Usa el estilo indirecto con pretéritos para contar lo que alguien dijo en el pasado.
(Use reported speech with past tenses to tell what someone said in the past.)
- Verbs like decir, recordar, preguntar are used to form reported speech.
| Estilo Directo (Direct speech) | Estilo Indirecto (Reported speech) |
|---|---|
| Juan: "Me gusta negociar la oferta." (Juan: "I like negotiating the offer.") | Juan me dijo que le gustaba negociar la oferta. (Juan told me that he liked negotiating the offer.) |
| Ana: "Creo que la oferta es positiva." (Ana: "I think the offer is positive.") | Ana me dijo que creía que la oferta era positiva. (Ana told me that she thought the offer was positive.) |
| Pedro: "¿Vas a rechazar la contraoferta?" (Pedro: "Are you going to reject the counteroffer?") | Pedro me preguntó si iba a rechazar la contraoferta. (Pedro asked me if I was going to reject the counteroffer.) |
| Eva: "Sin duda, la oferta es excelente." (Eva: "Without a doubt, the offer is excellent.") | Eva me dijo que, sin duda, la oferta era excelente. (Eva told me that, without a doubt, the offer was excellent.) |
Exceptions!
- Pronouns can change depending on the context, like me, le, les. For example: Me gusta esta oferta. - Ella dijo que le gusta esta oferta.
Exercise 1: Multiple choice
Instruction: Choose the correct answer
1. Ayer, el jefe me dijo que la contraoferta ___ negativa.
Yesterday, the boss told me that the counteroffer ___ negative.2. En la reunión, Ana me dijo que ___ que el resultado era positivo.
In the meeting, Ana told me that ___ that the result was positive.3. Pedro me preguntó si ___ a rechazar la oferta.
Pedro asked me if ___ going to reject the offer.4. La clienta dijo que ___ gustaba negociar la condición.
The client said that ___ liked negotiating the condition.Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence in reported speech with the past tense.
Exercise 3: Grammar in action
Instruction: In pairs, tell a partner what each person said at the meeting.
- ¿Qué dijo el cliente sobre la oferta y las condiciones? (What did the client say about the offer and the terms?)
- ¿Qué preguntó alguien sobre rechazar la contraoferta y cómo respondisteis? ¿Por qué? (contadlo) ¿Qué opiniones fueron positivas o negativas y por qué? (What did someone ask about rejecting the counteroffer and how did you respond? Why? (tell it) What opinions were positive or negative and why?)
- Dijo que la oferta era positiva/negativa. (He/She said that the offer was positive/negative.)
- Preguntó si iba a rechazar la contraoferta. (He/She asked if he/she was going to reject the counteroffer.)
- Recordó que la condición era un compromiso necesario. (He/She reminded (everyone) that the condition was a necessary compromise.)
- Dijo que + pretérito imperfecto (He/She said that + pretérito imperfecto)
- Preguntó si + perífrasis de pasado (iba a + infinitivo) (He/She asked if + past periphrasis (iba a + infinitive))
- Recordó que + pretérito imperfecto (He/She reminded (everyone) that + pretérito imperfecto)
