "Will you come to my He invited me to go
wedding reception?" to his wedding recep-
tion.
order "Do twenty press ups He ordered me to do
at once!" twenty press ups
immediately.
*remind "Don't forget to lock the He reminded me to
door when you leave." lock the door when
I left.
*warn "Be careful, don't believe He warned me not to
everything she says." believe everything she
says.
+ -ing form
accuse somebody of "She told Mary my se- He accused her of
cret." telling his secret to
Mary.
Mary.
*admit to "Yes, I dropped the He admitted to drop-
glass." ping/having dropped
the glass.
the glass.
apologise for "I'm sorry I'm late." He apologised for
being late.
*boast about/for "I'm an excellent sin- He boasted of being
ger." an excellent singer.
*complain (to some- "I feel very hungry." He complained (to me)
body) of/about of feeling very hungry.
*deny "I didn't steal the mo- He denied stealing/ha-
ney!" ving stolen the money.
*insist on "I am going to give you He insisted on giving
a lift home." me a lift home.
*suggest "Why don't we play bad- He suggested playing
minton tomorrow?." badminton the next
day.
day.
+ that-clause
explain "It is quicker to take the He explained that it
train because the traffic was quicker to take
is bad." the train because
traffic was bad.
*Los verbos marcados con un asterisco también pueden ir seguidos por una that-clause en reported speech.
Nota: para órdenes negativas y peticiones usamos not + to-infinitive.
Direct: Mum said, "Don't touch the iron, it's hot!"
Reported: Mum told us not to touch the iron because it was hot.
En conversaciones usamos una mezcla de oraciones, órdenes y preguntas. Cuando lo convertimos en reported speech usamos and, as, adding that, he/she added that, because, but, since, etc. Palabras como oh!, oh dear, well, etc son omitidas en reported speech.
Direct: "Oh! That's a nice dress," Cathy said to me, "it suits you
perfectly."
Reported: Cathy said that it was a nice dress and added that it
suited me perfectly.
is bad." the train because
traffic was bad.
inform somebody "The flight has been He informed us that
cancelled due to bad the flight had been
weather." cancelled due to bad
weather.
weather." cancelled due to bad
weather.
*Los verbos marcados con un asterisco también pueden ir seguidos por una that-clause en reported speech.
Nota: para órdenes negativas y peticiones usamos not + to-infinitive.
Direct: Mum said, "Don't touch the iron, it's hot!"
Reported: Mum told us not to touch the iron because it was hot.
En conversaciones usamos una mezcla de oraciones, órdenes y preguntas. Cuando lo convertimos en reported speech usamos and, as, adding that, he/she added that, because, but, since, etc. Palabras como oh!, oh dear, well, etc son omitidas en reported speech.
Direct: "Oh! That's a nice dress," Cathy said to me, "it suits you
perfectly."
Reported: Cathy said that it was a nice dress and added that it
suited me perfectly.
