Quoted / Reported Speech
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Reported speech
Who said or thought it?
advanced
advanced
Information structure
Signification
A structure that reports speech, thought, belief, command, or question directly or indirectly.
Comment le repérer
Ask whose words or thoughts are being represented.
Exemples
Mots
said|told|asked|thought|quoted
Expressions
he said that|she asked if|according to him
Phrase
She said that she was tired.
Visual guide
Basic shape
SPEAKER / THINKER
She said [that she was tired].
[reported thought]
Ask: whose words?
→ She represents them.
Compare shape
Direct quote: She said, "I am tired." Indirect report: She said [that she was tired]. Check shifts: I→she, am→was.
Vue par langue
Dans votre langue
French (standard)
Présence
strong
Importance
Reported speech uses reporting verbs, que, pronoun shifts, and sequence of tenses.
Elle a dit qu’elle était fatiguée.
She said that she was tired.
Dans la langue d’apprentissage
Japanese
Présence
strong
Difficulté
Reported speech commonly uses the quotative particle と and speech verbs.
彼女は疲れたと言った。
She said that she was tired.
Difficulté fréquente
Learners may omit と or mishandle tense and politeness inside quoted content.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.