Nel passaggio dal discorso diretto al discorso indiretto sovente
mutano alcuni elementi della frase. Vediamo un esempio in italiano:
Lo stesso avviene anche in inglese, il più delle volte in modo
del tutto simile all'italiano. Si notino, negli esempi che seguono,
le parole in rosso, che rappresentano i vocaboli che hanno subito un
mutamento.
|
DISCORSO
DIRETTO
|
DISCORSO INDIRETTO
|
|
Mrs Smith:
“Children don’t go to
school on Saturdays in Britain. “
|
Mrs Smith
says (that) children do not go to school on Saturdays in Britain.
|
|
John: “My
sister is doing her best.”
|
John is
saying (that) his
sister is doing her best.
|
|
George: “My
wife and I
wouldn’t like to
live in a small town.”
|
George has
just said (that) he
and his
wife would
not like to live in a small town.
|
|
The Browns:
“We’ve
been to Italy.”
|
The Browns
are saying (that) they
have been to Italy.
|
|
Jane: “I
never drink wine.”
|
Jane is
saying (that) she
never drinks
wine.
|
|
Bob: “I
can’t speak French.”
|
Bob is
saying (that) he
can’t speak French.
|
|
Allan: “I
have no Italian books
now.”
|
Last night
Allan said (that) he
had no Italian books then.
|
|
Andrew:
“This
book has always been here
on my
desk.”
|
Andrew has
just said (that) that
book has always been there
on his
desk.
|
|
Audrey:
“When do you
go to school in your
country?”
|
Audrey
asked them when they
go to school in their
country.
|
Come si può vedere dagli esempi precedenti e da altri che
seguiranno, nel passaggio dal discorso diretto all’indiretto
avvengono mutamenti:
Disse che
lei Luigi l’aveva
visto solo il giorno prima.