Le discours indirect au passé · trois repères
1 · At the time of the statement: imparfait
A present statement becomes an imparfait report when you keep the earlier viewpoint.
Léa a dit : « Je travaille à Lyon. »Léa said: “I work in Lyon.”
Léa a dit qu’elle travaillait à Lyon.Léa said that she worked in Lyon.
2 · Before the statement: plus-que-parfait
An event in the passé composé becomes earlier than the past reporting point.
Sami a expliqué : « J’ai déjà répondu. »Sami explained: “I’ve already replied.”
Sami a expliqué qu’il avait déjà répondu.Sami explained that he had already replied.
3 · After the statement: conditional
A future form becomes a future viewed from the past. The conditional here reports what was still ahead at the earlier speaking time.
Nora a annoncé : « Je viendrai vendredi. »Nora announced: “I’ll come on Friday.”
Nora a annoncé qu’elle viendrait vendredi.Nora announced that she would come on Friday.
4 · Some forms stay the same
An original imparfait, plus-que-parfait or conditional commonly keeps its form in a past report.
« J’étais prête. » → Elle a dit qu’elle était prête.“I was ready.” → She said that she was ready.
« J’avais terminé. » → Elle a dit qu’elle avait terminé.“I had finished.” → She said that she had finished.
5 · Keep a current fact current
A present report can state that something still holds now. An imparfait report places it at the earlier statement; it leaves the current situation open.
Elle m’a dit qu’elle travaille toujours à Lyon.She told me that she still works in Lyon.
6 · Move time words when the reporting day changes
Suppose a speaker says demain on Monday and you report it on Wednesday. Use le lendemain or name Tuesday. If you report on Monday itself, demain can still point to Tuesday.
Lundi, Léa a dit : « Je partirai demain. »On Monday, Léa said: “I’ll leave tomorrow.”
Mercredi, Sami a raconté que Léa avait dit qu’elle partirait le lendemain.On Wednesday, Sami said that Léa had said she would leave the following day.