Le reported speech permet de transmettre les propos d'une personne sans répéter chaque mot. Le discours direct donne les mots originaux : "I am tired." Le discours indirect change le point de vue : "She said that she was tired."
Cette structure apparaît dans les conversations, récits, réunions, informations et cours. Distinguez 4 choix : reporting verb, temps, point de vue et type de phrase.
Discours direct et reported speech
Le discours direct cite les mots exacts :
- Maria said, "I need help."
- The teacher said, "The test is tomorrow."
- Ken asked, "Where is the classroom?"
Le reported speech transmet le sens sans guillemets :
- "Maria said that she needed help."
- "The teacher said that the test was the next day."
- "Ken asked where the classroom was."
Temps, pronoms, possessifs et expressions temporelles peuvent changer pour correspondre au nouveau locuteur, moment et lieu.
Structure de base
sujet + reporting verb + "that" facultatif + proposition
- "He said that he was busy."
- "She told me that she liked the class."
- "They explained that the answer was incorrect."
À l'oral, "that" est souvent facultatif :
- "He said he was busy."
- "She told me she liked the class."
Les 2 formes sont correctes. Conserver "That" peut clarifier une phrase longue.
"Say" n'exige pas de complément de personne :
- "She said that the lesson was useful."
- "She said to me that the lesson was useful." est possible, mais moins naturel.
"tell" exige ce complément :
- "She told me that the lesson was useful."
- Incorrect : "She told that the lesson was useful."
Changements de temps
Après un reporting verb au passé, le verbe rapporté recule souvent d'un temps.
| Direct | Forme indirecte | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | past simple | "I work." → "He said that he worked." |
| present continuous | past continuous | "I am working." → "He said that he was working." |
| present perfect | past perfect | "I have finished." → "She said that she had finished." |
| past simple | past perfect | "I visited MOCA." → "She said that she had visited MOCA." |
| "will" | "would" | "I will call." → "He said that he would call." |
| "can" | "could" | "I can help." → "She said that she could help." |
| "may" | "might" | "I may go." → "He said that he might go." |
Le past perfect reste généralement identique :
- Direct : "I had already eaten."
- Indirect : "She said that she had already eaten."
Le guide de pratique orale en anglais aide à transformer ces structures en réponses rapides.
Quand le temps ne change pas
Avec un reporting verb au présent, le temps reste généralement identique :
- Direct : "I enjoy the class."
- Indirect : "She says that she enjoys the class."
Un fait toujours vrai peut conserver son temps :
- Direct : "Los Angeles is in California."
- Indirect : "He said that Los Angeles is in California."
Si la situation n'a pas changé, 2 formes sont possibles :
- "Mina said that she lives in Los Angeles."
- "Mina said that she lived in Los Angeles."
La première confirme qu'elle y vit encore. La seconde rapporte seulement l'ancienne déclaration. Choisissez la forme qui clarifie le moment.
Pronoms et possessifs
Le point de vue doit être adapté.
Direct :
- Maria said, "I like my class."
Rapporté par une autre personne :
- "Maria said that she liked her class."
Direct :
- Alex told Mina, "I will help you with your homework."
Rapporté par Mina :
- "Alex told me that he would help me with my homework."
Identifiez le locuteur initial, l'interlocuteur et la personne qui rapporte. Le guide de conversation anglaise propose d'autres exercices de changement de perspective.
Expressions de temps et de lieu
| Expression directe | Expression indirecte possible |
|---|---|
| "today" | "that day" |
| "tomorrow" | "the next day" / "the following day" |
| "yesterday" | "the day before" / "the previous day" |
| "now" | "then" |
| "this week" | "that week" |
| "last month" | "the previous month" |
| "next year" | "the following year" |
| "here" | "there" |
| "this" | "that" |
| "these" | "those" |
- Direct : "I will meet you here tomorrow."
- Plus tard, ailleurs : "He said that he would meet me there the next day."
Si le moment et le lieu restent identiques, aucun changement n'est nécessaire.
Rapporter des questions
Les questions indirectes suivent l'ordre affirmatif. Avec "where,", "when,", "why," ou "how,", conservez le mot interrogatif :
- Direct : "Where do you live?"
- Indirect : "She asked where I lived."
-
Incorrect : "She asked where did I live."
-
Direct : "Why are you studying English?"
- Indirect : "He asked why I was studying English."
Pour une question oui/non, utilisez "if" ou "whether" :
- Direct : "Do you understand?"
- Indirect : "The teacher asked if I understood."
- Indirect : "The teacher asked whether I understood."
Pas de point d'interrogation si l'ensemble est affirmatif :
- "She asked where the station was."
Utilisez-le si l'ensemble est une question :
- "Did she ask where the station was?"
Rapporter des consignes et demandes
Structure : "told" ou "asked" + complément + "to" + base verbale
- Direct : "Open your book."
-
Indirect : "The teacher told us to open our books."
-
Direct : "Please repeat the sentence."
- Indirect : "She asked me to repeat the sentence."
Pour une consigne négative, utilisez "not to" :
- Direct : "Do not be late."
- Indirect : "He told me not to be late."
Choisissez "asked" pour une demande et "told" pour une consigne.
Reporting verbs utiles
- "explain + that-clause" : "She explained that the schedule had changed."
- "promise + to-infinitive" : "He promised to call."
- "warn + object + not to" : "She warned us not to wait outside."
- "admit + gerund" : "He admitted making the mistake."
- "suggest + gerund" : "She suggested reviewing the lesson."
- "suggest + that-clause" : "She suggested that we review the lesson."
- "agree + to-infinitive" : "They agreed to meet after class."
Tous n'acceptent pas la même structure :
- Incorrect : "She suggested me to study."
- Correct : "She suggested studying."
- Correct : "She suggested that I study."
Apprenez chaque verbe avec sa construction.
Utiliser le reported speech à CWC
Cette compétence sert à résumer une opinion, raconter une histoire, expliquer une consigne et rapporter une décision.
À Columbia West College (CWC), English Speaking Success (ESS) comprend un cours quotidien de Speaking de 80 minutes, soit 6 fois plus de pratique orale qu'un cours typique de Listening & Speaking. ESS relie Grammar, Speaking et Reading & Writing. Une structure peut être apprise, employée en discussion et renforcée à l'écrit. Les présentations hebdomadaires entraînent aussi à organiser et rapporter des informations.
{{lp-cta}}
Erreurs fréquentes
Conserver l'ordre interrogatif
- Incorrect : "He asked where was I going."
- Correct : "He asked where I was going."
Utiliser "tell" sans complément
- Incorrect : "She told that she was ready."
- Correct : "She said that she was ready."
- Correct : "She told me that she was ready."
Changer le temps après un verbe au présent
- Direct : "I need help."
- Correct : "He says that he needs help."
Oublier le changement de perspective
- Paroles de Lina : "I finished my work."
- Rapport de Sam : "Lina said that she had finished her work."
Employer "to" après "suggest."
- Incorrect : "He suggested to take a break."
- Correct : "He suggested taking a break."
La pratique de l'écriture aide à repérer ces structures.
Exercices
Transformez les phrases en reported speech :
- Ana said, "I am reading a new book."
- Leo said, "I visited The Last Bookstore yesterday."
- The teacher asked, "Do you understand the rule?"
- Mina asked, "Why are you learning English?"
- The teacher said, "Please finish the exercise."
- Carlos said, "I will give my presentation tomorrow."
Réponses possibles :
- "Ana said that she was reading a new book."
- "Leo said that he had visited The Last Bookstore the day before."
- "The teacher asked if I understood the rule."
- "Mina asked why I was learning English."
- "The teacher asked us to finish the exercise."
- "Carlos said that he would give his presentation the next day."
Plusieurs réponses sont possibles selon la personne qui rapporte et le moment. Expliquez chaque changement de temps, personne, expression, ordre ou consigne.
Questions fréquentes
Qu'est-ce que le reported speech ?
C'est une manière de communiquer les propos d'une personne sans répéter ses mots exacts. Temps, pronoms et expressions temporelles peuvent changer.
Le temps change-t-il toujours ?
Non. Il change souvent après un reporting verb au passé, mais peut rester identique après un verbe au présent ou lorsque l'information est toujours vraie.
Quelle différence entre "said" et "told" ?
"Said" n'exige pas de complément de personne. "Told" en exige un. Dites "She said that she was ready" ou "She told me that she was ready."
Comment fonctionnent les questions indirectes ?
Elles suivent l'ordre affirmatif. Conservez le mot interrogatif ou utilisez "if" / "whether" pour une question oui/non.
Comment pratiquer ?
Écoutez un court dialogue et résumez les messages. Rapportez une question, une affirmation et une demande, puis vérifiez temps, pronoms et expressions.
Transformez la grammaire en communication assurée. CWC offre des occasions de rapporter des idées, résumer des conversations et présenter des informations en anglais. Consultez le guide des règles de grammaire, puis contactez CWC pour étudier à Los Angeles.
