Estilo indirecto

Preguntas indirectas

Las preguntas indirectas son más educadas y menos directas que las preguntas directas. A menudo empiezan con expresiones como Could you tell me...?, Do you know...?, I wonder..., I'd like to know... o I'm not sure....

Algunas preguntas indirectas son preguntas reales y terminan con un signo de interrogación. Otras forman parte de una afirmación y por eso terminan con un punto. Observa los ejemplos (preguntas directas transformadas en indirectas):

Where does she live?
Pregunta indirecta: Do you know where she lives?
What did he buy?
Pregunta indirecta: Could you tell me what he bought?
When is the train leaving?
Pregunta indirecta: Do you know when the train is leaving?
Who wrote this book?
Pregunta indirecta: I wonder who wrote this book.

Observa que en una pregunta indirecta usamos el orden normal de una frase afirmativa (no el orden de una pregunta = no usamos do/does ni did):
→ Sujeto + verbo.

Para las preguntas de sí/no, usamos if o whether.

Is Tom at home?
Pregunta indirecta: Do you know if Tom is at home?
Did she call?
Pregunta indirecta: Could you tell me whether she called?

Resumen rápido

Pregunta indirecta con palabra interrogativa (Wh-): usa el orden normal de una frase
→ Expresión + palabra interrogativa + sujeto + verbo
Do you know where she lives?
Pregunta indirecta de sí/no:
→ Expresión + if / whether + sujeto + verbo
Could you tell me if Tom is at home?

Estilo indirecto (principiante)

Estilo indirecto

Usamos el estilo indirecto para decir lo que alguien ha dicho sin repetir exactamente sus palabras. Normalmente cambiamos los pronombres, las expresiones de tiempo y lugar y, cuando el verbo introductorio está en pasado, a menudo hacemos un cambio de tiempo verbal un paso hacia atrás.

Compara:

She: "I work here."
Estilo indirecto: She said that she worked there.
→ I cambia a she y el presente simple (work) pasa al pasado simple (worked).
He: "I will help you tomorrow."
Estilo indirecto: He said that he would help me the next day.
→ will cambia a would y tomorrow cambia a the next day.

Cambios habituales de tiempos verbales y verbos modales

Cambio de tiempo/verbo	Discurso directo	Estilo indirecto
Present simple → past simple (presente simple → pasado simple)	"I work in London."	She said that she worked* in London.*
Present continuous → past continuous (presente continuo → pasado continuo)	"I am studying now."	He said that he was studying* then.*
Past simple → past perfect (pasado simple → pluscuamperfecto)	"I bought a new phone."	She said that she had bought* a new phone.*
Present perfect → past perfect (pretérito perfecto compuesto → pluscuamperfecto)	"I have finished my homework."	He said that he had finished* his homework.*
Past continuous → past perfect continuous (pasado continuo → pasado perfecto continuo)	"I was waiting for you."	She said that she had been waiting* for me.*
Will → would	"I will call you."	He said that he would call* me.*
Can → could	"I can swim."	She said that she could swim.
May → might	"I may come later."	He said that he might come* later.*
Must → had to	"I must leave now."	She said that she had to leave* then.*

El past perfect normalmente no cambia:

"I had already left." → He said that he had already left.

Los verbos modales que ya tienen un significado de pasado, como could, would, might, should y las formas con have + participio pasado, normalmente tampoco cambian:

"I could have done it." → He said that he could have done it.

Peticiones, instrucciones y órdenes

Para expresar instrucciones, peticiones y órdenes en estilo indirecto usamos:
→ tell / ask / order + persona + to + verbo

"Close the door."
→ She told me to close the door.
"Please help me."
→ He asked me to help him.
"Leave the building immediately."
→ The officer ordered them to leave the building immediately.

Para instrucciones negativas usamos:
→ tell / ask + persona + not to + verbo

"Don't touch it."
→ She told me not to touch it.

Cambios de tiempo y lugar

now → then (ahora → entonces)
today → that day (hoy → ese día)
tomorrow → the next day (mañana → al día siguiente)
yesterday → the day before (ayer → el día anterior)
here → there (aquí → allí)

"I am working here today."
→ She said that she was working there that day.

No siempre cambiamos el tiempo verbal cuando:

el verbo introductorio está en presente:
She says that she works in London.
la información sigue siendo verdadera:
"The Earth is round." → He said that the Earth is round.

Resumen

Cambio de tiempo: normalmente retrocedemos un tiempo verbal:
"I work here." → She said that she worked there.
Cambio de pronombres y expresiones de tiempo/lugar:
"I will call you tomorrow." → He said that he would call me the next day.
Instrucciones y peticiones:
tell / ask + persona + to + verbo
"Help me." → She asked me to help her.