Cours d'anglais

GRAMMAIRE

On parle de reported speech ou style indirect pour désigner le changement de langage du style direct (ce que l’on dit) au style indirect (ce que l’on dit de ce qui a été dit, ou encore rapporter les paroles de quelqu’un pour un besoin d’insistance, de rappel ou d’emphase).

En anglais, pour changer une phrase du style direct au style indirect, il faut tenir compte de plusieurs changements.

NB:

Il existe des formules à utiliser pour changer une phrase du style direct au style indirect.

Pronom personnel qui correspond à celui qui parle dans le style direct + said that.
Les guillemets qui encadrent les paroles prononcées disparaissent au style indirect.

Ex: « we are best friends » (style direct)

They said that they were best friends (style indirect)

Changement des temps verbaux

Ces temps deviennent les temps suivants

Le present tense = le past simple
Le present continuous = le past continuous tense
Le present perfect = le past perfect tense
Le past simple devient = le past perfect tense
Future tense = le future in past
Shall et will = should et would
Conditional = conditional

STYLE DIRECT	STYLE INDIRECT
Present : « I write a letter »	He said that he wrote a letter.
Present continuous: “I am going to school”	He said that he was going to school.
Present perfect: “we have eaten food”	They said that they had eaten food.
Past simple: “you visited us in Bafou”	They said that they had visited them in Bafou.
Future tense: “I shall see her in Bafou”	He said that he would see her in Bafou.
Conditional tense: “if I had my pen, I would write the answer”	He said that if he had had his pen, he would have written the answer.
Present tense: “I don’t eat sand”	He said that he didn’t eat sand.
Present tense: “I may be late”	He said that he might be late.

Changement des pronoms personnels

Du style direct au style indirect,

I	Devient	He ou she
Me		Him ou her
My		His ou her
Mine		His ou hers
Myself		Himself ou Herself
We		They
Us		Them
Our		Their
Ours		Theirs
Ourselves		Themselves
You (deuxième personne du singulier)		He ou she/ him ou her
Your		His ou her
Yours		His ou hers
Yourself		Himself ou herself
You (deuxième personne du pluriel)		They/them
Your		Their
Yours		Theirs
Yourselves		Themselves

Ex :

« I bring my book » = he said that he brought his book.
“The book on the desk is mine” = he said that the book on the desk was his.
“It belongs to me” = he said that it belonged to him.
“We bring our books”= they said that they brought their books.
“They are ours”= they said that they were theirs.

Changement des expressions

Du style direct au style indirect, ces expressions changent de forme :

This dévient that
These = those
Here = there
Now = then
Ago = before
Today = that day
Tomorrow = the next day
Yesterday = previous day/ the day before.

Ex: style direct style indirect

I saw the boy here in this room today = he said that he had seen the boy there in that room that day
I shall see these boys now = he said that he should see those boys then

Changement des phrases interrogatives

Dans ce cas :

le point d’interrogation ( ?) present au style direct disparait au style indirect.
La question est posée à la forme affirmative
L’interrogation est remplacée par « if » ou « Wh éther » qui signifie toujours une marque d’interrogation mais pour les phrases affirmatives.

Ex : style direct style indirect

“Has Loic many friends?” = he asked me whether Loic had many friends.
“Will you help me?” = he asked if I could help him.
“Can you help us” = he asked if they could help us/ we asked whether they could help us.
“Did you meet her?” = he asked (if) whether I had met her.

Changement lorsque la phrase commence par un pronom interrogatif

C’est lorsque au style direct, la phrase commence par des termes tels que : what, where ; how ; why ou when.

Ex : style direct style indirect

What is her name? = he asked me what her name was.
Where are you going? = he asked me where I was going.

Changement lorsque l’ordre est donnée de manière indirecte.

Dans ce cas, on utilise les termes suivants : Order, command, tell, ask, request ; etc.

Ex : style direct style indirect

« go away » = he ordered him to go away
“Run quickly” = he told me (ordered, asked, requested, commanded) me (him, her, us, you, them) to run quickly.

EXERCISE

Put in the reported speech.

“He will get married next year”. My father told me.
“She has not prepared anything to eat”. Said my mother
“They are ruling the country”. She said.
“I will wish him good night”. Said Martin.
“Don’t be late tomorrow”. My teacher told me.
“How will she get there?” Sarah wondered
“Is Raisa your sister?” He asked me.
Why do they go to Bafou? Their parents asked them.
“Do you know Mr Tasong?” My friend asked me.
“I spoke to them yesterday”. Martin said.
“The books on the table belong to us”. They said.

par Beatrice Djuikem

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