英語例文 英文法

間接話法について（英語）

直接話法（元の文）を間接話法に変えるときは、主節の時制（一般的に過去形）に合わせて、元の文の時制をひとつ前の（ひとつ過去の）時制に変える。

You are smart. ⇒ He said you were smart.
He is a teacher. ⇒ He told me he was a teacher.
She is beautiful. ⇒ He told me she was beautiful.
It is broken. ⇒ He told me it was broken.
They are tired. ⇒ He told me they were tired.

上記のように、元の文が現在形であれば、間接話法では過去形になる。

They live in Russia. ⇒ He told me they lived in Russia.
They are living in Russia. ⇒ He told me they were living in Russia.
They lived in Russia. ⇒ He told me they had lived in Russia.
They were living in Russia. ⇒ He told me they had been living in Russia.
They will live in Russia. ⇒ He told me they would live in Russia.

元の文が過去形や現在完了形である場合は、間接話法では had＋過去分詞 を使う。will や can などの助動詞も過去形の would や could になる。

I like ice cream. ⇒ Rebecca said that she liked ice cream.
You ate dinner. ⇒ He said that you had eaten dinner.
She has broken up with her boyfriend. ⇒ She told me she had broken up with her boyfriend.
They can swim. ⇒ They told me they could swim.
He will pass the exam. ⇒ He told me he would pass the exam.