Reported speech · French grammar B1

Contents · B1

In this part, you will learn to pass on what someone says, asks or orders, without quoting their exact words.

A statement is reported with que, a question with si or its question word, and an order with de + infinitive.

Marie dit qu’elle arrive à huit heures.Marie says she is arriving at eight.
Le guide explique que le château est fermé le mardi.The guide explains that the castle is closed on Tuesdays.
Mon fils demande si nous allons à la plage demain.My son is asking whether we are going to the beach tomorrow.
Le client demande combien coûte cette veste.The customer is asking how much this jacket costs.
Je ne sais pas ce qu’elle prépare pour ce soir.I don’t know what she is making for tonight.
Le médecin me dit de marcher tous les jours.The doctor tells me to walk every day.

Formation

A statement is reported with a verb of saying or thinking followed by que: Il dit qu’il est fatigué. (“He says he is tired.”)
A question with no question word is reported with si. In a question with a question word, that word is kept, with the order of a statement.
Est-ce que and the inversion of the direct question are dropped in a reported question.
An order is reported with de + infinitive: Je lui dis de venir. (“I tell him to come.”)

In the present

At B1, the reporting verb is in the présent (present simple): il dit, elle demande.
With a reporting verb in the présent, the tense of the words reported does not change.
From direct to reported speech, the link word and the order of a question change. The person of the pronouns and possessives also changes.

Spelling

Que becomes qu’ before a vowel: qu’il, qu’elle.
Si becomes s’ before il and ils, but not before elle or on: Elle demande s’il pleut. (“She asks if it is raining.”), but si elle vient.

Questions and orders

After a question word, a noun subject can also follow the verb: Il demande où travaille Sophie. (“He asks where Sophie works.”)
The person told is an indirect object: Il demande à Paul d’attendre. (“He asks Paul to wait.”)
In negative orders, ne pas is placed as one block before the infinitive: Il me dit de ne pas courir. (“He tells me not to run.”)
After demander si, the futur simple (will) is possible: Il demande si tu viendras. (“He asks whether you will come.”) Here, si means “whether” and expresses no condition.

Pronouns and possessives

Reported words are seen from the point of view of the person who reports them.
Je becomes il or elle, and mon, ma, mes become son, sa, ses. « Mon train est en retard » (“My train is late”) becomes Elle dit que son train est en retard. (“She says her train is late.”)
When the words were addressed to the person who reports them, tu becomes je. « Tu travailles trop » (“You work too much”) becomes Il me dit que je travaille trop. (“He tells me I work too much.”)

Difference from English

English “if” or “whether” in a reported question is si, and “what” is ce que or ce qui.
English “tell me to sleep” is me dire de dormir: in French, the infinitive is introduced by de.

Common mistakes

~~Il dit il est malade.~~ → Il dit qu’il est malade.Que cannot be left out after a verb of saying.
~~Elle demande que tu viens.~~ → Elle demande si tu viens.A question with no question word is reported with si.
~~Il demande qu’est-ce que tu fais.~~ → Il demande ce que tu fais.Qu’est-ce que becomes ce que.
~~Il me dit que partir.~~ → Il me dit de partir.An order is reported with de + infinitive.

Remember

Report a statement with que, never left out: Il dit qu’il est malade. (“He says he is ill.”)
Report a question with si, a question word, ce que or ce qui: Il demande ce que tu fais. (“He asks what you are doing.”)
Report an order with de + infinitive: Il me dit de partir. (“He tells me to leave.”)

You now know how to report a statement, a question and an order with a reporting verb in the présent.

“Reported speech: il dit que, il demande si, il me dit de”, Il dit que: reported statements “Reported speech: il dit que, il demande si, il me dit de”, Il demande si, ce que, où: reported questions “Reported speech: il dit que, il demande si, il me dit de”, Il me dit de + infinitive: reported commands

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