What is Reported Speech?
Reported speech, or discours indirect, is a way to convey what someone said without using direct quotation marks. It involves changing pronouns, word order, and often tenses to reflect the speaker's perspective. For example, 'Il a dit qu'il était fatigué' (He said that he was tired) is reported speech.
Reported speech is the indirect conveyance of someone's words, converting direct quotation into dependent clauses with adjusted pronouns, tenses, and word order — a core French grammatical skill.
- •Quotation marks
- •Inverted word order (Elle a dit: ...)
- •Original tense
- •Original pronouns
- •No quotation marks
- •Normal word order
- •Tense often shifted back
- •Pronouns adjusted
Step-by-step worked examples
Convert to reported speech: 'Je vais à Paris demain', a-t-il dit.
Direct speech: 'Je vais à Paris demain' (I am going to Paris tomorrow) Reported: Il a dit qu'il allait à Paris le lendemain Changes: je→il, aller present→aller imparfait, demain→le lendemain
Convert: 'Elle a fini ses devoirs', a-t-elle déclaré.
Direct speech: 'Elle a fini ses devoirs' (She has finished her homework) Reported: Elle a déclaré qu'elle avait fini ses devoirs Changes: passé composé→plus-que-parfait, no pronoun change (3rd person)
Convert: 'Pourquoi es-tu en retard?', m'a-t-elle demandé.
Direct speech: 'Pourquoi es-tu en retard?' (Why are you late?) Reported: Elle m'a demandé pourquoi j'étais en retard Changes: Question inversion→declarative order, es-tu→j'étais, tu→je
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Convert: 'Je m'appelle Marie', a-t-elle dit.
Q2.Which is correct reported speech?
Q3.Reported speech: 'Veux-tu venir?', a-t-il demandé.
Q4.What tense follows passé composé in reported speech?
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What is Reported Speech?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
Not changing the tense in reported speech. — Correct: Shift tense back one step: présent→imparfait, passé composé→plus-que-parfait.
Keeping direct speech word order. — Correct: Reported speech uses normal word order, not inversion: 'Elle a demandé où je vais' not 'Elle a demandé où vais-je'.
Using 'que' for all reported speech. — Correct: Questions use 'si' (if/whether): 'Il a demandé si tu viens' — not 'que tu viens'.
Not changing pronouns. — Correct: Adjust pronouns to reflect the new perspective: 'Je suis fatigué' → 'Il a dit qu'il était fatigué'.
FAQ
What is reported speech in French?
Indirect speech (discours indirect) conveying someone's words with adjusted pronouns, tenses, and word order, without quotation marks.
How do tenses change in reported speech?
Tenses shift backward: présent→imparfait, passé composé→plus-que-parfait, futur→conditionnel.
How do questions become reported speech?
Use 'si' instead of question inversion: 'Où vas-tu?' → 'Il a demandé où tu allais'.
When do pronouns change?
Always adapt pronouns to the new perspective: the speaker's 'je' becomes the reported person's 'il/elle' or 'tu'.