Speeches: Direct and Indirect and Questions Tags

Indirect speech: It makes use of the that –clause. It reports thoughts with the use of the thinking
verb or verb of thinking. Words used by the original speaker are usually changed.
Direct Speech: This is when the original word of the speaker is maintained, that is, the pronouns,
time and place adverbials. Tenses are modified to the words of the person reporting.
Direct speech can be converted to Indirect speech. When this occurs, some changes will happen.
1. Change of Situation
These are when grammatical differences occur between direct and indirect speeches.
Example:
Direct: I will not sleep here
Indirect: Titi said that she will not sleep here.
2 Change of Pronouns
When the speaker changes, the pronoun has to change.
Example:
Titi doesn’t like - sleeping here
He said that Titi doesn’t like sleeping here.
Also 1st person will change to 3rd person.
‘I ‘ will become ‘he’ or ‘she’
‘You’, becomes ‘me’ or ‘us’, ‘him’ or ‘her’
‘We' will become ‘they’
3 Change of Adverbial Element
The adverbials usually change after the change of a direct speech to the indirect speech.
Example:
Direct Indirect
Here there
Today that day
Now then
Yesterday the previous day
Last week the precious week
Next week the following week
Tomorrow the following today

4 Change of Time /Tense

When there is a change in time, the tense also changes.
Example
Direct Indirect
Can could
Will would
Must must
Shall should
Has/have was
May might
When time moves backwards, it is usually called the ‘Backshift’ .

TENSES:
Examples:
Direct:
Motorola: I will not sleep here
Indirect
Bode: Motorola said he would not sleep here
Simple Present  Simple Past
Direct: I need money
Indirect: She said she needed money
‘Need’ changes to ‘needed’

Present Progressive  Past Progressive

Direct: My Spanish is getting cleaver
Indirect: He said his Spanish was getting cleaver
Is  was
 Can – could
Direct: I can sing
Indirect: she said she could sing
Post modal verbs do not change in Direct speeches.
Examples: might, could, would, should etc
Examples in context
Direct: I should be tall.
Indirect: He said he should be tall.
Direct: It might happen
Indirect:He said it might happen

Indirect Speech Questions

The subject comes before the verb inreported questions.
Examples:
Direct: Where’s the Nurse?
Indirect: He asked where the Nurse was.
Direct: Why is she going?
Indirect: She wanted to know where she was going

Indirect Speech Infinitives

Speech involving actions are usually reported with infinities.
Examples of actions; agreement order, promises, advice, suggestions , request etc.
Examples:
He requested to go
She advised to read

Reports in Past Tense

When the speaker speaks in the past tense,
they are always reports in the past perfect tenses.
Examples
Direct : l ‘ve just eaten the food
Indirect: He said he had just eaten the food.

Reporting Present and future tenses

If a reporter decides to report the speaker’s speech made in the present and future tenses, he is
free to do so. However, if he wants it to reflect that the speech was not his original one, he could
change the tenses of the verbs.

Examples
Direct: The clock ticks throughout the day
Indirect: He said that the clock ticked through the day
Direct: It will rain tomorrow
Indirect: The man said it will /would rain tomorrow .

Indirect Speech without reporting verbs

Report of debate, radio report, minutes of meetings are done using few reporting verbs in the
tenses.
Examples:
The revenue has been good, the Chairman of the company reported.

QUESTION TAGS
These are short questions that come after some sentences in speech . They come up too in
informal writing. Usually a negative statement , while a positive tag gets added to a negative
statement.

A negative tag with a positive statement

Examples
1. She is beautiful, isn’t she,
2. They are coming, aren’t they?
A positive tag with a negative statement.
Examples: She hasn’t put the plate there, has she?
Mr. John isn’t a player, is he?

Mechanics of Writing
In spoken English, pauses are made in sentences and after sentences. This can be noticed with
change in pitches. Punctuation marks are used to indicate those pauses and pitches. Let us check
some examples.
Examples:
Full stops
They indicate the long pauses made in reading. They mark the end to sentences when they are
not exclamation made or questions marks. A full stop mark is applied to the end of statement,
command, requests or indirect questions.
Examples:
i. Statement : The object in his eye
ii. Command: Stop the noise
iii. Police request: would you please bring in the offender
iv. Indirect question: Bola ased where the offender is standing.

Example II:
Indirect question and full stop. It is not always a question.
i. I asked you of his name
ii. She wondered if you were unable to pay the debt.

Example III
Condensed expression: A period or full stop can be after a condensed expression that exists as a
statement or command.
Examples:
Yes
Wait
Congratulation
Next
No
Good luck
Most times condensed expression asked.
They cannot meaning.
Example:
Question condensed expression
Are you coming there? No
Do you sleep early Yes
Do you drive? Yes
What do I say next wait

Example IV
Initials and abbreviations : Periods should be applied after initials and dost of abbreviations.
Examples:
1. After initials
K. B. Rande J. T. Oke
2. Abbreviations of single words and lower letters (not capital letters) .
a. Coop.
b. M.O.P
c. Ms
d. Tue
e. Sept
f. Ltd
Periods are not needed in units of measures.

3. Periods are not to be used for abbreviations in capital letters.

Examples: NAFDAC EFCC NEPA FIFA CFA
4. Periods are applied to geographical names
 UK U.S.A. U.S.S.R
5. Periods are applied to decimals, percentage and money.
Examples:
9.7%
$5.50

QUESTION MARK (?)

This is used when a question is asked in examples:
1. Direction questions –where is your car?
Condensed expression: we are going to eat. When?
2. Statements that are Questions.
Examples:
i. You want me to carry you?
ii. My food has not been prepared?

3. Questions and Run on sentences

Are you going for the race? I Hope you join in there.
4. Long questions: Any long question must always end with a question mark.
How much are we sure that you will withdraw the money afterward, you will spend it wisely
5 Doubts
The chairman arrived there at 10.00am (?)
He is in the room (?)
6.Used after declarative sentences
Titi has fainted again. You got that ring in France.
7 . Used for quotations
i. His teacher said, ‘Why are you not writing?
ii. Why did her mother say ‘you are right to sleep in the room’.

EXCLAMATORY MARK (!)

It is used to indicate exclamation. It can be used formally or informally.
Examples:
i. Stop there!
ii. Alas!

To express ridicule
Examples:
How neat you are!

When used at the end of sentence.

Examples:
Oh how I wish I was early!

Exclamation structures,
i. With ‘How'
a. (how + adjectives)
Ice cream! How beautiful!
b. (how + adjective /adverb + subject + verb)
How hot it is!
How clean you look!
c. (how + subject + verb)
i. How you’ve learned!

ii.. With ‘what’

a. (what + a/an + adjective + singular countable noun)
What a shot girl!
What a beautiful car!
b. (what + adjective + uncountable /plural noun
what a hot sun!
What beautiful house!
What nuisance!
c. (What + object + subject verb)
What a nice dress your mother has!
 iii. With so and such
a. (so + adjectives)
You are so generous
b. (such + adjustable noun)
She’s such a cute girl!
d. (such + adjective + uncountably plural noun)
She said such a garbage!
He is such a pleasant boy!

NEGATIVE QUESTIONS FORMS

Isn’t the woman nice!
Hasn’t she learnt!
Ordinary questions an be used as exclamations.
Wow, did she just do that!
Man, am I dumb!
Was I angry!

COMMAS (‘)
They at all times indicate pauses in speech
Examples:
i. Used to separate word and / or phrases
The maid jumped the fence, across the barriers, over the town and straight into the
store.
ii To reflect heading and addresses in a letter
iii. To separate direct speech from the entire sentence.
iv. Example:
‘ I shall eat’ she was ‘as soon as possible’.
 v. They can be used to create divisions e.g. large numbers into different groups of
figures.
Examples
a. 1, 564 – different from 1, 564
b. 1,564.000
c. They are used to introduce phrases
Example:
Before standing up ,amazed by that
vi. They are used after introductory prepositional phrases
Examples :
On his birthday,
Towards closing for the day,
Actually
vii. can be used with items
Example:
He ate, beans, rice and dodo
viii. Used to separate names or titles
Examples:
Mrs. Beckley, the proprietress is dead.
These can also be referred to as Non-restrictive Appositives.
ix. Commas can be used also to separate words for emphasis.
Exam[ple:
The game was very, interesting.
x. They can be used to replace place, name, and date.
The ceremony took place in Calabar river state October 10th 2022 and December 12th 2022.
xi. They can be used in between adjectives.
Example
The Manager was short, slim and proud.

DASH (-)
A dash ,most times feature in, informal writings. It can be used like the way colons, semi colons
or bracket are used.
Example:
a. He brought many items- soap, cream, comb, and dresses.
b. We had so much fun at the party-the guest denied.

It can only be used to express an unexpected occurrence or in an after thought situation.

Example
Earlier I ate breakfast with my finger, it sounds unbelievable.

SEMI –COLON (;)

This signifies a pause that is longer than what the comma signifies. Often times, they are used
in the place of full stops, though, not as often as the full stops or the commas..
Example:
It is a good question ; let us see if others will see it so.

I. Semi colon helps in dividing sentences for stronger emphasis.

Example
Many ideas came, looking good, seeming plausible, yet with te possibility of not to be able to
work.

ii. They are also useful in series.

Mr. Obi Nke; Mrs. Nneka, ICPC; Mr. Babalola, FCMB.

iii. They could also help in emphasizing the relativity between clauses that are linked.
Example:
Titlayo confessed to us that she could no more believe her love for church.
iv. Semi colons are also used with conjunctive verbs like nonetheless, therefore, however,
etc.
Example:
Mangoes are too sweet ; therefore they are not suitable to be eaten by the diabetic.

HPHEN (-)
It usually used to join words in semantics or syntax forms.
Examples: sister-in-law, bad-mouted etc.
It is to indicate the division of a word in the series.
It also helps to signify missing elements.
Examples
a. Clarification
Example:
green house green-house
reform re-form

b.Helps to remove unnecessary duplication of letters

Example:
Re-employ
Re-validate
Co-operate
c. It helps in combining words as adjectives
Example
a take-home package
a do-or-de affair
d. When the functions is not adjectival, the hyphen is not necessary.
e. Helps to indicate broken words at end of a series.
Example: I have greeted the needed instructors.

PARENTHESIS ( )
 It is a word, or clause or sentence slotted as a way of clarifying or explanation or an after
thought , that grammatically, may not be acceptable without it.
It is usually indicated by brackets, commas, or dashes.
Example:
Oba of Benin is (as history described him) an ancient traditional ruler.

APOSTROPHE (‘)
It is used for three major reasons
1. To replace letters in contracted form.
Example: can’t (cannot(
Who’s (who is/has)
2. For possessiveness
The girl’s scarf
Titi’s mother
3. For special plurals
Example:
The sentence has too many of’s
4. Can be used in plurals of letter, numbers and abbreviations

COLON (:)
It indicates a long pause like a full stop will indicate. It is usually used to mark out a list,
a quotation, a speech, an explanation or a definition.
i. Lists
Example:
Colon
Examples are as follow (a)………….(b)……………..(c) etc
ii. Explanation
Example:
There is an issue with the cheque: it is crossed
iii. Letter
Example:
Dear Dr. Benson (American)
I here apply….
iv. Direct speech:
A long passage of a direct speech could not be indicated by a colon.
Example:
Accordingly to the submission of Prof. Olutoye: 'The large part of the intestine is the
colon'.

Caret (  )
This is used to indicate a missing word or an insertion in a sentence.
The people ^(are) too many.

CAPITALIZATION
1. As the first letter to open a sentence.
Example:
The angel is not human.
2. As direct quotations
The first words in a direct quotation should be capitalized
Example:
The teacher said “read the instruction many times”.
3. As within sentences after a colon.
Example :
The following ideas were suggested.
1. We must eat before sleeping
2. They should not be late to classes
4. Used to capitalize the pronoun “I”
The pronoun “I” should always be capitalized.
Example:
 They think I should not be beaten.
5. Used to capitalize ‘n’ in the abbreviation of numbers.
Example:
No. 3
No. 8
Nos. 9 and 10
5. Used to capitalize the noun identifying the preceding figures.
6. Example
Module 9
Article 5
Section 3
7. Used to capitalize Dates, Days and Historical References
Example:
Thursday Sunday
December Christmas
8. To capitalize all proper Nouns and where listed as derivatives
Exam[ples:
Abeokuta Christopler University
Ota B. Brown
Polo club
9. To capitalize substituting descriptive names that stand instead of actual proper nouns.
Examples:
Gateway State for Ogun state
10 Capitalize politically mapped states.
Examples:
Easterners
Western Region
11. Used to capitalize Government Agencies.
Examples:
Police Department
Air force
 12.Used to capitalize Brand names.
a. Marks & Spencer
b. Samsung
13.To capitalize name of colleges, institutions and their
abbreviations.
Examples:
University of Technology, Jos
College of Education, Lagos.
14.Used to capitalize titles
Example:
Senator Titi Kuku
The Bishop
15. To capitalize names of Building, Hotels, Highways etc
Clarence Hotel
Adegoke House
16.To capitalize the names of course titles' Computer and Technology course are what
‘John is offering’ .