Sorting game
Discours indirect libre or narrator summary? Sort the constructions
Sort French free indirect thought from narrator summary using reporting frames, expressive wording and context rather than third person alone.
- C1
- 6 words to sort
- 2 boxes
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In short
Free indirect discourse can preserve the character’s expressive thought within the narrative. A narrator’s summary names the mental event: Elle regrettait sa décision. In Quelle décision absurde ! Pourquoi était-elle venue ?, the context can make the character’s own evaluation and question audible.
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Both constructions can describe inner life. The difference is not “thought versus no thought”. In these pairs, the summary condenses a mental state in the narrator’s wording, while the free indirect version retains a distinctive exclamation, question or self-directed judgement without a subordinating reporting frame.
| Summary in these examples | Free indirect continuation in the given viewpoint |
|---|---|
| Nora doutait de son choix. | Avait-elle vraiment choisi la bonne porte ? |
| Malik regrettait d’être resté. | Quelle sottise ! Il aurait dû partir. |
| Léa espérait un retour rapide. | Il reviendrait bientôt, sans doute. Demain peut-être. |
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Third person is shared by both
Elle can appear in direct quotations, indirect reports, free indirect thought and ordinary description. An exclamation can also belong to a narrator. Use the preceding attention, knowledge and emotional position to support your attribution. If those clues are absent, acknowledge that the source of a judgement may remain open.