Fa uns mesos ja us vam parlar sobre el reported speech, o l’estil indirecte. Es tracta d’explicar el que algú ha dit.

  • Estil directe: “I’m not going with you tonight”, Peter told me.
  • Estil indirecte: Peter told me that he wasn’t going with me that night.

Com pots veure a l’exemple, al utilitzar l’estil indirecte es realitza un canvi de temps verbal. Com sobre com construir el reported speech ja us hem parlat amb anterioritat, en aquesta ocasió ens volem centrar en 5 excepcions de quan no es realitza un canvi de temps verbal.

Si el que la persona ha dit encara no ha succeït.

  • Estil directe: Harry: “I’ve just arrived at the hotel.”
  • Estil indirecte: Harry says that he has just arrived at the hotel. 

Si estem informant de situacions que són les mateixes en el moment de parlar, per exemple, en el mateix dia.

  • Sole: “I’m visiting my grandmother today.”
  • Sole said she is visiting her grandmother today. (al dir “today” significa que ens estem referint al mateix dia).

Això succeeix sovint quan algú parla sobre el futur o quan algú utilitza el present simple, continuous o perfect a la oració directa. Et deixem amb més exemples:

  • Linda: “I work in a shoe shop on Saturdays.”
  • Linda said that she works in a shoe shop on Saturdays.
  • Linda: “I’m studying to be a biologist.”
  • Linda said that she is studying to be a biologist.
  • Linda: “I’ve worked in the shop for 3 years.”
  • Linda said that she has worked in the shop for 3 years.”

Si estem parlant d’una “veritat general”.

  • The world isn’t flat.
  • The Ancient Greeks concluded that the world isn’t flat.

Si fem referència a una situació irreal.

  • Tracy: “I wish I were a famous magician.”
  • Tracy said she wished she were a famous magician. (NO s’utilitza had been)

Amb alguns verbs modals com: would, could, should, might i needn’t.

Els semimodals ought to i used to tampoc canvien amb l’estil indirecte.

  • “He would sit there for hours smoking his pipe.”
  • He said he would sit there for hours smoking his pipe.
  • “He used to train every Saturday”
  • She said she used to train every Saturday.