Quoted / Reported Speech
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Reported speech
Who said or thought it?
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advanced
Information structure
Significado
A structure that reports speech, thought, belief, command, or question directly or indirectly.
Como identificar
Ask whose words or thoughts are being represented.
Exemplos
Palavras
said|told|asked|thought|quoted
Frases
he said that|she asked if|according to him
Frase
She said that she was tired.
Visual guide
Basic shape
SPEAKER / THINKER
She said [that she was tired].
[reported thought]
Ask: whose words?
→ She represents them.
Compare shape
Direct quote: She said, "I am tired." Indirect report: She said [that she was tired]. Check shifts: I→she, am→was.
Vista por língua
Na tua língua
Portuguese (Brazilian)
Presença
strong
Importância
Reported speech uses dizer que, falar que, perguntar se, tense shifts, and indirect question patterns.
Pedro disse que vinha.
Pedro said that he was coming.
Na língua que estás a aprender
Japanese
Presença
strong
Dificuldade
Reported speech commonly uses the quotative particle と and speech verbs.
彼女は疲れたと言った。
She said that she was tired.
Dificuldade comum de quem aprende
Learners may omit と or mishandle tense and politeness inside quoted content.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.