Gap-fill
Aujourd’hui, demain, ici: a reported-speech gap-fill
Follow a Monday conversation in Lyon into a Wednesday report in Paris. Fill the time and place expressions while keeping the original dates clear.
- B1
- 7 gaps
- Translation included
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
Change a time or place expression when the report would otherwise point to a different day or location. Monday’s demain means Tuesday; a report written on Wednesday can say le lendemain or mardi. An immediate report can keep demain when both speakers mean the same day.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
How do aujourd’hui and demain change in reported speech?
| Léa says on Monday | What she means | A later report can say |
|---|---|---|
| aujourd’hui | Monday | ce jour-là |
| hier | Sunday | la veille |
| demain | Tuesday | le lendemain |
| après-demain | Wednesday | deux jours plus tard |
| la semaine prochaine | The week after the conversation | la semaine suivante |
| maintenant | The moment of Monday’s conversation | à ce moment-là |
| ici | Lyon | à Lyon |
These expressions follow the original conversation in the story below. La veille means the day before that conversation. Le lendemain means the day after it. A named day or place also works when the reader needs a more explicit reference.
What Léa says on Monday
- Léa
Je travaille ici aujourd’hui. Hier, j’étais en congé.
I’m working here today. Yesterday I was on leave.
- Léa
Je partirai demain et je reviendrai après-demain.
I’ll leave tomorrow and return the day after tomorrow.
- Léa
La semaine prochaine, je travaillerai chez moi. Maintenant, je dois finir.
Next week I’ll work at home. Now I have to finish.
It is now Wednesday. Sami is in Paris, writing about Monday’s conversation. Complete his account with the expressions from the reference table. For the final gap, name the original city. The verb tenses are supplied so you can concentrate on the dates and location.
Mercredi, Sami transmet le message
Lundi, j’ai parlé à Léa à Lyon. Elle m’a dit qu’elle travaillait (aujourd’hui → expression du tableau) et que, (hier → expression du tableau), elle était en congé. Elle m’a aussi dit qu’elle partirait (demain → expression du tableau).
Elle a ajouté qu’elle reviendrait (après-demain → expression du tableau). Son retour était donc prévu pour mercredi. Elle a précisé qu’elle travaillerait chez elle (la semaine prochaine → expression du tableau).
Elle m’a enfin expliqué qu’elle devait finir (maintenant → expression du tableau). Moi, je suis à Paris maintenant, mais lundi, Léa travaillait (ici → nommez la ville).
Read it in English
On Monday, I spoke to Léa in Lyon. She told me she was working that day and that the day before she had been on leave. She also told me she would leave the next day.
She added that she would return two days later. Her return was therefore planned for Wednesday. She specified that she would work at home the following week.
Finally, she explained that she had to finish at that moment. I am in Paris now, but on Monday Léa was working in Lyon.
Now try an immediate report
Léa vient de me dire qu’elle part demain.
Léa has just told me she is leaving tomorrow.
The conversation and report happen on the same day, so both speakers mean the same next day.