Estilo directo

presente simple

Estilo indirecto
resultante

>

presente continuo

pasado simple

>

pasado continuo

presente perfecto
simple >

pasado perfecto simple

presente perfecto
continuo >

pasado perfecto continuo

pasado simple

pasado continuo

>

pasado perfecto simple

>

pasado perfecto continuo

pasado perfecto
simple >

pasado perfecto simple

pasado perfecto continuo

>

pasado perfecto continuo

will

would

>

shall

>

can

should

>

could

could

>

could

would

>

would

must

>

should

may

might

must / had to

>

should

>

might

>

might

El "estilo indirecto" es una estructura que se emplea para

repetir lo que alguien ha anteriormente dicho ("estilo directo"):
John: "My name is John" (estilo directo)
(Mi nombre es John.)
He said (that*) his name was John (estilo indirecto)
(Dijo que su nombre era John.)
*se puede omitir "that".

Observamos que despus del verbo "said" que est en pasado,

es muy natural continuar el resto de la frase en el tiempo
pasado: "...his name was John". Esto no significa que John ya
no se llama John, se dice as por razones de una concordancia
de tiempos en la frase: "said" y "was".
Claro est, si todava John se llama John, no podemos
rechazar la frase:
He said that his name is John.
(Dijo que su nombre es John.)
...que tambin es correcta.
Consideremos la frase enunciada hace una semana:
Mary: "I am going to Madrid."
(Voy a Madrid.)
Si una semana ms tarde repetimos lo que dijo Mary, ahora se
debe utilizar el verbo en el pasado porque la accin ya no
puede referirse al presente sino a siete das antes:
Mary said that she was going to Madrid.
(Mary dijo que iba a Madrid.)

Un tiempo ms all en el pasado.

Veamos que "I'm going" en el estilo directo pasa a "I was going"
en el estilo indirecto. Todos los tiempos pasan a uno ms
atrs en el pasado. En el ejemplo de arriba, el tiempo cambia
de presente continuo a pasado continuo.
En el ejemplo siguiente, apreciamos como presente
perfecto pasa a pasado perfecto:

Dave: I have seen that film.

(He visto esa pelcula.)
Dave said that he had seen that film.
(Dijo Dave que haba visto esa pelcula.)
En el caso de que no se puede ir ms all en el pasado, se
repite el mismo tiempo verbal:
Mike: I had been there.
(Yo haba estado all.)
He said that he had been there.
(Dijo que haba estado all.)
Otras palabras que cambian.
Consideremos otras palabras que cambiarn en el estilo
indirecto si nos referimos a las acciones pasadas:
I'm going tomorrow.
(Voy maana.)
He said he was going the next day (o "the following day").
(Dijo que iba el da siguiente.)
I'm playing football next week.
(Voy a jugar al ftbol la semana que viene.)
He said he was playing football the following week.
(Dijo que iba jugar al ftbol la semana despus.)
I went last week.
(Fui la semana pasada.)
He said he had gone the week before.
(Dijo que haba ido la semana anterior.)

Y si tambin nos hemos desplazado en el espacio, es decir, ya

no estamos en el mismo sitio en el que se dijo la frase original,
hay que tambin cambiar las palabras que se refieren al sitio:
I like it here.
(Me gusta estar aqu.)
He said that he liked it there.
(Dijo que le gustaba estar all.)

Palabras que cambian en el estilo

indirecto.

here

this

>

>

there

that

these

>

those

today

>

that day

tomorrow

>

the following day

yesterday

>

the day before

next week

>

the following week

last week

now

>

the week before

>

two days ago

then

>

two days before

Estilo indirecto y los verbos modales.

Los verbos modales, en algunos casos, tambin tienen su
forma pasada que se aplica cuando empleamos el estilo
indirecto:

I can speak English.

(S hablar ingls.)
He said that he could speak English.
(Dijo que saba hablar ingls.)
I'll see you next week.
(Te ver la semana que viene.)
She said that she would see him the following week.
(Dijo que le vea la semana siguiente.)

Estilo indirecto y las preguntas "cerradas".

Ahora consideremos esta pregunta:
Is your name John?
(Te llamas Juan?)
Una pregunta en el estilo indirecto que exige la respuesta "s" o
"no" (pregunta cerrada) debe llevar la palabra "if" (si), es decir,
queremos saber si la respuesta es "s" o "no":
She asked him if his name was John.
(Le pregunt si su nombre era Juan.)

Preguntas "abiertas" y la inversin.

Preguntas abiertas que no piden un "s" o "no", es decir,
preguntas que llevan palabras como: what?, when?, why?,
who?, which?, how?, whose?, where?, how much? , what
time?, etc. se estructuran con inversin (normalmente) entre
sujeto y auxiliar o verbo "to be" en el estilo directo y sin
inversin en estilo indirecto:
What is your name?
(Cul es tu nombre?)
She asked what his name was (y no, ...what was his name).
(Le pregunt cul era su nombre.)

How much are the potatoes?

(Cunto cuestan las patatas?)
They asked how much the potatoes were (y no, ...how much
were the potatoes).
(Preguntaron cunto costaban las patatas.)
Where can we go?
(Dnde podemos ir?)
He asked where they could go (y no, ...where could they go).
(Pregunt dnde podan ir.)
When did you see that film?
(Cundo viste esa pelcula?)
She asked when he had seen that film. (y no, ...where had he
seen that film).
(Le pregunt cundo haba visto esa pelcula.)
Estilo indirecto y el imperativo.
Consideremos estas frases en el imperativo. Es comn el uso
de "told" + complemento indirecto en estas frases y
observamos que el verbo siguiente aparece en el infinitivo con
"to":
Go away!
(Vaya usted!)
She told him to go away.
(Le dijo que se fuese.)
Sit down and be quiet!
(Sintate y cllate!)
She told the child to sit down and (to) be quiet.
(Le dijo al nio que se sentase y que se callase.)

1. "The boss must sign the letter", Jean said.

2. "Our teacher will go to Madrid tomorrow", Emily said.
3. "I was writing a letter yesterday", Helen told me.
4. "Tim went to the Stadium yesterday", Peter said.
5. "My mother will celebrate her birthday next week", Pablo told me.
6. "John had already gone at six", David said.
7. "Are the boys reading a book?" Mandy asked me.
8. "Where are you playing football today?", Jennifer asked.
9. "Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?", Paul asked.
10.Where are my glasses? My grandmother asked me.
11."Clean the blue bike", Andrew told me.
12."Write a text message", Jessica told me.
13."Don't play football in the garden!", Karen told me.
14. "Don't forget to do your work!", the teacher told me.
15."It's raining," she said.
/15
1. He said to her, "I love you."
2. "I saw Mara in the supermarket yesterday," said Carlos.
3. "We've lived here for three years," he said.
4. "I'll bring a pasta salad," said Francesca.
5. "Mark's going to install solar panels," said Miranda.
6. "They found gold here," said the geology teacher.
7. "Jenny can't speak French," said Pierre.
8. "I first met my wife in Seville," he told us.
9. "I want your homework handed in by tomorrow," he said.
10."My mother made these cakes," said Juan.
/10
1. "I'm feeling tired now," said David.
2. John: "Mandy is at home."
3. Max: "Frank often reads a book."
4. Susan: "I'm watching TV."
5. Simon: "David was ill."
6. Peggy: "The girls helped in the house."
7. Richard: "I am going to ride a skateboard."
8. Stephen and Claire: "We have cleaned the windows."
9. Charles: "I didn't have time to do my homework."
10.Mrs Jones: "My mother will be 50 years old."
/10
1.
2.
3.
4.

Jean: "The boss must sign the letter."

Benjamin: "I often have a big hamburger."
Hannah: "They live in Boston."
Tyler: "Ian doesn't invite girls to his parties."

5. Dominic: "She understands Japanese."

6. Sophia: "Bella doesn't collect stickers."
7. Robert: "Dennis often downloads the latest tunes."
8. Olivia: "Leroy is out riding his new waveboard today."
9. Luke: "I don't know what to do."
10.Lily: "Mr Jones is rude to Samantha."
/10
1. James and David: "We have to go now."
2. Jacob: "I work in an office."
3. Ryan and Lucas: "We play football."
4. Victoria: "I like my cat."
5. Henry: "Can you see me?"
6. Julian: "I will have to borrow your pencil."
7. Melanie: "My father is Jamaican."
8. Emma and Doris: "Can we use your camera?"
9. Leah: "How is your journey?"
10.Isabella and Ella: "We love our pets."
/10
1. Grandmother: "Please bring me a cup of my tea."
2. Andrew: "Clean the blue bike!"
3. Jessica: "Write a text message!"
4. Nelly: "Help Peter's sister!"
5. Fred: "Wash your hands!"
6. Anna: "Open the window!"
7. Tom: "Come at 8!"
8. Teacher: "Do your homework!"
9. Doris: "Dance with me!"
10.Sabine: "Meet Sandy at the station!"
/10
1. Victoria: "Check your e-mails!"
2. Karen: "Don't play football in the garden!"
3. Teacher: "Don't forget your homework!"
4. Mike: "Don't shout at Peter!"
5. Yvonne: "Don't talk to your neighbour!"
6. Denise: "Don't open the door!"
7. Marcel: "Don't sing that song!"
8. Jane: "Don't watch the new film!"
9. Walter: "Don't ring Romy on Sunday!"
10.Lisa: "Don't fly via Paris!"
/10
1. Jamie: "Don't eat so much junk food!"
2. Christopher: "Do you want to dance?"
3. Betty: "When did you come?"
4. Mark: "Has John arrived?"
5. Ronald: "Where does Maria park her car?"
6. Elisabeth: "Did you watch the latest film?"
7. Mandy: "Can I help you?"
8. Andrew: "Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?"
9. Justin: "What are you doing?"
10.Frank: "How much pocket money does Lisa get?"
1. Anne: "Must I do the shopping?"
2. Mandy: "Are the boys reading the book?"
3. Jason: "Who gave you the laptop?"

/10

4. Robert: "Is Tim leaving on Friday?"

5. Daniel: "Will it rain tomorrow?"
6. Jennifer: "Where do you play football today?"
7. Nancy: "Why didn't Nick go to New York last summer?"
8. Barbara: "Must I do my homework this afternoon?"
9. Linda: "Did Max fly to London two weeks ago?"
10.Grandmother: "Where are my glasses?"
/10
1. A man: "When does the train to Liverpool leave?"
2. John: "Mandy is at home."
3. Max: "Frank often reads a book."
4. Susan: "I'm watching TV."
5. Simon: "David was ill."
6. Peggy: "The girls helped in the house."
7. Richard: "I am going to ride a skateboard."
8. Stephen and Claire: "We have cleaned the windows."
9. Charles: "I didn't have time to do my homework."
10.Mrs Jones: "My mother will be 50 years old."
/10
1. Jean: "The boss must sign the letter."
2. Emily: "Our teacher will go to Leipzig tomorrow."
3. Helen: "I was writing a letter yesterday."
4. Robert: "My father flew to Dallas last year."
5. Lisa: "Tim went to the stadium an hour ago."
6. Patricia: "My mother will celebrate her birthday next weekend."
7. Michael: "I am going to read a book this week."
8. Jason and Victoria: "We will do our best in the exams tomorrow."
9. Andrew: "We didn't eat fish two days ago."
10.Alice: "I spent all my pocket money on Monday."
/10
1. David: "John had already gone at six."
2. Tim: "She works in an office."
3. Jessica: "I am going to clean the room."
4. Jeff: "They like the song."
5. Ian and Marvin: "We need new shoes."
6. Kathy: "He can speak Spanish."
7. Teacher: "Rachel has never been to Philadelphia."
8. Lucy: "The train didn't arrive on time."
9. Emma: "I'm sitting on the chair."
10.Nick: "Walter doesn't eat meat."
1. Holly: "Abby and Nathan will travel to Alaska."
2. "What is the time?"- asked the parents.
3. "Cathererine, did you bring us the keys?"- asked the parents.
4. They are here in my pocket"- answered the girl.
5. "Make a copy, tomorrow"- they ordered.
6. "Where is the shop?"-asked the girl.
7. I am watching you-said the man
8. A)Tomorrow I will get my exam results-said Amanda

/10

B) Phone me when you get them-said Kevin to Amanda

C)Give me your phone number-said Amanda to him
D)Do you work in the morning?-asked Amanda to him
E)Dont worry about it!-said Kevin
F)Lets go for a cup of coffee!-said Kevin
9. I want to telephone to my office now.
10. I will write to you every day.
/10
1. I have never been here before.
2. I am flying to London tomorrow.
3. We must follow our friend's example.
4. My parents would like to visit Spain.
5. I bought a new car last year.
6. I don't like living here.
7. I need to work on my project today.
8. I haven't forgotten to call my mother.
9. They said, "We speak English."
10. Helen said, "I came to class early."
/10
1. Mario said, "I will work all day."
2. The children said, "We want to play."
3. She said, "I am a secretary."
4. Mr. Jones said, "I washed the car."
5. They said, "We didn't watch TV."
6. My mother said, "I'm cooking chicken for dinner."
7. He said, "I go to work on Fridays."
8. She said, "I won't read the article."
9. They asked, "Where are they from?"
10. Helen asked, "Where does he live?"
11. Mark asked, "Will they come to the party?"
12. The children asked, "Can we watch TV?"
13. She asked, "Did they like the dessert?"
14. Mrs. Jones asked, "Where did they go?"
15. They asked, "How is she?"
16. My sister asked, "What's she cooking for dinner?"
17. He asked, "Does she believe in ghosts?"
18.She asked, "When does she think he will arrive?

/18

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