Sequence of tenses in reported speech

Level 4

When reporting what someone said in the past (e.g., 'He said that...'), the tense of the original statement must shift backward to maintain temporal logic.

How It Works

The concordance des temps (sequence of tenses) is essential for clarity in narrative. When the reporting verb (like dire, croire, or penser) is in the past, the subordinate clause (often introduced by que, si, or de) must reflect the time relative to that past moment. Note: If the reporting verb is in the present or future (e.g., Il dit que...), no tense shifts occur, though time indicators may still change depending on the actual time of reporting.

1. Tense Shifts:
• Present → Imparfait (Simultaneity)
• Passé Composé/Passé Simple → Plus-que-parfait (Anteriority)
• Futur Simple → Conditionnel Présent (Posteriority)
• Futur Proche → Aller in the imparfait + infinitive
• Futur Antérieur → Conditionnel Passé

2. No Change Rule:
If the original speech was already in the imparfait, plus-que-parfait, or conditionnel, the tense does not shift. For the subjunctive mood, modern everyday French keeps the subjonctif présent or subjonctif passé unchanged. However, in strict formal or literary French, the present subjunctive shifts to the imparfait du subjonctif, and the past subjunctive shifts to the plus-que-parfait du subjonctif.

3. Reported Commands:
An imperative (command) shifts to de + infinitive.
Direct: « Partez ! » → Indirect: Il leur a dit de partir.

4. Reported Questions:
When reporting questions in the past, the tense shifts apply, and the question words change:
• Yes/No questions (est-ce que) → si
• Qu'est-ce que / que → ce que
• Qu'est-ce qui → ce qui
• Other question words (où, quand, comment) → remain the same.

5. Pronoun and Adjective Shifts:
Personal pronouns, possessive adjectives, and demonstrative adjectives must shift to match the new perspective:
• je → il/elle
• mon/ma/mes → son/sa/ses
• ce/cette → ce...-là/cette...-là

6. Time and Place Markers:
Markers shift to maintain the past perspective:
• maintenant → à ce moment-là (at that moment)
• demain → le lendemain (the next day)
• hier → la veille (the day before)
• aujourd'hui → ce jour-là (that day)
• il y a [temps] → [temps] plus tôt / auparavant (before)
• dans [temps] → [temps] plus tard / après (later)
• ici → là (there)

Note: For universal truths (e.g., 'The Earth is round'), the backshift is optional to emphasize the fact is still true.

Examples (6)

  1. Il m'a dit qu'il travaillait sur un nouveau projet.

    He told me he was working on a new project.

    Word by Word: He me has told that he was working on a new project.

    The original statement was 'I am working' (present). Because 'a dit' is past, the verb shifts to the imparfait.

  2. Elle a affirmé qu'elle avait déjà vu ce film.

    She claimed that she had already seen this movie.

    Word by Word: She has affirmed that she had already seen this movie.

    The original was 'I have seen' (passé composé). It shifts to the plus-que-parfait to show it happened before she spoke.

  3. Nous pensions qu'ils arriveraient à l'heure.

    We thought they would arrive on time.

    Word by Word: We were thinking that they would arrive at the hour.

    The original thought was 'They will arrive' (future). In the past context, we use the conditionnel présent.

  4. Le professeur nous a dit de faire nos devoirs.

    The teacher told us to do our homework.

    Word by Word: The teacher us has told of to do our homework.

    The original command was 'Faites vos devoirs !' (imperative). In reported speech, the imperative shifts to 'de + infinitive'.

  5. Il a dit qu'il avait déjà fini son travail.

    He said that he had already finished his work.

    Word by Word: He has said that he had already finished his work.

    If the original speech was already in the plus-que-parfait, the tense remains unchanged in reported speech.

  6. Elle a dit qu'elle serait rentrée avant la nuit.

    She said she would have returned before nightfall.

    Word by Word: She has said that she would be returned before the night.

    The original was 'I will have returned' (futur antérieur). It shifts to the conditionnel passé in the past reported context.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the future tense when you tell the story from the past.

    Il a dit qu'il viendra demain.
    Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.

    When you tell the story from a past point of view, the futur simple becomes the conditionnel présent and 'demain' becomes 'le lendemain'. The futur simple is still fine when the event is still ahead of you now ('Il a dit qu'il viendra demain' means he will come tomorrow).

  • Using 'demain' where the story needs 'le lendemain'.

    Different MeaningHier, il a dit qu'il finirait demain.
    Hier, il a dit qu'il finirait le lendemain.

    'Hier, il a dit qu'il finirait demain' is correct when 'demain' means tomorrow from now. 'Le lendemain' means the day after he spoke, which here is today. Use 'demain' for tomorrow from your point of view and 'le lendemain' for the day after a moment in the story.

  • Using the subjunctive in reported speech for a command.

    Il a dit qu'il parte.
    Il lui a dit de partir.

    While the subjunctive is used for wishes, a direct command (imperative) is reported using 'de' followed by an infinitive.

How It Connects

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Sequence of tenses in reported speechLevel 4

Learn This First

To learn the sequence of tenses in reported speech, you must first be comfortable with the basic mechanics of indirect discourse. You also need a solid grasp of the 'backshift' target tenses: the imparfait (for the present), the plus-que-parfait (for the passé composé), and the conditionnel présent (for the futur simple).

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