Reported Speech [PDF]

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DISCOURS DIRECT/ DISCOURS INDIRECT Lorsqu'on veut rapporter les paroles de quelqu'un on peut s'y prendre de deux manières : a) entre guillemets He says, “Stop it!” Il dit : “Arrêtez ça !” She said, “I'm hungry.” Elle a dit : “J'ai faim.” b) en incluant ces propos dans une phrase : He's asking you to stop it. Il vous dit d'arrêter ça. She said she was hungry. Elle a dit qu'elle avait faim. La première solution (discours direct) est la plus simple et ne demande aucune modification des propos cités. Par contre, lorsqu'on cite indirectement, il faut procéder à un certain nombre de changements : c'est le discours indirect. La phrase qui contient une citation est une phrase complexe. Elle se décompose en deux parties : – la citation (ou proposition subordonnée) est coiffée par – une introduction (ou proposition principale) qui permet d'identifier la personne dont on rapporte les propos et de donner quelques informations sur les conditions dans lesquelles elle les a tenus. He protested that … I'm asking you if … She declared loudly that … They admit that … We'd like to know when … a) Transformations de VOCABULAIRE – Les expressions temporelles DIRECT

INDIRECT

• •

today tomorrow

• •

• • • • •

the day after tomorrow next week (month, year) yesterday the day before yesterday last month (week, year)

• • • • • •

•

two days ago

(on) that day the following/ next day the day after two days after/later the following week the day before, the previous day two days before/ previously the week before, the previous week two days before

– les marqueurs de personnes Attention, pensez à tous les marqueurs de personnes, en particulier à faire le choix entre his/her ou him/her. Remarquez que l'anglais ne procède pas au rejet du marqueur de personne après le verbe introductif. “What are you doing ?”, he asked. “Que faites-vous ?” demanda-t-il. YOU peut avoir un sens impersonnel (équivalent du “on” français). Dans ce cas, il disparaît à la forme indirecte, le verbe est à l'infinitif précédé de TO : “How do you switch it on ?” She asked me how to switch it on.

– Autre transformation : La transposition de THIS en THAT implique aussi un certain éloignement par rapport à celui qui parle. This du discours direct deviendra ainsi that dans le discours indirect. He said, “I can't do this exercise.” He said that he couldn't do that exercise. b) Transformations TEMPORELLES • Lorsque le verbe qui introduit les propos est au passé, il faut décaler le temps des verbes de la citation. Il suffit d'ajouter alors un degré de plus dans le passé lorsque c'est possible : He said : “I want to go to the hairdresser.” He said that he wanted to go to the hairdresser. • Mais : “I could go to Sicily,” he said. “Je pourrais aller en Sicile,” dit-il. He said he could go to Sicily. Il a dit qu'il pourrait aller en Sicile. Le porteur du temps, le modal could est saturé, et doit être suivi d'un infinitif. “could have gone” aurait une signification différente : “aurait pu aller”. • Attention, si les propos rapportés sont toujours vrais maintenant, pas de changement dans la subordonnée : She says, “I hate driving”. She says that she hates driving. She said (this morning) that she hates driving. DISCOURS DIRECT

DISCOURS INDIRECT

Présent “I hate driving”

Prétérit He said that he hated driving.

Prétérit “Tom went back to the States”

Past perfect (had + participe passé) She said that Tm had gone back to the States.

Present perfect 'I've never liked poetry.”

Past perfect She said (that) she had never liked poetry.

Will +verbe “They will meet at 8 p.m.”

Would + verbe He said (that) they would meet at 8 p.m.

Impératif “Don't write on the tables !”

To + verbe She told them not to write on the tables.

Lorsqu'on rapporte des propos juste après qu'ils ont été prononcés, il est plus courant d'utiliser le présent avec -ING pour le verbe introductif : “Why are you here ?” ] He's asking you why you are here. •

• Le présent peut renvoyer à l'avenir : What time do you leave ? Il faudra alors garder une trace explicite de ce renvoi à l'avenir dans la transposition au passé, en utilisant une forme avec -ING : ]They asked me what time I was leaving. Ils m'ont demandé à quelle heure je partais / partirais. •

Notez que have got repoussé d'un cran dans le passé donne soit had got

(language parlé) soit had (language plus soutenu). He said he'd got a new car. / He said he had a new car. c) Transformations générales • Les opérateurs THAT ou O constituent le lien entre la proposition principale (ou introduction de la citation) et la citation. Dans la langue parlée, on emploie plus facilement O • TELL et SAY : SAY + quelque chose : He said (that) he was ready. TELL + quelqu'un + quelque chose : He told me (that) he was ready. La construction “say to + quelqu'un + quelque chose” est rarement employée dans l'introduction, elle s'emploie plutôt en fin de phrase : That's what he said to me. • AUTRES VERBES INTRODUCTEURS : DIRE QUESTION, ORDRE, DEMANDE, admit : admettre ask : demander CONSEIL answer : répondre enquire : se renseigner advise : conseiller declare : déclarer want to know : vouloir ask : demander mention : mentionner savoir forbid : interdire wonder : se demander point out : signaler order : ordonner state : affirmer warn : avertir tell : dire / ordonner

command : ordonner insist : insister request : demander beg : prier implore : implorer encourage : encourager suggest : suggérer

d) Transformations de L'ORDRE DES MOTS • QUESTIONS – yes/ no questions (=questions fermées) : opérateur de liaison : IF ou WHETHER ordre des mots : celui d'une phrase affirmative “Are you working hard ?” she asked. She asked us if we were working hard. do/did disparaissent : “Do you want to play ?” he asked. He asked (me) if I wanted to play. Mais don't/ didn't restent : “Why don't the banks open on Sundays ?” she asked. She asked why the banks didn't open on Sunday. – WH- questions (= questions ouvertes) - opérateur de liaison : mot interrogatif - ordre des mots : celui d'une phrase affirmative “What are you doing ?” he asked. He asked us what we were doing. “Where is the dog ?” “When will you be free ?” He asked where the dog was. He's asking (you) when you will be free. • – – –

ORDRES, DEMANDES ET CONSEILS opérateur de liaison : TO / NOT TO le verbe cité reste à l'infinitif l'ordre des mots est conservé

“Open your mouth.” He ordered me to open my mouth. “Don't ask me !” She told me not to ask her. – introduits par LET'S “Let's go away in August!” He suggests going away in August. He suggests (that) we should go away in August. He suggests (that) we go away in August. A la forme négative, not se place devant le verbe en -ING : He suggests not going away in August. • EXCLAMATIONS introduites par HOW ou WHAT – La citation est introduite par EXCLAIM ou SAY – THAT opère la liaison He exclaimed that it was awful. NEGATIVES IN REPORTING To report what somebody didn't say or think, we make the reporting verb negative: He didn't tell me how he would get to London. If we want to report a negative sentence, then we normally report this in the reported clause: “You're right, it isn't a good idea.” He agreed that it wasn't a good idea. However, with some verbs, to report a negative sentence we make the verb in the reporting clause negative instead: “I'm sure it's not dangerous.”— She didn't think it was dangerous, (rather than She thought it wasn't dangerous.) Other verbs like this include believe, expect, feel, intend, plan, propose, suppose, want. PAST OR PRESENT ? When we use a past tense in the reporting clause we can use either a present or past tense (or present perfect or past perfect) in the that-clause: • She argued that Carl is/was the best person for the job. • He said that he is/was living in Oslo. • I told Rosa that I don't/didn't like going to parties. • They noted that the rate of inflation has/had slowed down. Choosing a present tense (or present perfect) in the that-clause emphasises that the situation being reported still exists or is still relevant when we report it. If we want to show we are not sure that what we are reporting is necessarily true, or that a situation may not still exist now, we prefer a past rather than a present tense: •

Sarah told me that she has two houses. (= might suggest that this is the case)

•

Sarah told me that she had two houses. (= might suggest either that this is perhaps

not true, or that she once had two houses but doesn't have two houses now)

DISCOURS DIRECT/ DISCOURS INDIRECT EXERCISES Exercise 1 : SAY or TELL ? 1. I called him and …......... him I would be glad to see him whenever he wanted. 2. “Patrick?”she …............., “May I come in ?” 3. “That is our dream,”she …............... “To …............ you the truth, if he were just working here, that dream would never come true.” 4. He …............ that he was going back to New York and that he could wait a week for her answer. 5. “What are you …................. ? You mean you dream about getting away ?” “Well, let's …............it is a dream.” “So …........... me.” Exercise 2 : Complete the sentences with the following verbs. Use the past tense (the preterite) remark – enquire – want to know – suggest – confirm – ask – advise – forbid – encourage 1. He …................... when the train would arrive. 2. She …................... there was little she could do about it. 3. Her parents were very strict : they …................. her to speak to him. 4. Linda …....................... that we should rent a car for the weekend. 5. She was perplexed and ….................... if it would be easy to reach a compromise. 6. They …........................... that they were dead certain they had never seen that man. 7. After reading my application letter carefully she …...................... me to shorten the last paragraph. 8. The teacher …....................... the students to look on the bright side of things and to keep going. 9. We looked a bit lost, so they kindly …......................... what we wanted. Exercise 2 : Change these sentences into reported speech. 1. “Do you know I'm getting married ?” He asked … 2. “How often do you go to the museum ?” She wanted to know … 3. “Do you think he'll sign the letter?” They asked ... 4. “Do I have to go to school this morning?” He asked … 5. “What is she like ?” He wondered ... 6. “How much do you make ?” They wanted to know … 7. “Why did you kill him?” She wondered … 8. “Where did you get it ?” You asked … 9. “When is he coming ?” They asked … 10. “How old are you ?” She wanted to know ... Exercise 3 : Report these orders using a introductory verb in the past tense. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

“Take my advice.” “Don't answer.” “Call the manager.” “Don't get worked up” “Leave me alone.” “Keep your fingers crossed.”

7. “Don't panic !” 8. “Let's stop beating about the bush.” 9. “Why don't we go to the concert .?” 10. “Don't worry, you'll manage.” Exercise 4 : Change these sentences into reported speech. 1. “I'll go along with that.” He said ... 2. “I've left my job.” Yesterday he told me that … 3. “You had good reasons to react.” They pointed out that … 4. “If you don't help us, I'll send those letters.” He mentioned that … 5. “I was awarded a scholarship to study at Oxford.” He explained that … 6. “Personally, I won't buy this idea.” She declared that … 7. “I've never liked action-packed movies.” She replied that … 8. “It's bound to happen.” You stated that … Exercise 5 : Vocabulary Underline the correct verb. If both are possible, underline them both. 1 She reassured/promised that she would pick me up at 5.00. 2 Sue reminded/warned me that it was Tim's birthday in two days' time. 3 My doctor advised/told that I should cut down on cakes and biscuits. 4 My neighbour informed/told me that there was a crack in the wall of my house. 5 Amy warned/told that I should be more careful. 6 The experience convinced/taught me that I needed to practise the violin more. 7 Bob convinced/advised that I should take a holiday. Exercise 6 : Vocabulary Complete the sentences with one of the following verbs and of, to, or with. In most cases more than one verb is possible. Verbs with to + prepositional object: admit, announce, complain, confess, explain, indicate, mention, point out, propose, recommend, report, say, suggest Verbs with with + prepositional object: agree, argue, check, confirm, disagree, plead Verbs with of + prepositional object: ask, beg, demand, require Example : 1 Liz ..suggested to us that we should come after lunch. 2 I …................................ Ann that we were free on Thursday evening. 3 The college …....................................... its students that they attend for five days a week. 4 She …...............................................me that she would be home late. 5 Tim …..................................me that we should spend the money on books for the school. 6 The general …....................................us that he had made serious mistakes in the battle. 7 It is …................................................... all staff that they should be at work by 8.30. 8 Miss Walsh …...........................................them that her decision was final.

Exercise 7 : Change the sentences into reported speech. Choose the most appropriate verb from the following list, using each verb once only, and choose an appropriate tense for the verb in the that-clause. If more than one answer is possible, give them both. alleged - announced - boasted - confessed - confirmed - moaned - protested 1 Sarah knew nothing about the weapons.' — She protested that she knew / had known nothing about the weapons. 2 'Oh,I'm too hot!'— He... 3 'I've found my keys!'— She... 4 'I easily beat everyone else in the race.' — She... 5 'The police forced me to confess.' — She... 6 'It's true, we're losing.' — She... 7 'I must say that at first I was confused by the question.' — She... Exercise 8 : If necessary, correct or make improvements to these sentences. If no changes are needed, put a tick. 1 He complained to the police his neighbours were noisy. 2 I thought I'd bought some biscuits, but I can't find them in the cupboard. 3 When the telephone rang, it reminded that I had promised to contact Sam today. 4 The teacher explained us that the exam would be different this year. 5 The shop assured me that the freezer would be delivered tomorrow. 6 I was able to persuade that we should go on holiday to Italy rather than Scotland. 7 The authorities warned the building was unsafe. 8 The old man got up and pleaded the soldiers that the village should be left in peace. 9 She reassured to her parents that she had no plans to leave university.

Exercise 9 : Underline the more likely verb. If both are possible, underline both. 1 Jim says that he goes/went to Majorca every Easter. 2 The President announced that the country is I was at war with its neighbour. 3 The researchers estimated that between five and ten people die I died each day from food poisoning. 4 The article said that the quality of wine in the north of the country has improved I had improved. 5 The study estimates that today's average pedestrian walks I walked at 2.5 miles per hour. 6 The company reports that demand for their loudspeakers is growing I was growing rapidly. 7 The owners claim that the gallery is I was still as popular as ever.

8 He reported to ministers that an agreement with the unions has been reached I had been reached.

Exercise 10 :

WRITING Rendez compte au discours indirect des prévisions pour l'an 2020 faites durant une émission de télévision. Choisissez parmi les verbes suivants : say predict foresee know insist state think presume forecast advise believe suppose 1. A new electric car will be put on the market. 2. Global temperature will rise by 3° C in general. 3. A cure will be found for AIDS. 4. An anti-ageing drug will be found. 5. The first tickets to visit a Space Station will go on sale. Make up your own predictions (two). WRITTEN EXPRESSION dialogue

TESTS Underline one or both. (A & Unit 45B) At the meeting last week Maureen announced that she is I was pregnant. Scientists often comment that there are I were no easy solutions in energy conservation. The firm warned that future investment depends I depended on interest rates. Everyone I know thinks that Derek is I was the best person to be club treasurer. I think we should choose him. Tony told me that you are looking I were looking for a new job. Most doctors agree that too much strong coffee is I was bad for you. EXERCISES UNIT 4 6 1234 56 46.2 Complete the sentences to report what was said. Use appropriate verb tenses and make other changes you think are necessary. The original statements were all made last week. (A and Unit 4SC) 1 'John left n e r e a n hour ago.' —> She tokL me thai John had left (or left) tiiere an hour before. (or previously) 2 'Jim's arriving at our house tomorrow.' —• She told. me... 3 'Pam visited us yesterday.' -» Slie told- me... 4 Twaslateforworkthismorning.'—•Shetoldme... 5 T like your coat. I'm looking for one like that myself.' —• She toUt me... Complete these sentences with either said or told. (C) 1 He that the grass needed cutting. 2 We've finally Don's parents that we're getting married. 3 My brother to me that she thought I was looking unwell. 4 Ann me that you're moving to Canada. 5 When David came back, he us all about his holiday. 6 On the news, they that there had been a big earthquake in Indonesia. 46.3 7 Mr Picker 8 My mother 9 They to the press that he was selling his company, but I don't believe him. me about the time she worked in a chocolate factory. to us that they were going to be a little late.