Reported speech / Discorso indireto

If we want to report what another person has said, we usually do not use the exact words the speaker used (direct speech), but we report the sentence using the indirect speech. This is why we need to learn how to transform direct speech into reported speech. The structure is a little different depending on whether you want to transform a statement, question or request.

Statements
direct speech                          "I speak English."                                  "Mi parlo inglexe."
indirect speech (no backshift) He said/says (that) he speaks English. El ga dito/dixe che el parla inglexe
indirect speech (backshift)      He said (that) he spoke English.           El ga dito che el parlava inglexe.


Questions
W/ interrogative
direct speech               "Why don't you speak English?"         "Parché no te parli inglexe?"
indirect speech       He asked me why I didn't speak English.   El me ga domandà parché no parlo inglexe.
W/o interrogative
direct speech               "Do you speak English?"                    "Parlito inglexe?"
indirect speech            He asked me if I spoke English.           El me ga domandà se parlavo inglexe. 

Requests

direct speech           "John, speak English please."                  "Jani, parla inglexe par piasere."

indirect speech         He told John to speak English.                El ghe ga dito/domandà a Jani de parlare inglexe.

Advise expressions with must, should and ought are usually reported using advise / urge.

“You must read that book.“ (He told me I had to read that book.) He advised / urged me to read that book.

"Te ghè da lexare chel libro." (El me ga dito che go da lexare chel libro.) El me ga consejà de lexare chel libro.

The expression let’s is usually reported using suggest. In this case, there are various possibilities for reported speech: gerund or statement with should.

“Let’s go to the cinema tonight.“

He suggested going to the cinema tonight. He suggested that we should go.to the cinema tonight.

"Ndemo al cinema stasera! / Sarìa da ndare al cinema stasera!"

El ga sujerìo de ndare al cinema stasera. El ga dito che sarìa da ndare al cinema stasera.

Exceptions

Backshift of Simple Present is optional if the situation is still unchanged or if you agree with the original speaker.

“Milan is the capital of Italy.“ She said that Milan is / was the capital of Italy.

"Miłan xe ła capitałe de l'Italia." ła ga dito che Miłan xe ła capitałe de l'Italia.

Backshift of Simple Past and Past Progressive is optional if they cannot be mistakenly taken for backshift of Present Tense. So backshift is not necessary if there is a time expression indicating past.

“She left Treviso on Monday.“ He said that she left / had left Boston on Monday.

"ła ga łasà Trevixo luni." El ga dito che ła ga łasà Trevixo luni.

Simple Past and Past Progressive do not normally change in sentences with when / if.

“When I was having breakfast, the telephone suddenly rang.“ He said that when she was having breakfast, the telephone suddenly rang.

Fin che jero drìo fare cołasion el tełefono ga sonà de colpo." El ga dito che fin che el jera drìo fare cołasion el tełefono ga sonà de colpo.

“If I had more time, I would learn French.“ He said that if he had more time, he would learn French.

"Se gavese pì tenpo, inpararìa el françexe". El ga dito che se el gavese pì tenpo el inpararìa el françexe.

Example text:

I remember when I was a child, while driving me to a new school on the first day, my mother advised me always to listen to teachers. She said I could learn many things from them if I paid attention, that they were there for me, and that it would be a shame not to take advantage of them because there are many children in the world who don't have this possibility. She told me I had to respect my classmates anyway, even if they were stupid or rude, and to use only words to react even if they pissed me off because little man defend their ideas with words and when you use your hands you always go the wrong way. She said Granny had told her the same things when she was a little girl and that those tips had really helped her and would help me too, and that's how it went! Those tips really did help me to act like a little man and I will surely report that concept to my son!

Me ricordo co jero puteło, fin che ła me portava so' na scoła nova par el primo dì, me mare me gà avixà de star senpre atento ai profesori. ła ga dito che podevo inparare tante robe da łori se stavo atento, che łori jera łà par mi, e che sarìa stà un pecà no profitare parché ghe xe tanti putełi nel mondo che no ga sta posibiłità. ła me ga dito che gavevo da rispetare i me conpagni de clase in ogni caxo, anca se łi jera stupidi o agresivi, e de doparare soło che łe parołe pa' reasionare anca se łi me dava fastidio parché i ometi defende łe so idee co łe parołe e co se dopara łe man se pasa senpre dała parte del torto. ła ga dito che ła nona ghe gaveva dito łe stese robe co' ła jera puteła e che chełi sujerimenti ła gaveva davero jutà e łi me gavarìa jutà anca mi, e cusì xe stà! Chełi conseji me ga davero jutà a conportarme come un ometo e desicuro ghe ripetarò sto conceto a me fioło!