Exclamations. Yes and No answers

Exclamations usually become statements in indirect speech, so the exclamation mark disappears.

1. Exclamations beginning with What … or How … can be reported by the verbs exclaim/say that:

He said, ‘What a dreadful idea!’ or ‘How dreadful!’ =

He exclaimed that it was a dreadful idea/ the idea was dreadful.

In some cases an exclamation is reported by a simple sentence expressing the idea of the original sentence and often preserving its wording.

He said, ‘Thank you!’ = He thanked me.

He said, ‘Good luck!’ = He wished me good luck.

2. Yes and No answers are expressed in direct speech by an elliptical sentence consisting of the subject and an appropriate (подходящий) auxiliary verb:

He said, ‘Will you have time to do it?’ and I said, ‘Yes’ =

He said if I would have time to do it and I said that I would.

17. Formation: Indirect questions.

Direct questions can be transformed into indirect in the following two ways:

1. A direct question is rendered (представлять) by a subordinate object clause in a complex narrative (повествовательный) sentence. In other words, it becomes part of a statement and there is no inversion in the reported question.

Reported special and general questions are joined to the reporting phrase, which is the principal clause, by when, what, where, why, which, how or by if, whether.

The typical reporting verbs are: ask, explain, inquire (осведомлять), know, want to know, wonder.

2. A direct question is transformed into a subordinate object clause of a complex indirect question, the main clause of which is an interrogative phrase such as Do you know…, Could you tell me…, etc. Like in the case of narrative sentences there is no inversion.

17. Indirect imperatives.

Regardless of the exact communicative meaning of an imperative utterance - an order, a request, an invitation, a warning or advice – they are generally reported with the help of an infinitive construction.

The above communicative meanings are often expressed by sentences that are not imperatives (повелительная форма глагола) in structure. These are questions like: Would you…? Could you…?

Reported requests (просьба, требование) usually use ask as the main verb, whereas reported orders tend to use tell.

There is also a difference between a reported offer and a reported request:

1. Offer:

‘Would you like an orange?’

He asked if I would like an orange.

2. Request:

‘Would you pass me the salt-celler?’

He asked me to pass him the salt-celler.

Indirect offers with the verb suggest cannot be formed with the help of the infinitive.

‘Let’s take a rest’ he suggested.

He suggested we take a rest.

He suggested we should take a rest.

He suggested taking a rest.

Let’s not, used in answer to an affirmative (положительный, утвердительный) suggestion, is often reported by phrases such as opposed the idea/ was against/ objected to.

‘Let’s sell the house,’ Tom said. ‘Let’s not,’ said Ann.

Tom suggested selling the house but Ann was against it.

Let’s/let is sometimes reported by urge/ advise + object +infinitive.

Reporting verbs - to introduce orders, requests, invitation and advice in indirect speech:

Advise, ask, beg, command, forbid (запрещать), instruct, invite, order, persuade (убеждать), remind, teach, tell, urge, warn; appeal to, plead with, shout at, shout to, whisper to, yell (кричать) at.

Verbs taking the infinitive: advise, invite, offer, promise, remind, warn.

Verbs taking the gerund: apologize for, insist on, suggest, object to, mind.