4-3. Изменение грамматического времени при преобразовании прямой речи в косвенную

A. Если reporting verb употребляется в грамматическом настоящем или будущем времени, время в придаточном клозе обычно не меняется:

I don't want to play any more. → He says he doesn't want to play any more.
We need some help… → I'll tell her you need some help.
Taxes will be raised. → The government has announced that taxes will be raised.

B. Если reporting verb дается в прошедшем времени, то в сравнении с тем, как предложение звучало бы, если бы он был в настоящем времени, происходят следующие изменения:

1. НАСТОЯЩЕЕ ВРЕМЯ

Смысловой глагол или оператор меняет форму настоящего времени на форму прошедшего:

(1) Present Simple → Past Simple

'The road is closed.' → I tell you the road is closed. → I told you the road was closed.
I need help. → She thought she needed help.
'I don't want anything to eat.' → Jack said that he didn't want anything to eat.

BILL (on Saturday evening): I don't like this party. I want to go home now.
PETER (on Sunday morning): Bill said that he didn't like the party, and he wanted to go home. (не 'Bill said that he doesn't like the party' и 'Bill doesn't like the party yesterday and goes home'.

(2) Present Continuous → Past Continuous

'They are repairing it.' → I tell you they are repairing it. I told you they were repairing it.
'I'm leaving!' → Bob announced that he was leaving.
My English is getting better. → I knew my English was getting better.
'Are you going to London?’ → Jane asked me if I was going to London.

(3) Present Perfect → Past Perfect

'The bridge has collapsed.' → I tell you the bridge has collapsed. → I told you the bridge had collapsed.
This has been a wonderful holiday. → She told me that it had been a wonderful holiday.

MODALS

Will , can, may

(1) → would, could, might (если речь идет о прошлом)

'No one can cross it.' → I tell you no one can cross it. I told you no one could cross it.
I can fly! → Poor chap – he thought he could fly.
We may come back early. → They said they might come back early.
The exam will be difficult. → They said that the exam would be difficult.

(2) → will, can, may (глагол в главном предложении в настоящем времени и по-прежнему существующая или предполагаемая в будущем ситуация)

'The problem can be solved.' -» They said the problem can/could be solved.

Сравним:

'I'll be in Paris at Christmas.' → She tells me she'll be in Paris at Christmas.
'Careful! You'll fall through the ice!' → 1 warned him he would fall through the ice.

(3) → will/would, can/could, may/might (глагол в прошедшем времени в главном предложении и существующая сейчас или предполагаемая ситуация).

Shall → would, should

'I shall (I'll) call you on Monday.' → She told me she would call me on Monday.

Но когда shall употреблялось в предложениях что-либо сделать, просьбах о совете и т.п., употребляется только should:

'Where shall I put this box?' → He asked where he should put the box.

Must (необходимость) → must/had to

'You must go.' He said we must/=had to go
It must be pretty late. I really must go. → She said it must be pretty late and she really must go.
'You must be home by 9 o'clock.' → She said I must/had to be home by 9 o'clock.

(had в разговорной речи звучит естественнее)

Must (предположение) → must

'I keep forgetting things. I must be getting old.' → Neil said he must be getting old.

Mustn’t → mustn’t
(не didn't have to):

'You mustn't tell my brother.' He warned me that I mustn't tell his brother.

needn’t → needn’t

You needn't pretend to be sorry. → I said he needn't pretend ...

■ Модальный глагол может появляться в косвенной речи, хотя его и не было в прямой:

'You're not allowed to smoke here.' → She told me that I mustn't smoke there.
'My advice is to look for a new job now.' → She said that I should look for a new job now.

■ Те же правила применимы к that-клоз, следующим за wish:

The road is closed, but I wish it wasn't (closed).
It isn't open, but I wish it was (open)
The bridge has collapsed, but I wish it hadn't (collapsed).
We can't cross it, but I wish we could (cross it).
I stopped for tea, but I wish I hadn't (stopped for tea).
I'll help you. Oh, I wish you would (help me).

■ Чаще всего настоящее время меняется на прошедшее даже в тех случаях, когда то, что говорилось в прошлом справедливо и сейчас:

I'm British. → I told the police I was British. (говорящий по-прежнему британец)
You can use my car today. → Your mother said I could use her car today. Have you got the keys?
How old are you? → Didn't you hear me? I asked how old you were.
That is my seat. → Sorry, I didn't realise this was your seat.

Но часто можно и сохранить то время, которое было в прямой речи, и выбор в таких случаях обычно за говорящим:

The earth goes round the sun. → He proved that the earth goes/went round the sun.
How old are you? → Are you deaf? I asked how old you are/were.
It will be windy tomorrow. → The forecast said it will/would be windy tomorrow.

В случае, если говорящий не согласен с утверждением или сомневается в его справедливости, то обычно грамматическое время меняется по сравнению с оригинальным высказыванием:

The Greeks thought that the sun went round the earth. (не ... that the sun goes round the earth.)
She just said she was fourteen! I don't believe her for a moment.
He announced that profits were higher than forecast.

Sarah told me that she has two houses (можно предположить, что это правда).
Sarah told me that she had two houses (можно предположить, что а) это, возможно, не так, б) что она имела два дома в прошлом, но не сейчас).

Время не меняется, если говорящий хочет подчеркнуть, что ситуация не изменилась:

I told you (that) the road is closed/the bridge has collapsed/no one can cross it.

2. ПРОШЕДШЕЕ ВРЕМЯ

(1) past simple → past perfect

Ann grew up in Kenya.
I found out that Ann had grown up in Kenya.

'We have found the missing girl.' → Last night police said that they had found the missing girl.
'The floods weakened it.' → I tell you the floods weakened it. → I told you the floods (had) weakened it.
I've just written to John. → She told me she had just written to John.
I saw Penny at the theatre a couple of days ago. → In his letter, he said he'd seen Penny at the theatre a couple of days before.

Если из контекста ясна очередность действий, то можно употреблять и простое прошедшее:

'I've sent out the invitations. I did it well before the wedding.' → She reassured me that she sent out the invitations well before the wedding, (or...had sent...)
I told you John (had) phoned this morning, didn't I?
We were glad to hear you (had) enjoyed your trip to Denmark.
This man on TV said that dinosaurs were around for 250 million years. (не .... that dinosaurs had been around ... )

(2) Past perfect → past perfect

'The bridge had collapsed.' → I told you the bridge had collapsed.
I arrived late because I had lost the address. → He said he had arrived late because he had lost the address.

(3) Модальные глаголы would, should, could, might, ought (а также had better и used to) после преобразования в прошедшую косвенную речь не меняются.

'I could meet you at the airport.' → He said that he could meet us at the airport.
'You should have contacted me earlier.' → She said I should have contacted her earlier.
'I could see you at eight.' → I said I could see you at eight.
It would be nice if I could see you again. → He said it would be nice if he could see me again.
It might be too late. → I was afraid that it might be too late.
It would be nice if we could meet.
He said it would be nice if we could meet.

■ С первым лицом shall и should меняются на would (из-за изменения лица)

We shall/should be delighted to come. → They said they would be delighted to come.