Lycée · 2ⁿᵈᵉ · Anglais (LVA)
Le discours rapporté
Transformer le discours direct en discours indirect : règles de concordance des temps et de changement des pronoms (programme de 2nde)
À propos de cette page
Ce cours de anglais (lva) en seconde sur « Le discours rapporté » suit le programme officiel de anglais (lva) de seconde. Il présente les définitions, les propriétés et les méthodes essentielles, accompagnées d'exemples résolus pour bien comprendre. Au programme : Discours direct vs discours indirect : définitions, Les verbes introducteurs : say, tell, ask et autres, La concordance des temps (backshift), Les changements de pronoms et de références temporelles. Chaque notion est expliquée pas à pas, puis mise en pratique grâce à des exercices interactifs, un QCM et une évaluation corrigée. Idéal pour réviser à son rythme, combler ses lacunes et progresser, en autonomie ou avec un professeur. Cours rédigé par un professeur particulier à Marseille pour aider les élèves de seconde à réussir en anglais (lva).
1
Discours direct vs discours indirect : définitions
Lorsque l'on rapporte les paroles de quelqu'un, on a deux options :
Discours direct (direct speech). On cite les paroles mot pour mot, entre guillemets ou après deux-points.
She said: "I love reading."Discours indirect (reported / indirect speech). On rapporte les paroles sans les citer textuellement. Les guillemets disparaissent, le temps et les pronoms changent.
She said (that) she loved reading.Le mot that introduit la proposition subordonnée au discours indirect. Il est souvent facultatif à l'oral.
Exemple.
Direct : Tom said: "The film is great."
Indirect : Tom said (that) the film was great.
Direct : Tom said: "The film is great."
Indirect : Tom said (that) the film was great.
2
Les verbes introducteurs : say, tell, ask et autres
Le choix du verbe introducteur est crucial. Les deux plus courants sont say et tell, mais ils ne s'utilisent pas de la même façon.
| Verbe | Structure | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| say | say (that) + proposition Pas de complément de personne direct | She said (that) she was tired. |
| tell | tell + quelqu'un + (that) + proposition Complément de personne obligatoire | She told me (that) she was tired. |
| ask | ask + (quelqu'un) + if/whether / mot interrogatif | He asked if I was ready. |
| add | add (that) + proposition | She added that she was exhausted. |
| explain | explain (that) + proposition | He explained that the train was late. |
| admit | admit (that) + proposition | She admitted she had been wrong. |
| promise | promise (that) + proposition / to + inf. | He promised he would come. |
| warn | warn + quelqu'un + (that) / not to + inf. | She warned us that it was dangerous. |
Attention ! On dit He said that… mais He told me that… (jamais He told that… ni He said me that…).
3
La concordance des temps (backshift)
Lorsque le verbe introducteur est au passé (said, told, asked…), les temps de la proposition rapportée reculent d'un cran : c'est le backshift (recul des temps).
Règle du backshift. Si le verbe introducteur est au passé, on applique le tableau suivant :
| Discours direct | Discours indirect |
|---|---|
| Present simple : am/is/are | Past simple : was/were |
| Present continuous : am/is/are + -ing | Past continuous : was/were + -ing |
| Past simple : V-ed / V2 | Past perfect : had + V3 |
| Present perfect : have/has + V3 | Past perfect : had + V3 |
| Will | Would |
| Can | Could |
| May | Might |
| Must | Had to / Must (obligation permanente) |
| Should | Should (inchangé) |
| Would / Could / Might | Inchangés |
Exemples.
Direct : "I will help you."
Indirect : She said she would help me.
Direct : "I have finished my homework."
Indirect : He said he had finished his homework.
Direct : "We can come tomorrow."
Indirect : They said they could come the next day.
Direct : "I will help you."
Indirect : She said she would help me.
Direct : "I have finished my homework."
Indirect : He said he had finished his homework.
Direct : "We can come tomorrow."
Indirect : They said they could come the next day.
Astuce. Le backshift est obligatoire quand le fait rapporté n'est plus forcément vrai au moment où l'on parle. Si la vérité reste générale ("Water boils at 100°C"), le présent peut rester : She said that water boils at 100°C.
4
Les changements de pronoms et de références temporelles
Au discours indirect, les pronoms personnels et les références de temps et de lieu changent pour s'adapter à la situation de communication.
Changements de pronoms (exemples) :
| Direct | Indirect (contexte courant) |
|---|---|
| I | he / she |
| we | they |
| you | I / we / he / she / they (selon le contexte) |
| my | his / her |
| our | their |
Changements de références temporelles :
| Discours direct | Discours indirect |
|---|---|
| now | then / at that moment |
| today | that day |
| yesterday | the day before / the previous day |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| last week | the week before / the previous week |
| next week | the following week |
| ago | before / previously |
| here | there |
| this / these | that / those |
Exemple complet.
Direct : Alice said: "I will see you tomorrow at this place."
Indirect : Alice said she would see me the next day at that place.
Direct : Alice said: "I will see you tomorrow at this place."
Indirect : Alice said she would see me the next day at that place.
5
Rapporter des questions (reported questions)
Au discours indirect, les questions perdent leur structure interrogative : pas d'inversion sujet-verbe, pas de do/does/did auxiliaire, pas de point d'interrogation. L'ordre des mots redevient affirmatif.
Questions fermées (yes/no questions).
On utilise ask + if / whether + sujet + verbe.
On utilise ask + if / whether + sujet + verbe.
"Are you ready?" → He asked if I was ready."Do you like jazz?" → She asked whether I liked jazz.Questions ouvertes (Wh- questions).
On utilise ask + mot interrogatif + sujet + verbe.
On utilise ask + mot interrogatif + sujet + verbe.
"Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived."What time is it?" → She asked what time it was.Attention ! On ne garde pas l'inversion ni l'auxiliaire do/does/did.
FAUX : She asked wheredid I live.
JUSTE : She asked where I lived.
FAUX : She asked where
JUSTE : She asked where I lived.
Exemples supplémentaires.
"Who wrote this book?" → She asked who had written that book.
"How long have you been waiting?" → He asked how long I had been waiting.
"Who wrote this book?" → She asked who had written that book.
"How long have you been waiting?" → He asked how long I had been waiting.
6
Rapporter des ordres et des suggestions
Les ordres (imperatifs) et les
Ordres et conseils (tell / ask / order / advise).
Structure : verbe introducteur + quelqu'un + to + infinitif.
Structure : verbe introducteur + quelqu'un + to + infinitif.
"Open the window!" → She told him to open the window."Don't be late!" → He told us not to be late.Suggestions (suggest).
Attention : suggest ne se construit pas avec to + infinitif.
Structure : suggest + V-ing ou suggest + (that) + sujet + should + V.
Attention : suggest ne se construit pas avec to + infinitif.
Structure : suggest + V-ing ou suggest + (that) + sujet + should + V.
"Let's go to the cinema." → She suggested going to the cinema.→ She suggested (that) we should go to the cinema.Attention ! On dit She suggested going (JAMAIS She suggested to go).
| Type | Verbe introducteur | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Ordre / instruction | tell, order, instruct | + quelqu'un + to + inf. |
| Conseil | advise, encourage | + quelqu'un + to + inf. |
| Demande polie | ask, beg | + quelqu'un + to + inf. |
| Refus d'agir | refuse | + to + inf. |
| Promesse | promise | + to + inf. / (that) + prop. |
| Suggestion | suggest, recommend | + V-ing / (that) + should |
Exemples.
"Please be quiet!" → The teacher asked the students to be quiet.
"Don't touch that!" → She warned him not to touch that.
"Why don't we watch a film?" → He suggested watching a film.
"Please be quiet!" → The teacher asked the students to be quiet.
"Don't touch that!" → She warned him not to touch that.
"Why don't we watch a film?" → He suggested watching a film.
7
Cas particuliers et points de vigilance
Certaines situations ne suivent pas exactement les règles générales. Il est important de les connaître pour éviter les erreurs.
Vérité générale ou fait toujours vrai. Si ce qui est rapporté est une vérité permanente (scientifique, générale), le temps peut rester au présent.
The teacher said that the Earth revolves around the Sun.Verbe introducteur au présent. Si le verbe introducteur est au présent (says, tells, asks…), il n'y a pas de backshift.
He says he is tired. (présent = pas de changement)Modal would, could, might, should. Ces modaux ne changent pas au discours indirect.
"I would like a coffee." → She said she would like a coffee.Must vs had to. Must exprimant une obligation momentanée devient had to au discours indirect. Mais must exprimant une déduction logique reste must.
"You must leave now." → She said I had to leave then.
"He must be tired." → She said he must be tired.Say vs tell : récapitulatif. Say peut avoir un COI précédé de to : She said to me that… (mais c'est plus rare). Tell exige toujours un COI direct : She told me that…
Synthèse — exemples variés.
"I must go." → He said he had to go.
"She might be late." → He said she might be late.
"I could swim when I was young." → She said she could swim when she was young.
"I must go." → He said he had to go.
"She might be late." → He said she might be late.
"I could swim when I was young." → She said she could swim when she was young.
En bref
- Discours direct = paroles exactes entre guillemets ; discours indirect = paroles rapportées sans guillemets avec changements.
- say (pas de COI direct) vs tell (COI direct obligatoire).
- Backshift : quand le verbe introducteur est au passé, les temps reculent d'un cran (present → past, will → would, can → could…).
- Les pronoms et les références temporelles s'adaptent au contexte (I → he/she, now → then, tomorrow → the next day…).
- Questions : ordre affirmatif, if/whether pour les yes/no questions, mot Wh- + ordre affirmatif pour les questions ouvertes.
- Ordres : tell/ask + quelqu'un + to + infinitif (négatif : not to + infinitif).
- Suggestions : suggest + V-ing (jamais suggest + to + inf.).
Bloqué sur ce chapitre ?
Cours particuliers de anglais (lva) à Marseille, en présentiel ou à distance — un prof qui s'adapte à ton rythme et reprend ce qui coince.
Prof d'anglais à Marseille · Cours particuliers au lycée · Aide aux devoirs