Discurso indireto (1)

Tempo de leitura: menos de 1 minuto

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A: Have you heard this crazy story about Dave?
B: Yes. Jim told me. He told that said that / told me that Dave ate a fish and found a gold ring in it.
A: Do you believe in it? Which restaurant was this? Who else was there?
B: Well, Jim said told me that Ann was there.
A: What does she say? Has anyone spoken to her?
B: I haven’t, and when I saw Jim yesterday afternoon, he said that he hasn’t hadn’t spoken to her either.

Discurso direto (direct speech) versus discurso indireto (indirect speech)

• O que alguém diz pode ser citado diretamente ou relatado indiretamente.
  • Discurso direto
    • Ann said, “Tom is an idiot.”
    • A Ann disse: “O Tom é um idiota”.
  • Discurso indireto
    • Ann said that Tom was an idiot.
    • A Ann disse que o Tom é um idiota.
  • Pensamentos também podem ser relatados.
    • Pensamento: “Sally will be late.” > Relato: I thought/knew that Sally would be late.
• Say ou tell introduzem na maioria das vezes o discurso indireto. O verbo tell vem antes da pessoa a quem se diz algo. Quando essa pessoa não é mencionada, usa-se o verbo say.
  • He told me (told) that he knows London well.
  • Ele me disse que conhece bem Londres.
  • He said (said me) that he knows London well.
  • Ele disse que conhece bem Londres.
• Thatmuitas vezes é omitido.
  • Tony said that (said, that) he will be here at six.
  • Ann said she (said, she) loves fish.

Transposição temporal no discurso indireto

• Caso o verbo introdutório do discurso indireto esteja no passado (p. ex., said), o verbo da frase relatada freqüentemente é transposto para o passado.
  • presente > passado
    • “I feel ill.” > She said (that) she felt ill.
    • “I‘m working.” > She said (that) she was working.
  • present perfect> past perfect
    • “I‘ve had a dream”. > She said (that) she had had a dream.
  • can/may > could/might
    • “I can/may come.” > She said (that) she could/might come.
  • will > would
    • “I‘ll be there.” > She said (that) she would be there.
• Os verbos no passado (a não ser no present perfect) e os modal verbs could, might, should e wouldpermanecem quase todos inalterados.
  • passado
    • “We saw Tom there.” > She said they saw (ou: had seen) Tom there.
    • “He was smoking.” > She said he was (ou: had been) smoking.
  • past perfect
    • “I had eaten.” > She said she had eaten.
  • could / might / should
    • “I could help.” > She said she could help.
  • would
    • “I wouldn’t tell him.” > She said she wouldn’t tell him.

Cf. Gramática: Modal verbs (1): CAN
Cf. Gramática: Modal verbs (3): CAN, MAY, MIGHT, COULD
Cf. Present Perfect

• Uma transposição temporal não ocorre necessariamente quando o relatado vale ainda ou sempre.
  • “When I see him, I‘ll ask him.” > She said she‘ll ask him when she sees him. He’ll be here soon.
• A transposição temporal é escolhida pelo falante quando ele quer se distanciar do relatado e indicar que não garante a veracidade deste.
  • Político: “Inflation is low.” > Relato no jornal: The government said that inflation was low.

RESUMO

• Transposição temporal com o verbo introdutório no passado: presente > passado, present perfect > past perfect, can > could, may > might, will > would

Referência: “Grammar – No problem” – Christine House e John Stevens, Disal Editora, 2005. Leia a resenha.