Fondamentaux
Qu'est-ce que le discours indirect ?
Le discours indirect (reported speech) rapporte des paroles sans les citer mot pour mot. Le discours direct reproduit les paroles entre guillemets ; le discours indirect les intègre dans une subordonnée introduite par un verbe comme say ou tell.
Le passage de l'un à l'autre entraîne plusieurs changements : la concordance des temps, les pronoms, les repères de temps et de lieu. Une structure omniprésente dans la presse et les comptes rendus.
Les règles générales
Verbe introducteurplus de guillemets ; un verbe introduit les paroles : say (that), tell somebody (that) Concordancesi le verbe introducteur est au passé, les temps reculent d'un cran Pronomspronoms et possessifs changent selon le point de vue de celui qui rapporte Repèresnow, here, tomorrow… s'adaptent au moment et au lieu du récit Thatsouvent omis à l'oral et à l'écrit courant, toujours correct
Backshift
La concordance des temps
La concordance des temps (backshift) s'applique quand le verbe introducteur (said, told, explained…) est au passé, le cas le plus fréquent. Chaque temps recule alors d'un cran vers le passé.
Discours direct
Discours indirect
Exemple
présent simple
prétérit
"We are profitable." → He said (that) they were profitable.
présent continu
prétérit continu
"We are negotiating." → She said they were negotiating.
present perfect
past perfect
"We have signed the deal." → They said they had signed the deal.
prétérit
past perfect
"The market crashed." → He said the market had crashed.
will
would
"We will invest more." → He said they would invest more.
can
could
"We can deliver on time." → They said they could deliver on time.
may
might
"Profits may rise." → She said profits might rise.
must
had to
"We must cut costs." → He said they had to cut costs.
Pas de concordance obligatoire quand le verbe introducteur est au présent (He says prices always fluctuate) ou quand le fait reste vrai au moment où l'on parle (She said the Earth revolves around the Sun). Dans la presse, on garde aussi souvent le présent pour une information toujours d'actualité.
Ajustements
Pronoms, possessifs et repères de temps et de lieu
Il faut aussi adapter les pronoms et les possessifs selon la personne qui rapporte, ainsi que les repères de temps et de lieu, recalculés par rapport au moment et au lieu du récit.
Les repères de temps et de lieu
now→ then
today→ that day
tonight→ that night
tomorrow→ the next day
yesterday→ the day before
this→ that
these→ those
here→ there
… ago→ … before
next week→ the following week
last week→ the previous week
Discours direct
Discours indirect
Exemple
I
he / she
"I am the CFO," she said. → She said she was the CFO.
we
they
"We increased sales," they said. → They said they had increased sales.
my
his / her
"My team missed the target," he said. → He said his team had missed the target.
you
I, he, she…
"You should invest," she told him. → She told him he should invest.
Rien d'automatique : le changement de pronom dépend de la situation. Demandez-vous toujours qui parle, à qui, et qui rapporte les paroles.
Statements
Les affirmations : say, tell
Say et tell sont les deux verbes introducteurs de base, mais ils ne se construisent pas de la même façon. Say n'a jamais de complément de personne direct (il faut to) ; tell est au contraire toujours suivi de la personne à qui l'on parle.
Say (that)
Sujet
+
said
+
(that)
+
proposition
"We are expanding." → He said (that) they were expanding.
Say to somebody (that)
Sujet
+
said to
+
personne
+
(that) proposition
She said to me (that) the report was ready.
Tell somebody (that)
Sujet
+
told
+
personne
+
(that) proposition
He told us (that) the budget had been approved.
Phrase négative
Sujet
+
said / told
+
didn't, hadn't, wasn't…
She said (that) she didn't agree with the forecast.
Say ou tell ?
say sans personne, ou say to + personne ; tell + personne (sauf tell the truth, tell a story, tell a lie).
He told me the deadline had changed.
Il m'a dit que la date limite avait changé.
That omis
That peut disparaître sans changer le sens.
She said (that) profits were rising.
Elle a dit que les bénéfices augmentaient.
Autres verbes
explain, announce, mention, reply, add, claim + (that) se construisent comme say.
The CEO announced that the company would relocate.
Le PDG a annoncé que l'entreprise allait déménager.
Piège classique : He said me that the deal was off. → He told me (that) the deal was off ou He said to me (that) the deal was off.
Reported questions
Les questions au discours indirect
Rapporter une question obéit à des règles strictes : pas d'inversion, pas de do / does / did, pas de point d'interrogation. La question reprend l'ordre d'une phrase affirmative.
Question fermée : if / whether
Sujet
+
asked (personne)
+
if / whether
+
sujet + verbe
"Are you satisfied?" → He asked if I was satisfied.
Question ouverte : mot interrogatif
Sujet
+
asked (personne)
+
where, why, how…
+
sujet + verbe
"Where is the report?" → She asked where the report was.
Question sur le sujet
Sujet
+
asked
+
who / what
+
verbe
"Who signed the contract?" → He asked who had signed the contract.
Question négative
Sujet
+
asked
+
if / why…
+
sujet + didn't, hadn't…
She asked why they hadn't replied.
Ni inversion, ni do, ni point d'interrogation :
He asked did I agree. → He asked if I agreed.
She asked where was the report? → She asked where the report was.
He asked did I agree. → He asked if I agreed.
She asked where was the report? → She asked where the report was.
Reported imperatives
Ordres, conseils et demandes
L'impératif rapporté ne prend ni that ni concordance : on emploie verbe + personne + to + base, ou + not to + base au négatif.
Ordre : tell / order somebody to
Sujet
+
told / ordered
+
personne
+
to
+
base
"Submit the report by Friday." → She told him to submit the report by Friday.
Interdiction : tell somebody not to
Sujet
+
told
+
personne
+
not to
+
base
"Don't sign yet." → He told them not to sign yet.
Conseil : advise somebody to
Sujet
+
advised
+
personne
+
to
+
base
"You should diversify." → She advised him to diversify.
Demande : ask somebody to
Sujet
+
asked
+
personne
+
to
+
base
"Please send the invoice." → He asked her to send the invoice.
Ordre (order, instruct)
Une consigne ferme, souvent hiérarchique.
The manager ordered the team to finish the audit.
Le responsable a ordonné à l'équipe de terminer l'audit.
Conseil (advise, urge)
Recommander une action sans l'imposer.
The consultant urged the firm to restructure.
Le consultant a pressé l'entreprise de se restructurer.
Mise en garde (warn)
Prévenir d'un danger : warn somebody (not) to.
He warned investors not to panic.
Il a mis les investisseurs en garde contre la panique.
Même construction avec want, expect, would like : verbe + personne + to + base, là où le français dit « que » + subjonctif. She wants that he stays. → She wants him to stay. I never expected that the image stays. → I never expected the image to stay.
Reporting verbs
Les verbes introducteurs
Au-delà de say, tell et ask, de nombreux verbes introducteurs précisent l'intention : suggestion, insistance, promesse, démenti, aveu… Chacun a sa construction, à apprendre avec lui.
Verbe
Construction
Exemple
suggest
suggest + V-ing / that + sujet + base
The analyst suggested revising the forecast.
insist
insist that + sujet + verbe
She insisted that the figures were accurate.
promise
promise to + base
He promised to deliver the report on time.
deny
deny + V-ing
The CEO denied misleading investors.
admit
admit + V-ing / that
They admitted making a mistake.
offer
offer to + base
The bank offered to restructure the loan.
refuse
refuse to + base
The board refused to approve the budget.
remind
remind somebody to + base
She reminded them to file the report.
threaten
threaten to + base
Investors threatened to withdraw their funds.
apologise
apologise for + V-ing
He apologised for being late.
accuse
accuse somebody of + V-ing
They accused the firm of hiding losses.
warn
warn somebody (not) to + base
She warned him not to sign hastily.
Trois familles : to + base (promise, offer, refuse, threaten), V-ing (deny, admit, suggest), that (insist, suggest, admit, claim). Jamais suggest him to : suggest that he should… ou suggest doing.
Pratique
Exercices
Exercice 1
Passez au discours indirect (concordance des temps)
01.
"We are profitable," the CFO said. → He said…
→ He said (that) they were profitable.
02.
"We have signed the contract," she said. → She said…
→ She said (that) they had signed the contract.
03.
"The market will recover soon," the analyst said. → The analyst said…
→ The analyst said (that) the market would recover soon.
04.
"I can't attend the meeting," he told me. → He told me…
→ He told me (that) he couldn't attend the meeting.
05.
"We must cut costs," the board said. → The board said…
→ The board said (that) they had to cut costs.
06.
"Profits are rising," she told her colleagues. → She told her colleagues…
→ She told her colleagues (that) profits were rising.
Exercice 2
Rapportez la question
01.
"Are you satisfied with the results?" he asked me. → He asked me…
→ He asked me if I was satisfied with the results.
02.
"Where is the quarterly report?" she asked. → She asked…
→ She asked where the quarterly report was.
03.
"Did you sign the contract?" he asked her. → He asked her…
→ He asked her if she had signed the contract.
04.
"Who approved this budget?" the auditor asked. → The auditor asked…
→ The auditor asked who had approved that budget.
05.
"Why haven't they replied?" she asked. → She asked…
→ She asked why they hadn't replied.
06.
"What time does the meeting start?" he asked. → He asked…
→ He asked what time the meeting started.
Exercice 3
Ordres, conseils et verbes introducteurs
01.
"Submit the report by Friday," she said to him. → tell
→ She told him to submit the report by Friday.
02.
"Don't sign the deal yet," he said to them. → tell
→ He told them not to sign the deal yet.
03.
"You should diversify your portfolio," she said to him. → advise
→ She advised him to diversify his portfolio.
04.
"I didn't mislead investors," the CEO said. → deny
→ The CEO denied misleading investors.
05.
"I will deliver the report on time," he said. → promise
→ He promised to deliver the report on time.
06.
"I'm sorry I was late," he said. → apologise
→ He apologised for being late.