Indirect Speech (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Indirect speech
Overview
Indirect speech (el estilo indirecto) allows you to convey what another person said, asked, or thought without using their exact words. This structure is essential for writing and listening tasks at A-Level. When using indirect speech, you must adjust verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions to match the new context.
Direct vs indirect speech
Understanding the difference between these two forms is the foundation of mastering indirect speech.
Direct speech
Direct speech repeats the speaker's exact words, typically shown with quotation marks.
Example:
- Dijo: «Estoy cansado». (He said: "I am tired.")
In this sentence, the speaker's exact words appear in quotation marks.
Indirect speech
Indirect speech reports the message without quotation marks. The verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions change to fit the reporting context.
Example:
- Dijo que estaba cansado. (He said that he was tired.)
In Spanish, the word que (that) introduces the indirect statement. This is crucial: Spanish requires "que" in nearly all indirect speech constructions, even when "that" might be optional in English.
Introducing indirect speech
Reporting verbs
Several verbs introduce indirect speech. Learn these common ones:
- decir (to say)
- afirmar (to state)
- explicar (to explain)
- preguntar (to ask)
- pensar (to think)
- contar (to tell)
Using "que"
After the reporting verb, use que to introduce the indirect statement.
Using "que" after reporting verbs:
Explicó que no tenía tiempo. (He explained that he didn't have time.)
Breakdown: "explicó" is the reporting verb, followed by "que" and the reported information with the verb "tenía" (had) in the imperfect tense.
Think of que as the KEY to indirect speech - it almost always connects the reporting verb to the reported information.
Tense changes (sequence of tenses)
When the reporting verb is in the past, the tense of the reported speech typically moves one step back in time.
Main tense shifts
| Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
| present | imperfect |
| preterite | pluperfect |
| present perfect | pluperfect |
| future | conditional |
| conditional | conditional perfect |
"One Step Back" Rule:
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, all verb tenses in the reported speech shift one step backward in time. This is the fundamental rule of Spanish indirect speech.
Examples with explanations
Present → Imperfect:
«Vivo aquí» → Dijo que vivía aquí.
("I live here" → He said that he lived there.)
Explanation: The present tense "vivo" becomes imperfect "vivía" because the reporting verb "dijo" is in the past.
Present perfect → Pluperfect:
«He terminado» → Dijo que había terminado.
("I have finished" → He said that he had finished.)
Explanation: The present perfect "he terminado" shifts to pluperfect "había terminado".
Future → Conditional:
«Vendré mañana» → Dijo que vendría al día siguiente.
("I will come tomorrow" → He said that he would come the next day.)
Explanation: The future tense "vendré" becomes conditional "vendría". Notice also that "mañana" changes to "al día siguiente".
Important exception
Present Reporting Verb = No Tense Change
If the reporting verb is in the present tense, no tense change is required in the reported speech.
Example: Dice que vive aquí. (He says that he lives here.)
Here, "dice" (present) is the reporting verb, so "vive" (present) remains unchanged.
Indirect questions
Reporting questions requires special attention to structure and word order.
Yes/no questions
Yes/no questions in indirect speech are introduced by si (if/whether).
Yes/No Question Transformation:
«¿Vienes?» → Preguntó si venía.
("Are you coming?" → He asked if/whether I was coming.)
Explanation: The direct question becomes an indirect statement using "si", and the verb tense shifts from present "vienes" to imperfect "venía".
Remember: SI for yes/no questions - Use "si" whenever reporting a question that could be answered with "yes" or "no".
Information questions
For questions with question words (qué, dónde, cuándo, cómo, etc.), the question word remains in the indirect speech, but:
- Remove question marks
- Use normal word order (no inversion)
- Keep the accent on the question word
Information Question Transformations:
¿Dónde vives? → Preguntó dónde vivía.
("Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.)
¿Qué hiciste? → Quiso saber qué había hecho.
("What did you do?" → He wanted to know what I had done.)
Key point: Notice that "dónde" and "qué" retain their written accents in indirect speech.
Pronoun and time expression changes
Pronouns
Pronouns must change to reflect the new speaker's perspective. The perspective shifts from the original speaker to the person reporting the speech.
Pronoun Perspective Shifts:
«Me gusta» → Dijo que le gustaba.
("I like it" → He said that he liked it.)
Explanation: The pronoun "me" (to me) changes to "le" (to him/her) because the perspective has shifted.
«Te llamaré» → Dijo que lo llamaría.
("I will call you" → He said that he would call him.)
Explanation: The pronoun "te" (you) changes to "lo" (him) to match the new perspective.
Time and place expressions
Time and place words must also adjust to fit the reporting context.
| Direct speech | Indirect speech |
|---|---|
| hoy (today) | ese día (that day) |
| mañana (tomorrow) | al día siguiente (the next day) |
| ayer (yesterday) | el día anterior (the day before) |
| aquí (here) | allí (there) |
| ahora (now) | entonces (then) |
Time Expression Changes:
«Vengo mañana» → Dijo que vendría al día siguiente.
("I'm coming tomorrow" → He said that he would come the next day.)
Explanation: The time expression "mañana" becomes "al día siguiente" in the indirect version.
Indirect speech and the subjunctive
When the reporting verb expresses commands, requests, advice, or wishes, use the subjunctive mood in the indirect speech.
Commands in Indirect Speech:
«Ven» → Le dijo que viniera.
("Come" → He told him to come.)
Explanation: The imperative "ven" (come) becomes the imperfect subjunctive "viniera" in indirect speech.
«No hables» → Le pidió que no hablara.
("Don't speak" → He asked him not to speak.)
Explanation: The negative command "no hables" becomes "no hablara" (imperfect subjunctive) after the verb "pidió" (asked).
Common mistakes and tips
Avoid These Frequent Errors:
1. Forgetting "que" after reporting verbs
- ❌ Incorrect: Dijo estaba cansado.
- ✅ Correct: Dijo que estaba cansado.
Always include "que" after the reporting verb.
2. Keeping original tenses after a past reporting verb
- ❌ Incorrect: Dijo que está cansado.
- ✅ Correct: Dijo que estaba cansado.
Remember the tense must shift back when the reporting verb is past.
3. Using question marks in indirect questions
- ❌ Incorrect: Preguntó ¿dónde vivía?
- ✅ Correct: Preguntó dónde vivía.
Indirect questions do not use question marks.
4. Not adjusting time expressions
- ❌ Incorrect: Dijo que vendría mañana.
- ✅ Correct: Dijo que vendría al día siguiente.
Time expressions must change to match the reporting context.
5. Omitting "si" in yes/no indirect questions
- ❌ Incorrect: Preguntó venía.
- ✅ Correct: Preguntó si venía.
Always use "si" to introduce yes/no questions in indirect speech.
Example sentences with detailed explanations
Example 1: Statement with tense change
Direct: «Estoy cansado».
Indirect: Dijo que estaba cansado. (He said that he was tired.)
Explanation: The present tense "estoy" shifts to imperfect "estaba" because the reporting verb "dijo" is past. The pronoun stays the same because both refer to the same person.
Example 2: Yes/no question
Direct: «¿Has terminado?»
Indirect: Preguntó si había terminado. (He asked if I had finished.)
Explanation: The yes/no question uses "si" in indirect speech. The present perfect "has terminado" becomes pluperfect "había terminado" due to the past reporting verb "preguntó".
Example 3: Information question with time change
Direct: «Vendré mañana».
Indirect: Dijo que vendría al día siguiente. (He said that he would come the next day.)
Explanation: The future tense "vendré" becomes conditional "vendría", and "mañana" changes to "al día siguiente" to fit the reporting context.
Example 4: Command with subjunctive
Direct: «Ven».
Indirect: Le dijo que viniera. (He told him to come.)
Explanation: Commands in indirect speech require the subjunctive mood. The imperative "ven" becomes imperfect subjunctive "viniera" after the reporting verb "dijo".
Exam tips
Maximise Your Exam Performance:
- Check the reporting verb first: Identify whether it's present or past to determine if tense changes are needed.
- Memorise time expression changes: These transformations appear frequently in listening and translation tasks.
- Watch for indirect questions: They commonly appear in exams. Remember to use "si" for yes/no questions and keep accents on question words.
- Show grammatical control: Accurate use of indirect speech demonstrates advanced Spanish skills and can earn higher marks.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Spanish indirect speech almost always requires que after the reporting verb.
- When the reporting verb is past, shift verb tenses one step back (present → imperfect, future → conditional, etc.).
- Yes/no indirect questions use si, while information questions keep the question word but drop question marks and inversion.
- Pronouns and time expressions must change to match the new speaker's perspective.
- Use the subjunctive when reporting commands, requests, advice, or wishes.