Reported speech
When you debate or summarise a position, you rarely quote someone word for word. Instead you report what they said: "He claims that the reform is necessary", "She admitted she had been wrong". This is the heart of the chapter can-do, reporting speech with the right tense shifts. In a B2 oral or written argument, mastering le discours rapporté lets you cite sources, distance yourself from a claim, and structure a balanced discussion.
| affirmer que | to state / claim that |
| déclarer que | to declare that |
| soutenir que | to maintain / argue that |
| reconnaître que | to acknowledge / admit that |
| ajouter que | to add that |
| préciser que | to specify / clarify that |
| nier que | to deny that |
| demander si | to ask whether |
| vouloir savoir | to want to know |
| promettre de | to promise to |
| conseiller de | to advise to |
| selon lui / selon elle | according to him / her |
Associez chaque verbe introducteur à son sens.
Match each reporting verb to its meaning.
Choisissez la bonne forme rapportée.
Choose the correct reported form.
Décalez le temps : le présent devient imparfait.
Shift the tense: présent becomes imparfait.
Elle a affirmé qu'elle ____ d'accord avec nous.
When the reporting verb is in the past (il a dit, elle déclarait), the tense of the reported clause shifts back. Présent becomes imparfait, passé composé becomes plus-que-parfait, and futur becomes conditionnel présent. If the reporting verb is in the present (il dit que), no shift is needed. Time markers move too: aujourd'hui becomes ce jour-là, demain becomes le lendemain, hier becomes la veille.
Le passé composé devient plus-que-parfait.
Passé composé becomes plus-que-parfait.
Il a reconnu qu'il ____ une erreur.
Rapportez ce futur : « Je voterai demain. »
Report this future: "Je voterai demain."
Construisez la phrase rapportée.
Build the reported sentence.
Rapportez cette question.
Report this question.
Traduisez avec un verbe introducteur précis.
Translate using a precise reporting verb.
She added that the data confirmed her argument.
Traduisez cet ordre rapporté.
Translate this reported command.
He advised us to reread the talking points.
A direct yes/no question becomes si ("Tu viens ?" becomes "Il demande si tu viens"). A qu'est-ce que question becomes ce que, and qu'est-ce qui becomes ce qui. A command or piece of advice is reported with de + infinitif ("Partez !" becomes "Il leur a ordonné de partir"). Choosing a precise reporting verb (nuancer, objecter, préciser) instead of a flat "dire" is exactly what raises your score at B2.
Écoutez et tapez la phrase rapportée.
Listen and type the reported sentence.
Écoutez et tapez la question indirecte.
Listen and type the indirect question.
Quelle phrase rapporte correctement une question indirecte ?
Which sentence reports an indirect question correctly?
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