Quand mes apprenants me racontent une histoire qui leur est arrivée, ils ont souvent de la difficulté avec le discours indirect. En effet, on ne peut pas utiliser ‘aujourd’hui’, ‘demain’, ‘dans deux jours’ etc. quand on raconte une histoire au passé. Savez-vous comment traduire ces expressions?
1. Today -> that day
Direct speech : I don’t have anything to do today.
Indirect speech when you retell the story : I didn’t have anything to do that day
2. Tomorrow -> the following day / the day after
Direct speech : ‘I’ll visit you tomorrow.’
Indirect speech when you retell the story : He said he would visit me the following day (or the day after)
3. Yesterday -> the previous day / the day before
Direct speech : You found out about your brother yesterday, didn’t you.
Indirect speech : He had found out about his brother the previous day (or the day before).
4. Next week -> the following week / the week after
Direct speech : We should hang out next week.
Indirect speech : He told me we should hang out the following week (or the week after).
5. Last week -> the previous week / the week before
Direct speech : I’m glad we talked last week.
Indirect speech : I was glad we had talked the previous week (or the week before).
6. 5 months ago -> 5 months earlier / 5 months before
Direct speech : I moved in 5 months ago.
Indirect speech : I had moved in 5 months earlier (or 5 months before).
7. In 2 weeks -> 2 weeks later / 2 weeks after
Direct speech : I’ll call you in 2 weeks when I get back.
Indirect : she said she would call me 2 weeks later when she got back.
8. Now -> at that time / then
Direct speech : I’m having breakfast now.
Indirect speech : I was having breakfast then (or at that time).
9. Here -> there
Direct speech : I don’t want to be here!
Indirect speech : I didn’t want to be there!
You won’t believe what happened to me! 3 days ago, I was in the street going to the gym and I bumped into a guy I had met the previous day. He asked me if I had any free time the week after because he wanted to have a talk with me. I was so curious, I asked me if we could meet later that day instead and he said yes. So, we met and he announced me we were brother and sister.
Prenez des cours d’anglais avec Help! Mon Anglais pour travailler votre oral. Les formations sont éligibles au CPF! Voir les programmes
