Complex Direct and Indirect Discourse

In Portuguese, there are situations where we need to express someone else's speech or thoughts in a different form. This can happen when we want to change from indirect to direct discourse or vice versa. It involves modifying pronouns and verb tenses to accurately represent the original message.

1. Indirect Discourse

Indirect discourse is used when we want to report what someone else said, thought, or asked. It is commonly introduced by verbs such as "disse" (said), "perguntou" (asked), or "pensou" (thought).

a. Subject Pronouns

When reporting what someone said, we need to adjust the subject pronouns accordingly. Here's a guide to the pronoun changes:

Direct Discourse	Indirect Discourse
Eu (I)	Ele(a) (he/she)
Tu (you)	Ele(a) (he/she)
Ele (he)	Ele (he)
Ela (she)	Ela (she)
Nós (we)	Eles(as) (they)
Vós (you)	Eles(as) (they)
Eles (they)	Eles (they)
Elas (they)	Elas (they)

b. Verb Tense Changes

To correctly represent the original statement, we need to adjust the verb tenses. When changing to indirect discourse, the most common shifts are:

Direct Discourse	Indirect Discourse
Present tense	Imperfect past tense
Present perfect tense	Pluperfect past tense
Future (simple or perfect)	Conditional (simple or perfect)
Imperative form	Infinitive form
Future subjunctive	Imperfect subjunctive or personal infinitive

It's important to note that these are general guidelines, and the choice of verb tense in indirect discourse depends on the original context and meaning of the sentence.

2. Direct Discourse

Direct discourse is used when we want to accurately quote someone's speech or thoughts. It is typically represented in quotation marks and needs to preserve the original pronouns and verb tenses used by the speaker.

a. Quotation Marks

In Portuguese, we use "aspas" (quotation marks) to indicate direct discourse. They should be placed before and after the quoted words or sentences.

b. Verb Tense Preservation

When quoting someone directly, we need to maintain the original verb tenses used by the speaker. This includes verb conjugations and auxiliary verbs. Additionally, we keep the original subject pronouns unchanged.

Example:

Let's illustrate the transformation from indirect to direct discourse with an example:

Indirect Discourse: Ele disse que estava cansado. (He said that he was tired.)

Direct Discourse: Ele disse: "Estou cansado." (He said, "I am tired.")

In this example, we changed the verb tense from "estava" (imperfect past tense) to "estou" (present tense), and we preserved the subject pronoun "ele" (he) in the direct discourse.

By understanding these rules, you'll be able to express yourself smoothly in situations requiring a change from indirect to direct discourse. Practice using different verb tenses and pronouns to reinforce your understanding.