The Canadian Style
http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Institutional Links
-
Translation Bureau
Language Portal of Canada
-
TERMIUM Plus®
-
Chapters
- + Abbreviations
- + Hyphenation: Compounding and Word Division
- + Spelling
- + Capitalization
- + Numerical Expressions
- + Italics
- + Punctuation
- + Quotations and Quotation Marks
- + Reference Matter
- + Letters and Memorandums
- - Close Reports and Minutes
- Reports, General
- Preparation
- Format
- Letter of transmittal or preface
- Title page
- Table of contents
- Abstract or summary
- Introduction to report
- Findings and discussion
- Ending
- Appendixes
- Glossary
- References
- Illustrations
- Tables and graphs
- Headings
- Margins
- Spacing
- Pagination
- Underlining
- Mathematics in reports
- Minutes, General
- Agenda
- Model agenda
- Writing of minutes
- Indirect speech
- Model minutes
- + Usage
- + Plain Language
- + Elimination of Stereotyping in Written Communications
- + Geographical Names
- + Revision and Proofreading
- + French Typographical Rules
Proactive Disclosure
Important notice
The Canadian Style has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.
For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!
Search and Functionalities Area
11.26 Indirect speech
Bear in mind that minutes are a record of what was said at some point in the past. Therefore indirect (reported) speech is called for. This involves placing verbs in a past or conditional tense, if they express statements by persons at the meeting (e.g. said, not says; had forecast, not has forecast; would decide, not will decide).
However, the present or future forms of verbs may be used for general statements of fact not directly attributed to participants (e.g. Alberta requires a finance officer, in point 5 of the model minutes). In this example there is no specific source for the statement, other than the minute-writer. See 8.04 Indirect (reported) speech for more information on indirect speech.
© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2024
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
Writing tools – The Canadian Style
A product of the Translation Bureau
