Dialogue
Relay a French message: requests, questions and reported speech
Follow Marc as he passes Léa’s travel message to Nora. Practise pronouns, a future viewed from the past, requests with de and questions with si.
- B1
- 10 lines
- Practice mode
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In short
Keep the person and the action clear before changing the grammar. A statement uses dire que, a request can use demander de, and a yes/no question uses demander si. Name the day when demain could confuse the listener.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
How do you pass on a message in French?
- Léa
Je serai à la gare demain à neuf heures.
I’ll be at the station tomorrow at nine.
- Léa
J’ai mon billet. Attends-moi devant l’entrée.
I have my ticket. Wait for me outside the entrance.
- Léa
Est-ce que tu peux prévenir Nora ? Ne pars pas sans moi.
Can you let Nora know? Don’t leave without me.
It is now Tuesday morning. Marc speaks to Nora before the meeting. Monday’s demain means Tuesday. In the dialogue, Marc chooses a past reporting viewpoint, so je serai becomes elle serait. The meeting is still ahead at the moment he relays the message.
- Nora
Tu as eu des nouvelles de Léa ?
English
Have you heard from Léa?
- Marc
Oui. Elle m’a dit qu’elle serait à la gare mardi à neuf heures.
Report where and when Léa said she would be.
English
Yes. She told me she would be at the station on Tuesday at nine.
- Nora
Elle a déjà son billet ?
English
Does she already have her ticket?
- Marc
Elle m’a dit qu’elle avait son billet.
Report what Léa said about her ticket, using the past viewpoint.
English
She told me she had her ticket.
- Nora
Où est-ce qu’on l’attend ?
English
Where do we wait for her?
- Marc
Elle m’a demandé de l’attendre devant l’entrée.
Report her instruction to wait outside the entrance. Marc was the person addressed.
English
She asked me to wait for her outside the entrance.
- Nora
Elle t’a demandé de me prévenir ?
English
Did she ask you to let me know?
- Marc
Elle m’a demandé si je pouvais te prévenir.
Report her yes/no question. You are Marc, talking to Nora.
English
She asked me whether I could let you know.
- Nora
On peut partir avant elle ?
English
Can we leave before her?
- Marc
Elle m’a demandé de ne pas partir sans elle.
Report the negative instruction; keep Léa as the person to wait for.
English
She asked me not to leave without her.
| In Léa’s message | In Marc’s report to Nora | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| je | elle | Léa |
| tu | je | Marc |
| moi | elle / l’ | Léa |
| Nora | te | Nora, the current listener |
| demain | mardi | The day after Monday |
The travel message in four objects
Find: