Statements which give the thought of another in his own words are said to be direct quotations or direct discourse; for example:

1. John said, "I will come."

2. William writes, "The sleighing is excellent."

3. The order is, "Come at once."

4. The question is, Shall we go ?

Statements which give the substance of another's thought in a somewhat different form are said to be indirect quotations ox indirect discourse; for example:

5. John said that he would come.

6. William wrote that the sleighing was excellent.

7. The order was to come at once.

8. The question was whether we should go.

The change from direct to indirect discourse involves a change in person, usually in tense, and often in mood. Compare sentences 1 and 5, 2 and 6 above.

Note. Indirect discourse clauses, generally introduced by "that," may be used with verbs and other expressions of saying, telling, thinking, knowing, and perceiving.

Exercises

298. In the following sentences, classify the clauses:

1. What reply I should give him, was more than I knew.

2. Please tell me where I can find Mr. Hayden.

3. That is what I want.

4. The fact that he is wealthy should not protect him from just punishment.

5. He made the statement that he should not return to school.

6. Where is the man that was hurt ?

7. This is a picture of Eli Whitney, who invented the cotton gin.

8. I have brought the letters that we wrote last time.

9. I shall start as soon as the bell rings.

10. He was sure to be found where the danger was greatest.

11. If you will write me a letter of introduction, I shall be greatly obliged.

12. We could not work because the smoke was so thick.

299. Rewrite ten of the foregoing sentences, substituting for the dependent clauses either (1) phrases or (2) words.

800. Write sentences containing clauses that express (1) time, (2) place, (3) condition, (4) cause, (5) manner, (6) purpose, (7) degree, (8) concession, and (9) result. (See p. 175.) Be prepared to explain the syntax of each phrase and clause.

801. Turn the following statements into indirect discourse. Be careful of your tenses.

1. She is a lady. 2. You know my father. 3. You have known my father a long time. 4. We must be honest and straightforward. 5. They are all prompt and eager to begin work. 6. One can tell that those men are Americans. 7. Copy this work just as it stands on the board.

802. Turn the following statements into direct discourse. Be careful of your tenses.

1. My cousin thinks that he is a good writer.

2. The teacher thought that we did not like to read aloud.

3. I knew that those girls were loyal to the school.

4. As they unfolded their napkins, Mailing asked whether John had been in these rooms long.

5. After a pause, he said that few men know how terrible the face of truth can be.

6. He remarked that coffee seemed to wake up his mind and he would have another cup.

7. As she rose, Dorothea said that she had chatted a great deal and it was now time for her to go.

8. Looking at her with a grave appeal in his eyes, he said he did not believe that she would let any circumstance of his birth create a prejudice against him.

9. The child wondered why there were so many things his parents did not seem to understand.

10. The committee of a graduating class at Yale once went to a local jeweler with a commission for a class badge. They explained that they had in view a design representing a youthful graduate surveying the universe. The jeweler inquired about how large they would like the figure. In reply, the spokesman said that they thought the graduate ought to cover about three quarters of the badge and the universe the rest.

808. In class, change the following direct questions to indirect questions. (It may be convenient to introduce some of them by whether or if).

1. Why should a girl go to college ? 2. Should a girl's studies be the same as a boy's ? 3. Are you eighteen years old ? 4. How much snow fell yesterday ? 5. In what ways can pupils be taught to discover errors in their compositions ? 6. Am I to revise the theme and then rewrite it ?

304. Write the following direct commands as indirect commands. Use, for example, such introductory expressions as "We were ordered," "We were urged."

1. Stand erect. 2. Come before you are needed. 3. Work while you work. 4. Make hay while the sun shines. 5. When in Rome, do as Rome does.

805. In telling the incidents on pages 276-279, turn the direct discourse into indirect, and point out the difference in effect.