STYLE INDIRECT -REPORTED SPEECH

On l’utilise pour rapporter les paroles de quelqu’un . Lorsque le verbe qui introduit l’énoncé ( say/tell) est au passé , des changements se produisent, notamment des changements de temps.

I) ENONCES DECLARATIFS

Ils sont introduits par les verbes TO SAY TO TELL TO REMARK TO NOTICE. After reading this page, do the following exercises: click here

Attention ! ! :SAY doit être suivi de TO ou peut n’être suivi de rien :

He said to me that he was tired. He said that he was tired.

TELL doit obligatoirement être suivi d’un complément : He told me that he was tired .

STYLE DIRECT	STYLE INDIRECT
He said : « I am happy »	He said that he was happy
He told me : « I bought a computer yesterday /last week »	He told me that he had bought a computer the day before/the week before
She said : »I was wearing a coat »	She said that she was wearing a coat
He told us : « I have bought a computer »	He told us that he had bought a computer
He said : »Tomorrow I’ll buy a computer	he said that the day after/the next day, he would buy a computer
He said : « If I had the time, I would help you »	He said that if he had the time, he would help me.
He told me : « You must wear this shirt »	He told me that I had to wear that shirt.
He told them : »You needn’t come. »	He told them that they didn’t have/need to come

II) QUESTIONS

Les mêmes changements de temps de produisent. De plus,

· il n’y a plus de points d’interrogation.

· La construction interrogative du verbe devient une construction de type affirmatif

· Le verbe qui introduit la question doit devenir un verbe de sens interrogatif

(ASK WONDER INQUIRE..)

A-Questions comportant un pronom interrogatif

« Where did you buy your dress ? » she said to my sister.	She asked my sister where she had bought her dress.
He asked me : « How old are you ? »	He asked me how old I was.

B-Yes or No questions

Dans ce cas, il faut introduire IF ou WHETHER au style indirect

He asked her : »Do you live here ? »	He asked her if/whether she lived there
He asked me : « Did you buy it here ? »	he asked me whether I had bought it there

III) ORDRES

On emploie un verbe exprimant l’ordre ou la requête : TELL ASK ORDER. Lorsqu’il s’agit d’une

défense, le verbe se met à l’infinitif négatif

« Show me your book ! » he said to me	He told me to show him my book
« Don’t park here ! » he said	He asked me not to park there