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Grammar
Objective: Shift tenses, pronouns, and time markers accurately when reporting past statements with a past-anchored introductory verb.
| Direct speech | Reported speech (past anchor) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Je travaille. | Il a dit qu'il travaillait. | present to imperfect |
| J'ai fini. | Il a dit qu'il avait fini. | perfect to pluperfect |
| Je partirai. | Il a dit qu'il partirait. | future to conditional |
| Il pleuvait. | Il a dit qu'il pleuvait. | imperfect unchanged |
| Je voudrais partir. | Il a dit qu'il voudrait partir. | conditional unchanged |
After a past introductory verb, the présent of the original statement becomes the imparfait in the reported clause.
The futur simple becomes the conditionnel, and demain becomes le lendemain.
The original statement je suis malade moves to the imperfect after the past anchor.
The passé composé becomes the plus-que-parfait.
The futur simple becomes the conditionnel, and demain becomes le lendemain.
The original pronoun je becomes elle, since the reporter is not Marie.
The time marker hier becomes la veille when the statement is reported with a past anchor.
7 exercises · about 11 minutes
The pronoun je refers to Marie, so it becomes elle when another speaker reports the statement.
With a past anchor, hier shifts to la veille, since the reference point is the day of the statement.
An indirect question follows the same backshift rule, so the futur becomes the conditionnel after a past introductory verb.
The futur simple becomes the conditionnel inside an impersonal construction.
An indirect question follows the same backshift after a past introductory verb.
The présent becomes the imparfait in the negative reply.