Indirect Speech (Indirecte Rede) - Questions and Commands (B1)

Indirect speech (or reported speech) involves reporting what someone else said, asked, or commanded, without using their exact words. This often involves changes in pronouns, tense, word order, and time/place indicators.

1. Reporting Questions (Indirecte Vraag):

When reporting a question, the question mark is removed, and the word order typically changes to that of a subordinate clause (verb(s) move towards the end).

• Reporting Yes/No Questions:
• Use the conjunction of (if/whether).
• Structure: Reporting Verb + of + Subject + ... + Verb(s).
• Direct: Hij vroeg: "Heb je tijd?" (He asked: "Do you have time?")
• Indirect: Hij vroeg of ik tijd had. (He asked if I had time.) - Note the tense shift (present -> past) if the reporting verb is in the past.
• Direct: Ze vraagt: "Komt hij morgen?" (She asks: "Is he coming tomorrow?")
• Indirect: Ze vraagt of hij morgen komt. (She asks if he is coming tomorrow.) - No tense shift if reporting verb is present.

• Reporting Wh-Questions (wie, wat, waar, wanneer, waarom, hoe, welk(e)):
• Use the original question word as the conjunction.
• Structure: Reporting Verb + Question Word + Subject + ... + Verb(s).
• Direct: Hij vroeg: "Waar woon je?" (He asked: "Where do you live?")
• Indirect: Hij vroeg waar ik woonde. (He asked where I lived.) - Tense shift.
• Direct: Ze vraagt: "Wat wil je eten?" (She asks: "What do you want to eat?")
• Indirect: Ze vraagt wat ik wil eten. (She asks what I want to eat.) - No tense shift.

2. Reporting Commands/Requests (Indirect Bevel/Verzoek):

When reporting a command or request, use an infinitive construction, often introduced by om te or specific reporting verbs.

• Using om te + Infinitive:
• Common with reporting verbs like zeggen (to say), vragen (to ask/request).
• Structure: Reporting Verb + (Person Commanded) + om + ... + te + Infinitive.
• Direct: De leraar zei: "Maak je huiswerk!" (The teacher said: "Do your homework!")
• Indirect: De leraar zei om ons huiswerk te maken. (The teacher told us to do our homework.)
• Direct: Ze vroeg: "Help me alsjeblieft!" (She asked: "Help me please!")
• Indirect: Ze vroeg (mij) om haar te helpen. (She asked me to help her.)

• Using Modal Verbs (e.g., moeten, mogen):
• Often used when reporting commands implying obligation or permission.
• Structure: Reporting Verb + dat + Subject + ... + Modal Verb (conjugated) + Infinitive.
• Direct: De dokter zei: "U moet rusten." (The doctor said: "You must rest.")
• Indirect: De dokter zei dat ik moest rusten. (The doctor said that I had to rest.) - Tense shift.
• Direct: Mijn moeder zegt: "Je mag niet te laat thuiskomen." (My mother says: "You may not come home too late.")
• Indirect: Mijn moeder zegt dat ik niet te laat thuis mag komen. (My mother says that I may not come home too late.) - No tense shift.

Key Considerations (B1):

• Tense Shift: If the reporting verb (e.g., zei, vroeg) is in a past tense, the tense in the reported clause often shifts back (Present -> Past, Past -> Past Perfect). If the reporting verb is present, the tense usually stays the same.
• Pronoun Changes: Pronouns often change depending on who is reporting and who is being reported (e.g., ik might become hij/zij, jij might become ik).
• Time/Place Adverbs: Words like hier (here), nu (now), vandaag (today), morgen (tomorrow) might change to daar (there), toen (then), die dag (that day), de volgende dag (the next day), especially with past reporting verbs.

Understanding and using indirect speech correctly is vital for reporting conversations and understanding narrative texts at the B1 level.