French · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 6 of 12
Public life
La vie publique
Report what was said and asked at a public meeting with every tense change, report instructions, and use the verbs of news reporting.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Report statements with every tense change
- Report questions and instructions
- Choose the right reporting verb: déclarer, affirmer, ajouter…
- Talk about local politics in neutral terms
Listen
In the newsroom of a regional newspaper in Metz, the young journalist Clémence Roche tells her editor, Jean-Marc Hoffmann, about last night's town council meeting. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Jean-Marc
Alors, comment s'est passé le conseil municipal ?
So, how did the council meeting go?
Clémence
Le projet de piscine a été voté, trente voix contre douze. Le maire a déclaré que c'était « une grande victoire pour tous les Messins ».
The swimming pool plan was approved, thirty votes to twelve. The mayor declared that it was “a great victory for everyone in Metz”.
Jean-Marc
Il a donné une date ?
Did he give a date?
Clémence
Oui. Il a affirmé que les travaux commenceraient en mars et que la piscine aurait ouvert ses portes avant l'été 2028.
Yes. He stated that work would start in March and that the pool would have opened its doors before summer 2028.
Jean-Marc
Et l'opposition ?
And the opposition?
Clémence
Elle a dénoncé un projet trop cher. Une conseillère a demandé au maire s'il avait vraiment étudié les autres solutions, et comment il comptait financer les travaux.
They criticised the plan as too expensive. One councillor asked the mayor whether he had really looked at the other options, and how he intended to pay for the work.
Jean-Marc
Qu'est-ce qu'il a répondu ?
What did he answer?
Clémence
Qu'une partie serait payée par la région, et que l'État avait promis une aide la veille. Il a ajouté qu'il ne fallait pas que la ville attende encore dix ans.
That part of it would be paid for by the region, and that the State had promised some funding the day before. He added that the town mustn't wait another ten years.
Jean-Marc
Il y a eu des tensions ?
Was there any tension?
Clémence
Un peu. À un moment, le maire a demandé aux conseillers de rester calmes et de le laisser finir.
A little. At one point, the mayor asked the councillors to stay calm and to let him finish.
Jean-Marc
Bon. Écris-moi un article pour demain matin, avec des citations des deux côtés. Et reste neutre.
Right. Write me an article for tomorrow morning, with quotes from both sides. And stay neutral.
Clémence
Bien sûr. J'ai tout enregistré : je vérifierai toutes les citations avant d'envoyer l'article.
Of course. I recorded everything: I'll check all the quotes before I send the article.
Understand
Reported speech: every tense change
When the reporting verb is in the past (, ), the tenses move back. You know the first three changes from B1. The futur antérieur becomes the conditionnel passé: →
The imparfait, the plus-que-parfait, the conditional and the subjunctive don't change. In → , only moves back; stays.
| What was said | Reported after … |
|---|---|
| present: | imparfait: … |
| passé composé: | plus-que-parfait: … |
| futur simple: | conditional: … |
| futur antérieur: | conditionnel passé: … |
| imparfait, plus-que-parfait, conditional, subjunctive | no change: … |
Reporting questions and instructions
A yes/no question is reported with : → Other question words stay, but becomes and becomes . The word order is the normal one, without inversion or : → …
An instruction becomes or + infinitive: → Time words change too: → , → .
- Il m'a demandé ce que je pensais du projet.He asked me what I thought of the plan.
- Elle voulait savoir ce qui s'était passé.She wanted to know what had happened.
- Le maire leur a dit de ne pas s'inquiéter.The mayor told them not to worry.
Verbs for reporting
News reports rarely repeat . Each reporting verb adds a nuance. and (according to) show that the words are someone else's, not the journalist's.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to state, to declare | ||
| to state firmly, to claim | ||
| to add | ||
| to point out, to specify | ||
| to admit | ||
| to criticise, to condemn |
More in the grammar: Reported speech: il a dit que… · The futur antérieur: will have done
New words
- le conseil municipaltown council · / : councillor
- le projetplan, project · : the swimming pool plan
- la piscineswimming pool
- voterto vote; to pass (a law, a plan) · : the plan was approved
- la voixvote; voice · : thirty votes to twelve
- contreagainst
- déclarerto state, to declare
- affirmerto state firmly, to claim
- dénoncerto criticise publicly, to condemn
- compter…to intend to (do something) · + infinitive: , how he intended to pay for the work
- financerto fund, to pay for
- promettreto promise · like : past participle
- ajouterto add
- la citationquote, quotation
Practise
1.The mayor said: How do you report it?
2.She asked: Report it.
She asked the mayor whether he had looked at the other options.
3.He said to the councillors: Report it.
He asked the councillors to stay calm.
4.A week later, how do you report ?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The plan was approved last night.
6.Match the French with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Le maire a déclaré que c'était une grande victoire.
The mayor declared that it was a great victory.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.