N3-06 — Reported Speech (she said that...)¶
Nível: N3 Intermediário (B1+/B2) · Trilha: Gramática · 🎯 IELTS Requer: N3-05 Past perfect (had done / had been doing) Destrava: N4-04 Subjuntivo e estruturas formais (I suggest that he be...)
Em 1 frase¶
Reported speech é contar o que alguém disse sem citar as palavras exatas — e para isso o inglês "puxa" os verbos um tempo para trás ("I am tired" → She said (that) she was tired), além de ajustar pronomes, tempo e lugar.
Explicação completa¶
A forma¶
FALA ORIGINAL (direct speech) RELATO (reported speech)
"I am tired," she said. → She said (that) she was tired.
"Eu estou cansada", ela disse. Ela disse que estava cansada.
Três coisas mudam ao relatar: 1. O verbo volta um tempo (backshift): am → was 2. Os pronomes se ajustam ao novo falante: I → she 3. Expressões de tempo/lugar se ajustam: today → that day
O that é opcional na fala (She said she was tired) — mas no IELTS Writing, incluir o that soa mais formal e claro.
O backshift: a tabela que resolve 90% dos casos¶
Cada tempo verbal "anda um passo para trás":
| Fala original | Relato | Exemplo |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | Past simple | "I live in London" → She said she lived in London. |
| Present continuous | Past continuous | "I am working" → He said he was working. |
| Present perfect | Past perfect | "I have finished" → She said she had finished. |
| Past simple | Past perfect | "I saw him" → She said she had seen him. |
| will | would | "I will call you" → He said he would call me. |
| can | could | "I can help" → She said she could help. |
| may | might | "It may rain" → He said it might rain. |
| must (obrigação) | had to | "You must leave" → She said I had to leave. |
É por isso que este tema requer o [N3-05]: sem dominar o past perfect, não há como relatar o que alguém disse no present perfect ou no past simple.
Não mudam (já estão "no fundo da escala"): would, could, might, should, ought to e o past perfect: - "I would love to go" → She said she would love to go. (igual) - "You should rest" → He said I should rest. (igual)
Quando NÃO fazer backshift¶
Se o que a pessoa disse ainda é verdade (fato geral, situação atual), o backshift é opcional:
- "Paris is beautiful." → She said Paris is beautiful. ✅ (ainda é — pode manter)
- She said Paris was beautiful. ✅ (também correto, mais "neutro")
E se o verbo de relato está no presente (says, não said), não há backshift nenhum: - She says she is tired. — Ela diz que está cansada. (relato "ao vivo": mensagens, manchetes)
Say vs tell: a dupla que derruba brasileiro¶
| Verbo | Estrutura | Exemplo |
|---|---|---|
| say | say (that)... — sem pessoa logo depois | She said (that) she was busy. |
| say | say to + pessoa (menos comum) | She said to me that she was busy. |
| tell | tell + pessoa + (that)... — pessoa OBRIGATÓRIA | She told me (that) she was busy. |
Macete: tell sempre tem "vítima" (tell me, tell him, tell us); say nunca tem objeto direto de pessoa.
Pronomes, tempo e lugar: ajustar à nova perspectiva¶
Quem relata fala de outro lugar, em outro momento — então as referências mudam:
| Fala original | Relato |
|---|---|
| now | then / at that moment |
| today | that day |
| tonight | that night |
| yesterday | the day before |
| tomorrow | the next day / the following day |
| last week | the week before |
| next month | the following month |
| here | there |
| this / these | that / those |
- "I'll sign the lease tomorrow," (segunda-feira) → Na quarta: He said he would sign the lease the next day.
- "We love it here," (na nova cidade) → Por telefone para o Brasil: They said they loved it there.
⚠️ Só ajuste se o contexto mudou de verdade. Se você relata no mesmo dia, today pode continuar today.
Perguntas relatadas (reported questions)¶
Duas regras de ouro: 1. A pergunta vira ordem de afirmativa (sujeito antes do verbo, sem do/does/did) 2. Sem ponto de interrogação no final
Wh-questions — mantém a palavra-pergunta: - "Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived. (não ~~where did I live~~) - "What time does the bus leave?" → He asked what time the bus left.
Yes/no questions — entra if ou whether: - "Do you have a student ID?" → They asked if I had a student ID. - "Are you enjoying the course?" → She asked whether I was enjoying the course.
Ordens, pedidos e conselhos: told/asked + to¶
Imperativo não usa backshift — vira infinitivo com to:
| Fala original | Relato |
|---|---|
| "Wait here." | She told me to wait there. |
| "Don't be late." | He told us not to be late. (negativa = not to) |
| "Could you open the window, please?" | She asked me to open the window. |
Macete: ordem/instrução = tell + pessoa + to; pedido educado = ask + pessoa + to.
Além de say/tell/ask: verbos de relato mais ricos¶
Para subir de banda no IELTS, troque o eterno said por verbos que resumem a intenção:
- "I'll definitely pay you back." → He promised to pay me back. — Ele prometeu...
- "You should see a doctor." → She advised me to see a doctor. — Ela aconselhou...
- "Don't swim there, it's dangerous!" → He warned us not to swim there. — Ele avisou/alertou...
- "Let's have a barbecue." → She suggested having a barbecue. — Ela sugeriu...
⚠️ Cada verbo tem sua estrutura (suggest + -ing, nunca ~~suggested me to~~). As estruturas formais com suggest/recommend/insist são o tema do [N4-04].
Contraste com o português: boa notícia¶
O português faz quase o mesmo backshift: "Estou cansada" → "Ela disse que estava cansada". A lógica você já tem de graça. Os tropeços ficam em três pontos que o português não marca: a diferença say/tell, a ordem de afirmativa nas perguntas relatadas, e o had done ao relatar passado (em PT-BR falado, "Vi ele" → "disse que viu", sem mais-que-perfeito).
🎯 Como cai no IELTS¶
- Speaking Parts 2–3: contar histórias e opiniões de outros (My boss told me that... · People say that...) — usar reported speech correto e variado pesa em Grammatical Range.
- Writing Task 2: relatar opiniões em discussões (Some people argue that... · Experts have warned that...).
- Listening: enunciados frequentemente parafraseiam falas — reconhecer She said she would... como relato de "I will..." ajuda a não se perder.
Pegadinhas e erros comuns de brasileiros¶
- "Said me" (calco de "me disse") — ❌ She said me that... → ✅ She told me that... ou She said that...
- "Told that" sem pessoa — ❌ He told that he was busy. → ✅ He told me that... (tell exige pessoa)
- Ordem de pergunta no relato — ❌ She asked where was the station. → ✅ She asked where the station was.
- Deixar do/did na pergunta relatada — ❌ He asked what time did the bus leave. → ✅ ...what time the bus left.
- Esquecer o backshift do will — ❌ She said she will come. → ✅ She said she would come. (se o relato é no passado)
- Imperativo relatado sem "to" — ❌ He told me wait. / ❌ He said me to wait. → ✅ He told me to wait. (e negativa: told me not to wait)
Auto-teste¶
- Relate: "I have lost my keys," she said. → She said that...
- Certo ou errado: "He asked me where did I work."
- Relate o pedido: "Please don't park here," the neighbour said to us.
- Traduza relatando: "Ela disse que ia assinar o contrato no dia seguinte."
- Complete com say ou tell: She __ that the rent was high, but she didn't ____ me the exact price.
Respostas
1. *She said that she **had lost** her keys.* (present perfect → past perfect) 2. Errado — pergunta relatada usa ordem de afirmativa, sem *did*: *He asked me **where I worked**.* 3. *The neighbour **asked us not to park** there.* (pedido = ask + pessoa + not to; *here* → *there*) 4. *She said (that) she **would sign** the contract/lease **the next day**.* 5. *She **said** that the rent was high, but she didn't **tell** me the exact price.* (say sem pessoa; tell + pessoa)Fontes para estudar¶
| Tipo | Fonte | Onde |
|---|---|---|
| 📖 Referência | Perfect English Grammar — Reported Speech | https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech.html |
| ✏️ Exercícios | Agenda Web — exercícios de reported speech (intermediate) | https://agendaweb.org |
| ✏️ Exercícios | ego4u — Reported Speech (regras + exercícios) | https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/reported-speech |
| 📕 Livro | English Grammar in Use (Murphy, azul) — unidades sobre reported speech (He said that...) | Livro |
| 📖 Consulta | Cambridge Grammar — Reported speech | https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/ |
| 🎥 Vídeo EN | mmmEnglish (Emma) — Reported Speech | YouTube: @mmmEnglish_Emma |
| 🎥 Vídeo PT-BR | Mairo Vergara — vídeos de reported speech | YouTube: @MairoVergara |
Revisão rápida (5 min)¶
- Recite a regra: relato no passado → verbo volta um tempo (am→was · will→would · did→had done)
- Say sem pessoa · tell SEMPRE com pessoa (told me) — armadilha nº 1: nunca diga ~~said me~~
- Pergunta relatada = ordem de afirmativa, sem do/did (asked where I lived)
- Yes/no question relatada → if/whether
- Ordem/pedido → told/asked + pessoa + (not) to + verbo
- Relate em voz alta 3 coisas que alguém te disse hoje (My husband told me that... · She asked me if...)
- Travou no had done? → revise [N3-05] antes de seguir