Definition / Forklaring
Reported speech gør det muligt at gengive, hvad en anden sagde, uden at citere de præcise ord. Når reporting-verbet står i datid, flytter engelsk ofte tempus et trin tilbage. Det kaldes backshift, og det viser, at de oprindelige ord blev sagt tidligere. Backshift er dog ikke altid nødvendig, især når informationen stadig er sand. Den egentlige færdighed er at forstå forholdet mellem det oprindelige budskab, rapporteringstidspunktet og den nuværende virkelighed.
Nøgleregler
- Brug et reporting-verb som said, told, explained eller mentioned.
- Tempus flyttes ofte tilbage: am -> was, have done -> had done, will -> would.
- Say tager ikke direkte objekt på samme måde som tell: He said that... / He told me that...
- Pronominer, tidsord og stedsord kan også ændres.
- Backshift er ofte unødvendig, hvis udsagnet stadig tydeligt er sandt nu.
Eksempler
- He said that he was tired. - Han sagde, at han var træt.
- She told me that she had left early. - Hun fortalte mig, at hun var gået tidligt.
- They said they would call later. - De sagde, at de ville ringe senere.
- I told her that the meeting was cancelled. - Jeg fortalte hende, at mødet var aflyst.
- He said that the earth is round. - Han sagde, at jorden er rund.
Almindelige fejl
- ❌ He told that he was tired. -> ✅ He said that he was tired. / ✅ He told me that he was tired.
- ❌ She said me that she had left. -> ✅ She told me that she had left.
- ❌ They said they will call later. -> ✅ They said they would call later.