Reported Speech: Guía Completa, Ejemplos y Test
El estilo indirecto (reported speech) se utiliza para transmitir lo que alguien dijo, sin repetir las palabras exactas. Es una herramienta esencial para la comunicación fluida en inglés. En esta guía, aprenderás las reglas clave para cambiar los tiempos verbales, pronombres y expresiones de tiempo, tanto en declaraciones como en preguntas y órdenes.
1. Reported Speech: Declaraciones
Para reportar una declaración, generalmente se usan los verbos `say` o `tell`. Lo más importante es el cambio de tiempo verbal, conocido como "backshift".
Reglas Básicas y Tense Shift
Estructura: Sujeto + said/told (me) + that + Sujeto + Verbo (en el pasado)
Directo: "I am happy."
Reportado: He said he was happy.
Directo: "I like coffee."
Reportado: She said she liked coffee.
Directo: "I bought a car."
Reportado: He said he had bought a car.
Directo: "We will go."
Reportado: They said they would go.
Directo: "I can swim."
Reportado: She said she could swim.
Directo: "I have seen that movie."
Reportado: He said he had seen that movie.
Directo: "I don't want to go."
Reportado: She said she didn't want to go.
Directo: "I must leave."
Reportado: He said he had to leave.
Directo: "The sun rises in the east."
Reportado: He said the sun rises in the east.
Directo: "I am running a marathon."
Reportado: She said she was running a marathon.
Cambios en Pronombres y Expresiones de Tiempo
Además del tiempo verbal, es fundamental ajustar los pronombres y las palabras que se refieren al tiempo y lugar.
Directo: "I saw you here today."
Reportado: He said he had seen me there that day.
Directo: "We will do it tomorrow."
Reportado: They said they would do it the next day.
Directo: "I found this yesterday."
Reportado: She said she had found that the day before.
Directo: "I am going now."
Reportado: He said he was going then.
Directo: "I will meet you here."
Reportado: He said he would meet me there.
Directo: "We have a meeting this week."
Reportado: They said they had a meeting that week.
Directo: "I went to the cinema last week."
Reportado: He said he had gone to the cinema the week before.
Directo: "I want to be a doctor in the future."
Reportado: She said she wanted to be a doctor in the future.
Directo: "I saw her 2 days ago."
Reportado: He said he had seen her 2 days before.
Directo: "This is my car."
Reportado: She said that was her car.
2. Reported Speech: Preguntas y Órdenes
Para reportar preguntas y órdenes, la estructura cambia. No se usa `that` y se modifica el orden de las palabras.
Preguntas (Yes/No Questions y WH-Questions)
Usa `asked` y no inviertas el orden del sujeto y el verbo.
Directo: "Do you live here?"
Reportado: He asked if I lived there.
Directo: "Where is she?"
Reportado: He asked where she was.
Directo: "Are you coming?"
Reportado: She asked if I was coming.
Directo: "When did you leave?"
Reportado: He asked when I had left.
Directo: "What are you doing?"
Reportado: They asked what I was doing.
Directo: "Will you help me?"
Reportado: She asked if I would help her.
Directo: "Why are you sad?"
Reportado: He asked why I was sad.
Directo: "Is the report finished?"
Reportado: The manager asked if the report was finished.
Directo: "Have you eaten?"
Reportado: She asked if I had eaten.
Directo: "How many dogs do you have?"
Reportado: He asked how many dogs I had.
Órdenes y Peticiones (Commands & Requests)
Usa verbos como `told`, `ordered` o `asked` seguidos de `to` + el verbo en infinitivo.
Directo: "Go away!"
Reportado: He told me to go away.
Directo: "Please help me."
Reportado: She asked me to help her.
Directo: "Don't open the door."
Reportado: He told me not to open the door.
Directo: "Wait here."
Reportado: She told me to wait there.
Directo: "Don't be late."
Reportado: They asked us not to be late.
Directo: "Can you pass the salt?"
Reportado: He asked me to pass the salt.
Directo: "Close the window."
Reportado: She ordered me to close the window.
Directo: "Please call me back."
Reportado: He asked me to call him back.
Directo: "Be quiet!"
Reportado: The teacher told us to be quiet.
Directo: "Can you do this for me?"
Reportado: She asked him to do that for her.
Resumen Comparativo de Reported Speech
Entiende rápidamente las diferencias entre las estructuras clave para elegir la correcta en cada situación.
Direct vs. Reported Speech
Direct Speech: Citas exactas.
"I am tired now."
Reported Speech: Paráfrasis de lo dicho.
He said he was tired then.
Say vs. Tell
Say: Se usa sin un objeto indirecto.
He said that he was happy.
Tell: Se usa con un objeto indirecto (me, him, her, etc.).
He told me that he was happy.
Pregunta vs. Orden
Pregunta Reportada: Usa `ask` y `if`/`whether` o un pronombre interrogativo. El orden es Sujeto + Verbo.
He asked if I was hungry.
Orden Reportada: Usa `tell`/`ask` y `to` + infinitivo.
He told me to go home.
¡Test de Práctica!
Convierte las oraciones del estilo directo al indirecto. Rellena los espacios en blanco con la palabra o palabras correctas.
Presiona el botón para empezar el test.
