Reported Speech (Indirecte Rede) - Complex Sentences and Shifts

Reported Speech (Indirecte Rede) - Complex Sentences and Shifts (B2)

B2 level reported speech builds upon B1 by requiring greater accuracy and handling more complex original sentences, including consistent application of shifts in tense, pronouns, and other references (time/place adverbs).

Review of B1 Concepts:

Reporting statements (dat-clause), yes/no questions (of-clause), Wh-questions (question word clause), commands/requests (om te infinitive or dat-clause with modal).
Basic tense shifts (present -> past, past -> past perfect) when reporting verb is past.
Basic pronoun and adverb shifts.

B2 Focus - Increased Complexity and Accuracy:

Consistent Tense Shifts (Backshifting): Mastery of applying tense shifts systematically when the reporting verb is in a past tense (zei, vroeg, vertelde, etc.).

Direct Present (ik werk) -> Indirect Past (hij zei dat hij werkte)
Direct Past/Perfect (ik werkte/heb gewerkt) -> Indirect Past Perfect (hij zei dat hij had gewerkt)
Direct Past Perfect (ik had gewerkt) -> Indirect Past Perfect (hij zei dat hij had gewerkt - no further shift)
Direct Future (ik zal werken) -> Indirect Conditional (hij zei dat hij zou werken)
Direct Conditional (ik zou werken) -> Indirect Conditional (hij zei dat hij zou werken)
Direct Conditional Perfect (ik zou gewerkt hebben) -> Indirect Conditional Perfect (hij zei dat hij gewerkt zou hebben)
No Shift Rule: Tenses generally do not shift if the reporting verb is in the present tense (zegt, vraagt) or if the reported statement expresses a general truth or ongoing situation.
Example: De leraar zegt dat Parijs de hoofdstad van Frankrijk is. (The teacher says that Paris is the capital of France.)

Complex Pronoun and Possessive Shifts: Accurately changing all relevant pronouns (subject, object, possessive) based on the perspective shift.

Direct: "Ik heb mijn boek aan jou gegeven," zei Marie tegen Piet.
Indirect: Marie zei tegen Piet dat zij haar boek aan hem had gegeven.

Accurate Time and Place Adverb Shifts: Consistently changing adverbs when the reporting context requires it (especially with past reporting verbs).

nu (now) -> toen (then)
vandaag (today) -> die dag (that day)
gisteren (yesterday) -> de dag ervoor / de vorige dag (the day before)
morgen (tomorrow) -> de volgende dag / de dag erna (the next/following day)
hier (here) -> daar (there)
Direct: "Ik kom morgen hier," zei hij.
Indirect: Hij zei dat hij de volgende dag daar zou komen.

Reporting Complex Sentences: Handling direct speech that contains multiple clauses, conditional structures, or other complexities, maintaining the logical connections and applying shifts correctly throughout.

Direct: "Als het regent, blijf ik thuis, omdat ik geen zin heb om nat te worden."
Indirect (example): Ze zei dat als het regende, ze thuis zou blijven, omdat ze geen zin had om nat te worden.

Reporting Verbs Nuance: Using a wider range of reporting verbs beyond zeggen and vragen, such as beweren (to claim), toegeven (to admit), beloven (to promise), uitleggen (to explain), adviseren (to advise), ontkennen (to deny), voorstellen (to suggest), etc., and knowing the structures they require.

Example: Hij ontkende dat hij de fout had gemaakt. (He denied that he had made the mistake.)

Key Takeaways for B2:

Focus on accuracy and consistency in applying all necessary shifts (tense, pronoun, adverb).
Practice reporting more complex sentences with multiple clauses.
Expand the repertoire of reporting verbs.
Be particularly mindful of tense shifts when the reporting verb is in the past.