Indirect Discourse in Spanish49

Introduction

Indirect discourse, also known as reported speech, is a way of conveying what someone has said or written without using their exact words. In Spanish, indirect discourse is typically introduced by a verb of saying or thinking, such as decir (to say), hablar (to speak), preguntar (to ask), or pensar (to think). The verb is followed by a subordinate clause that contains the reported speech.

Tense Changes

When reporting speech in Spanish, the tenses of the verbs in the reported speech change. The following table shows the tense changes that occur in indirect discourse:


Direct Speech Tense
Indirect Speech Tense




Present
Imperfect


Preterite
Imperfect


Imperfect
Pluperfect


Future
Conditional


Conditional
Pluperfect Subjunctive


Present Perfect
Pluperfect Subjunctive


Preterite Perfect
Pluperfect Subjunctive


Future Perfect
Conditional Perfect

For example, the following sentence in direct speech:

"I am going to the store."

would be reported in indirect speech as:

"Dijo que iba a ir a la tienda."

Mood Changes

In addition to tense changes, mood changes can also occur in indirect discourse. Indicative verbs in direct speech typically become subjunctive verbs in indirect speech. For example, the following sentence in direct speech:

"I want you to go to the store."

would be reported in indirect speech as:

"Me pidió que fuera a la tienda."

Person and Number Changes

Person and number changes can also occur in indirect discourse. The pronouns and verb endings in the reported speech change to reflect the perspective of the speaker in indirect speech. For example, the following sentence in direct speech:

"You are going to the store."

would be reported in indirect speech as:

"Dijo que tú ibas a ir a la tienda."

Other Changes

In addition to the tense, mood, person, and number changes discussed above, other changes can also occur in indirect discourse. For example, question marks and exclamation points are typically removed from reported speech, and conjunctions may be added to connect the reported speech to the rest of the sentence.

Conclusion

Indirect discourse is a complex grammatical structure that can be used to convey what someone has said or written without using their exact words. By understanding the tense, mood, person, number, and other changes that occur in indirect discourse, you can use this structure to effectively communicate in Spanish.

2025-02-10

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