Reported Speech règle, exemples, exercices et tests

Reported speech utilisons

Nous l’utilisons pour rapporter les paroles de quelqu’un en en modifiant la forme afin qu’elles deviennent partie intégrante de votre texte, et non une citation directe.
Nous transformons le discours direct en discours indirect.

Reported speech Forme

Subject + reporting V, that subject + V (avec un changement de temps si nécessaire)

“I am tired”, she said. She said that she was tired.

Reported speech Règle

En anglais, le discours indirect ne s’écrit pas entre guillemets, contrairement au discours direct :

George said, “I am ready to dance with you.”

George said (that) he was ready to dance with me.

Reported speech Changements de temps

Discours direct (Direct speech)	Discours indirect (Reported speech)
Present Simple I know	Past Simple he said he knew
Present Continuous I am doing	Past Continuous he said he was doing
Present Perfect I have done	Past Perfect he said he had done
Past Simple I did	Past Perfect he said he had done
Past Continuous I was doing	Past Perfect Continuous he said he had been doing
Past Perfect I had done	Past Perfect I had done
Future (will) I will go	would he said he would go

❗ Quand le temps ne change pas

Vérités générales, faits, lois de la nature.
Si quelque chose est toujours vrai, le temps ne change pas :
The Earth moves around the Sun. He said that the Earth moves around the Sun.
Lorsque l’action est pertinente au moment de parler.
Si l’énoncé est toujours vrai maintenant.
I live in Paris. She said she lives in Paris. (parce qu’elle y habite toujours)
Si la subordonnée est au past continuous, le temps du verbe peut ne pas changer à l’oral.
He said, “I was playing football when she called me.”.
Il a dit : « Je jouais au football quand elle m’a appelé. ». He said that he was playing football when she called him.
Il a dit qu’il jouait au football quand elle l’a appelé.
Si le verbe introducteur est au présent
Avec says, tells, has said, il n’y a pas de changement de temps.
I’m busy. She says she is busy

Reported speech Verbes modaux

Les verbes modaux qui changent :

Discours direct (Direct speech)	Discours indirect (Reported speech)
will	would
can	could
may	might
shall	should
must (obligation)	had to
must (exprime un ordre ou un accord)	was to

He said, “I will help you.” He said (that) he would help me.

She said, “I can finish it today.” She said (that) she could finish it that day.

John said, “I may go to the party.” John said (that) he might go to the party.

I asked, “Shall we begin?” I asked if we should begin.

My mother said, “You must do your homework.” My mother said (that) I had to do my homework.

The officer said, “You must be there by 6.” The officer said (that) I was to be there by 6.

Les verbes modaux qui ne changent PAS
(n’ont pas de forme passée) :
could, should, would, might, ought to
“I could help you,” he said. He said he could help me.

“You should study more,” the teacher said. The teacher said I should study more.

“I would love to join you,” she said. She said she would love to join us.

“It might rain later,” John said. John said it might rain later.

“You ought to be more careful,” she said. She said I ought to be more careful.

Reported speech Pronoms

Les pronoms changent selon la personne qui parle et celle à qui les paroles sont adressées.

“I like your car,” he said. He said he liked my car.

Reported speech Le temps et le lieu

the previous weektd>two days earlier

Discours direct (Direct speech)	Discours indirect (Reported speech)
today	that day
yesterday	the day before
tomorrow	the next day
now	then
last week
tonight	that night
two days ago
here	there
this	that
these	those

“We have a meeting today,” he said. He said they had a meeting that day.

I bought these shoes yesterday. She said she had bought those shoes the day before.

I will come tomorrow. He said he would come the next day.

I can’t talk now. He said he couldn’t talk then.

I finished the course last week. She said she had finished the course the previous week.

I’m going out tonight. He said he was going out that night.

I moved here two days ago. She said she had moved there two days earlier.

Come here. She told him to come there.

This place is beautiful. He said that place was beautiful.

I bought these shoes. He said he had bought those shoes.

Reported speech Verbes

Verbes suivis d’une that-clause :
say, tell, add, explain, mention, reply, answer, admit, agree, deny, promise…
I’m tired. She said that she was tired.
Verbes suivis d’un to-infinitive:
advise, ask, tell, order, persuade, remind, warn, invite, encourage…
Don’t be late. He told me to not be late.

Reported speech Négation

Ajouter / conserver not avant le verbe principal
I don’t like it. She said she didn’t like it.
Si le verbe modal comporte une négation avec not, on modifie le modal et on ajoute not.
I can’t help you. He said he couldn’t help me.
Si not se rapporte au sens et non à la grammaire, nous le conservons tel quel.
Don’t worry. He told me not to worry.

Reported speech Questions

Dans le discours rapporté, les questions générales (oui/non) sont introduites par if ou whether. L’ordre des mots passe de celui d’une question à celui d’une phrase affirmative.
- On utilise if dans les questions Yes/No classiques, lorsqu’on veut simplement savoir « oui ou non ».
  Do you like it? He asked if I liked it.
- On utilise whether lorsqu’une question implique une alternative ou un choix.
  Do you want tea or coffee? He asked whether I wanted tea or coffee.
Questions introduites par un mot interrogatif (wh-questions)
Reporting verb + wh-word + ordre des mots direct (sans inversion)

“Where do you live?” she asked. She asked where I lived.

“What is he doing?” I asked. I asked what he was doing.

“Why did you leave early?” he asked. He asked why I had left early.

“How can we solve this?” they asked. They asked how they could solve it.

“When will you call me?” she asked. She asked when I would call her.
Questions générales (Yes/No questions) Commencent par Do / Does / Did / Are / Is / Can / Will, etc.
Reporting verb + if/whether + ordre direct des mots

“Do you like coffee?” she asked. She asked if I liked coffee.

“Are they coming to the party?” he asked. He asked if they were coming to the party.

“Did you see the movie?” I asked. I asked if she had seen the movie.

“Will it rain tomorrow?” Tom asked. Tom asked if it would rain the next day.

“Can you help me?” she asked. She asked if I could help her.

“Is this your book?” he asked. He asked whether that was my book.

Reported speech Impératif

Phrase affirmative: reporting verb + object + to + verb

Open the door. He told me to open the door.

Interdiction: reporting verb + object + not to + verb

Don’t be late. She told me not to be late.

Reported speech Erreurs courantes

Conserver l’inversion dans les questions
❌ He asked where was I going
✔️ He asked where I was going
Utiliser « said me »
❌ He said me that…
✔️ He told me that…
✔️ He said that…
say — без объекта, tell — с объектом
Ne pas changer le temps verbal
❌ He said he is happy.
✔️ He said he was happy. Если reporting verb в прошедшем — делаем сдвиг времени.
Ne pas changer les pronoms
❌ She said I am tired.
✔️ She said she was tired. Местоимения всегда подстраиваются под новый контекст.

Reported speech Phrases

“I am learning French,” she said. She said she was learning French.

“He has finished his project,” they said. They said he had finished his project.

“I shall return soon,” he said. He said he should return soon.

“You must call her today,” Mom said. Mom said I had to call her that day.

“What time does the train leave?” I asked. I asked what time the train left.

“Why are you crying?” he asked. He asked why I was crying.

“Can she swim?” I asked. I asked if she could swim.

“Is your brother at home?” she asked. She asked whether my brother was at home.

Leave your shoes outside. He told me to leave my shoes outside.

Don’t touch that button. She told me not to touch that button.

Reported speech Exemples

“I was reading a book,” she said. She said she had been reading a book.

“We have seen this movie,” they said. They said they had seen that movie.

“He will help us tomorrow,” I said. I said he would help us the next day.

“When did she arrive?” he asked. He asked when she had arrived.

“Where are my keys?” she asked. She asked where her keys were.

“Does he like pizza?” I asked. I asked if he liked pizza.

“Will they join us?” she asked. She asked if they would join us.

“You ought to apologize,” he said. He said I ought to apologize.

Be quiet, please. She told me to be quiet.

Don’t forget your umbrella. He reminded me not to forget my umbrella.

Reported Speech: phrases, exercices, tests et exemples