Definisi / Penjelasan
Reported speech memungkinkan kita memberi tahu apa yang dikatakan orang lain tanpa mengulang kata-kata aslinya secara persis. Ketika reporting verb berada pada past, bahasa Inggris sering menggeser tense satu langkah ke belakang. Ini disebut backshift, dan membantu menunjukkan bahwa kata-kata aslinya diucapkan lebih awal. Namun, backshift tidak selalu wajib, terutama jika informasinya masih benar sekarang. Keterampilan utamanya adalah memahami hubungan antara pesan asli, waktu pelaporan, dan realitas saat ini.
Aturan Utama
- Gunakan reporting verb seperti said, told, explained, atau mentioned.
- Tense sering bergeser ke belakang: am -> was, have done -> had done, will -> would.
- Say tidak mengambil direct object dengan cara yang sama seperti tell: He said that... / He told me that...
- Pronouns, kata waktu, dan kata tempat juga dapat berubah.
- Backshift sering tidak perlu jika pernyataannya masih jelas benar sekarang.
Contoh
- He said that he was tired. - Dia berkata bahwa dia lelah.
- She told me that she had left early. - Dia memberi tahu saya bahwa dia sudah pergi lebih awal.
- They said they would call later. - Mereka berkata mereka akan menelepon nanti.
- I told her that the meeting was cancelled. - Saya memberi tahu dia bahwa rapatnya dibatalkan.
- He said that the earth is round. - Dia berkata bahwa bumi itu bulat.
Kesalahan Umum
- ❌ 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.