A Grammar of the English Language. Грамматика английского языка. A grammar of the english language
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§ 3. Indirect statements. Indirect statements are generally introduced by the verbs to say, to tell, to announce and in official style by the verb to inform. With the verbs to tell and to inform the person addressed is always mentioned. With the verbs to say and to announce the person addressed may or may not be mentioned. If it is mentioned, the preposition to is used.
One night the telephone bell rang and he (Cowperwood) informed her that he was compelled to remain at the office late. (Dreiser) The verb to say is used to introduce both direct and indirect speech if the person addressed is not mentioned. If the person is mentioned, the verb to tell is preferable; if the verb to say is used, the preposition to is necessary.
You said that you would give me back my letter, didn’t you? (Wilde) The Miller said tohis wife that he would go down and see Little Hans. (Wilde) The verb to tell is used to introduce indirect speech only; the person addressed must be mentioned.
N o t e 1. — The verb to tell is used without the person addressed being mentioned in sentences as The book tells of the life of Negroes, also in the expressions to tell a lie, to tell the truth, to tell a story. N o t e 2. — The verb to speak never introduces indirect speech because it is never followed by an object clause (it can only be followed by an object clause with a preposition). Therefore the sentence ‘Он говорил, что любит музыку’ should be rendered in the following way: He said he was fond of music. N o t e 3. — It should be noted that the verb to speak cannot take a direct object, unless it is the name of a language or the noun truth in the expression to speak the truth. ‘Он говорил много интересного’ should be rendered in the following way: He said many interesting things. An emphatic statement tinged with emotion is often introduced by the verb to declare.
The innkeeper declared that he really wanted to go to Oakbourne. (Eliot) Other verbs are also used to introduce statements. According to the character of the statement, the verbs to promise, to remark, to remind, to assure, to admit, to deny etc. are frequently used.
I spoke to the station-master and also to the innkeeper of the village. Both of them assured me that he (my friend) had gone for a voyage round the world. (Conan Doyle) § 4. Indirect questions. Word order in an indirect question is the same as in a statement. An indirect general question is introduced by the conjunction if or whether.
She asked if she knew him. (Bennett) An indirect special question is introduced by the same adverb or pronoun that introduces a direct question.
I asked her where she was going and where her friends were. (Ch. Bronte) If a direct question to the subject contains the link verb to be, the direct order of words is not always strictly observed.
The direct question What is the matter? can be converted in two ways: He asked what was the matter. He asked what the matter was. Indirect questions are generally introduced by the verb to ask. In more official style the verb to inquire is used.
If the person addressed is mentioned, the verb to inquire is used with the preposition of. This occurs in bookish style only.
In rendering answers the verbs to answer and to reply are generally used. Occasionally, answers are rendered in the following way: His reply (answer) was that.., He said in reply... This is not colloquial. § 5. Indirect orders and requests. An order or a request in indirect speech is expressed by an infinitive:
The choice of the verb is determined by the character of the order (request). The verb most commonly used to introduce indirect orders is the verb to tell; the verb to order is frequently used, occasionally also the verb to command. The verb to tell corresponds to the Russian сказать, чтобыand велеть; to order and to command correspond to приказать.
The verb to request is used in official style, chiefly in the Passive Voice. It is best rendered in Russian by предложить. The verb to request introduces rather a veiled order than a request.
Unemotional requests are usually introduced by the verb to ask.
The verb to beg introduces a request somewhat more emotional.
Very often, however, it is used in the same meaning as the verb to ask, only it is more polite:
Emotional (emphatic) requests are introduced by the verbs to implore to entreat to beseech (умолять).
The verb to urge introduces a request made with great insistence. It corresponds to the Russian настаивать, уговаривать.
As is seen from the above examples, in converting requests beginning with the emphatic do, we use the verbs to implore, to entreat, to beseech, to urge. § 6. Indirect offers, suggestions, and advice. When converting offers and suggestions into indirect speech, we use the verbs to offer and to suggest. There is a difference between these two verbs, though both are rendered in Russian by ‘предложить’: the person who makes an offer intends to do the action himself, and the action is an act of kindness. A suggestion may also be an act of kindness, but not necessarily; the person who makes a suggestion may or may not intend to do the action himself.
N o t e. — If the verb to suggest is followed by a subordinate clause. The predicate of the subordinate clause is expressed by a verb in the analytical form of the Subjunctive Mood with the auxiliary should. Sentences expressing advice are converted into indirect speech by means of the verb to advise.
§ 7. Indirect exclamations. When exclamations are converted into indirect speech, it is not so much the verb as the adverbial modifier which shows the character of the exclamation — whether it expresses joy, sorrow, surprise, etc.
§ 8. Greetings and leave-taking in indirect speech. When converting greetings and leave-taking into indirect speech, we use such verbs as to greet, to welcome, etc.
Chapter XX PUNCTUATION |