Reported Speech in French
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In French, we distinguish the same as in English, between direct (French: le discours direct) and indirect speech (French: le discours indirect). You use the indirect speech when you want to report words that someone said or thoughts. The content of the statement should be reproduced more logically with the use of indirect speech.
The report requires some grammatical transformations.
examples | styles | translations |
---|---|---|
il m'a dit: "je vais bien" | direct | he said: "I am fine" |
il m'a dit qu'il allait bien | indirect | he said to me that he was fine |
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In the direct speech, words are enclosed in quotation marks and without a linking term after the verb of speech.
Examples:
In the indirect style, the words are connected to the verb of speech by a conjunction as:
uses | direct speech | indirect speech | translation |
---|---|---|---|
"que" | Paul dit: "il pleut" | Paul dit qu'il pleut | Paul says that it is raining |
"si" | est ce que vous sortez ? | il a demandé si vous sortez | he asked if you were going out |
"de" + infinitive | viens maintenant! | elle demande de venir maintenant | she wants you to come right now |
"ce qui" or "ce que" | qu'est ce qui se passe? | il demande ce qui se passe | he asks what is going on |
interrogative pronoun | où allez-vous ? | il demande où vous allez | he asks where you are going |
The indirect speech is initiated by the following verbs:
As you know, the indirect speech is no longer in quotation marks and in colon, therefore the sentence will undergo grammatical transformations in relation with:
When the sentence that designates the speaker is in the present tense, the tense remains in the indirect speech:
direct speech | indirect speech |
---|---|
Paul dit: "il pleut" | Paul dit qu'il pleut |
When the phrase that designates the speaker is in the past, the tense in the indirect speech change:
uses | direct speech | indirect speech | translation |
---|---|---|---|
present → imperfect | il m'a dit: "je vais bien" | il m'a dit qu'il allait bien | he told me that he was fine |
future → conditional | il m'a dit: 'je partirais" | il m'a dit qu'il partirait | he told me that he would go |
future perfect → past conditional | il m'a dit: "nous aurons terminé de faire nos devoirs | il m'a dit qu'ils auraient terminé de faire leurs devoirs | he told that they would have finished their homework |
completed past → pluperfect | il m'a dit: "j'ai appris ma leçon" | il m'a dit qu'il avait appris sa leçon | he told that he has learned his lesson |
You always keep the previous tenses matched but these changes are useful in narrations when doing indirect speech.
direct speech | indirect speech |
---|---|
aujourd'hui (today) | ce jour-là (that day) |
hier (yesterday) | la veille (last night) |
demain (tomorrow) | le lendemain (the next day) |
le jour prochain (the following day) | le jour suivant (the next day) |
Examples:
In the indirect style the tense stays the same, but you have to be logical with the situation. When the speaker talks about himself, you logically use the 3rd personal pronoun and as the others pronouns.
Examples
direct speech | indirect speech | translation |
---|---|---|
elle m'a dit: "je pense aller lui parler" | elle m'a dit qu'elle pensait aller lui parler | she told me that she was thinking about going to talk to him |
il m'a raconté: "nous sommes sortis avec eux" | il m'a raconté qu'ils étiez sortis avec eux | he told me that they were out with them |
il m'a demandé: "vous viendrez aussi ?" | il m'a dit si nous viendrions aussi | he asked me if we would come too |
elle m'a demandé: "tu vas partir en vacances ?" | elle m'a demandé si j'allais partir en vacances | she asked me if I will go in holidays |
In the indirect speech, you use a demonstrative pronoun to report what the speaker has said.
direct speech | indirect speech | translation |
---|---|---|
il m'a dit: "je n'ai plus ce jouet" | il m'a dit qu'il n'avais plus ce jouet-là | he told me that he did not have that toy anymore |
elle a dit: "cet enfant est malin" | elle a dit que cet enfant-là était malin | she said that this child was wise |
elle a dit: "je vais régler ce problème" | elle a dit qu'elle réglerait ce problème-là | she said that she will fix the problem |
In the indirect speech, you use a possessive pronoun and adjectives to report what is said. In this case, you also have to logically adapt to the situation just like the personal pronouns.
direct speech | indirect speech | translation |
---|---|---|
il m'a demandé: 'tu pourrais me rendre mon livre ?" | il m'a demandé si je pouvais lui rendre son livre | he asked if I could give him back his book |
elle m'a dit: "je suis dans votre maison" | elle m'a dit qu'elle était dans notre maison | she told that the she were in our house |
elle m'a dit: "cette robe est à moi" | elle m'a dit que cette robe-là était le sien | she told me that this dress was hers |
nous avons dit: "nous avons volé votre repas" | nous avons dit que nous avions volé leur repas | we said that we had stolen their meal |
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Join a small group of learners of 2 or 3 for conversation lessons with me. An article or video to watch before the lesson and a conversation with personalized corrections during the lesson. This option saves you at least 10 euros per lesson on Colanguage.
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Level: intermediate (B1)
Also, standard French lessons
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I give Skype lessons to people who need or want to improve their French language. I like to use material from the internet (videos, article etc.) to introduce a theme which leads to a lesson and a conversation.
I like to create engaging learning with my students. I will give as homework a document to watch or to read with comprehension exercises so the time we have on skype is only speaking practice and explanation if needed.
I can help you prepare DELF-DALF Exams or work on specific needs (as professional French).
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Hello,
My name is Tiska. I am a French Teacher with experiences with adults and teenagers in Public Education (USA) and Language Schools. I am holding a Master Degree in FLE (Teaching French as a Foreign Language).
Join a small group of learners of 2 or 3 for conversation lessons with me. An article or video to watch before the lesson and a conversation with personalized corrections during the lesson. This option saves you at least 10 euros per lesson on Colanguage.
Group opening:
Monday and/or Wednesday from 17:30 to 18:30 (French time).
Level: intermediate (B1)
Also, standard French lessons
- level A2 (low intermediate)
- 2 hours a week
- ask for schedule
Don’t know your level? Ask for a free level test.
I give Skype lessons to people who need or want to improve their French language. I like to use material from the internet (videos, article etc.) to introduce a theme which leads to a lesson and a conversation.
I like to create engaging learning with my students. I will give as homework a document to watch or to read with comprehension exercises so the time we have on skype is only speaking practice and explanation if needed.
I can help you prepare DELF-DALF Exams or work on specific needs (as professional French).
Really like to speak about all the subjects with the student especially those the student like so it gives the motivation to speak in the foreign language.
The free first lesson is organize to know your tastes, your level and your needs so we can plan the next lessons about the objectives you fixed.
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WHAT I OFFER:
Online French as a second language (FSL) courses for all levels, preparation for official exams (DELF, DALF, TCF), correction of academic work, translations, preparation for job interviews or public speeches. I also teach Spanish, as I speak it fluently and know about teaching techniques.
MY METHODOLOGY:
I focus on the student, my priority. First I find out what they know, and what their objectives and motivations are. Next, we define together a way forward. Thus, my classes are customized, and based on every student’s needs.
I make sure the learning atmosphere is mellow and agreeable, but never forget that my aim is the student’s improvement. Enjoyment contributes to progress, but some discipline is also necessary. I am used to balancing these two needs.
WHO I AM:
Having taught FSL full-time for 15 years and obtained the DAEFLE (Diploma of Aptitude in Teaching French as a Foreign Language) from the Alliance Française Paris allows me to balance the two elements a good teacher needs: experience and theory. I have worked with people of all levels, from beginners to very advanced, and all ages, from 6 to 86 years old. I also have a great deal of experience in the DELF/DALF tests preparation, with over 90% of success.
I have known for a long time that teaching was my vocation. I like sharing knowledge with others, helping them improve, and feeling that at the end of the day they know more than before. Loving my job and feeling useful is what motivates me to get up every day with a smile.
After a science baccalaureate, I studied audiovisual communication, because I have always been fond of transmitting information. However, I quickly realized I needed a more direct form of contact. During a trip to South America, I started teaching private classes, and immediately understood that was the path I had to follow.
WHY I AM A GOOD TEACHER:
Extensive experience allows me to go fast with quick learners, and to be extremely patient with those who need more time. I have learnt that there isn’t just one way of teaching something, and that some people have a preference for auditory, visual or action-oriented learning. As a private teacher, my priority is to listen to my student in order to adapt my methods to their needs.
Not only do I teach languages, I also provide my students with tools for self-teaching and making progress between classes, allowing them to maximize their investment. I regularly research the latest teaching tools, the evolution of teaching methods, and the neuropsychological findings in that area. This is a surprisingly vast topic.
MY CREDENTIALS:
You will find on my LinkedIn page many letters of recommendation from my students.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/benoit-cassagnau-2b2179176/
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Hi, guys! My name is Lucia and I would like to invite you to learn Italian with me.
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Do not hesitate to get in contact with me to find a suitable time-slot for your trial lesson!
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Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
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