伝達時、引用動詞が過去形(said / told)の場合、節の時制は通常一つ後退する:
- am / is → was; are → were; do / does → did。
- will → would; can → could; 現在完了 / 一般過去 → 過去完了。
直接引語: "I will help you," she said. (元の言葉)
間接引語:
她She 说said 她she 会would 帮help 我me.
她说她会帮我。(will → would, I → she, you → me)
人称代名詞と時間表現も変える: I → he / she, now → then, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day。
注意 普遍的事実を伝達する場合は、時制をずらさなくてもよい: He said the sun rises in the east.
よくある間違い
- ❌ ~~He said me the truth.~~ / ~~He told that he was busy.~~ → ✓ He told me… / He said (that)… — say は聞き手を置かず、tell は必ず聞き手を置く。これは逆であることに注意。
- ❌ ~~He asked me where did I live.~~ → ✓ He asked me where I lived. — 間接引語の疑問文は陳述語順に戻し、did を消す。
- ❌ ~~She asked me that I was hungry.~~ → ✓ She asked me if / whether I was hungry. — 間接引語の一般疑問文には that を使い、if / whether を用いる。
- ❌ ~~He said he will come tomorrow.~~ → ✓ He said he would come the next day. — 時制と時間表現は同時にずれる。