French Reported Speech (Le Discours Indirect): The DELF B2 Skill That Wins You Points
If you can report what someone said or wrote, you unlock one of the clearest signals of B2-level French. Reported speech — le discours indirect — is exactly what a DELF B2 examiner looks for in an argumentative essay: it lets you present a position, cite a source, and build a debate without quoting word for word.
Here is the blunt version: in an essay on a debate, if you never report a position in indirect speech, you cap yourself at a B1 impression. Master this one structure and you move up a level on the page.
This guide breaks reported speech into the four things the examiner actually rewards: the structure, the introducer verb, the tense concordance, and the time shifts. Then you get three formulas you can copy straight into your next essay.
What reported speech signals to a B2 examiner
Direct speech quotes the exact words: Il dit : « Les inégalités se sont aggravées. » (He says: "Inequality has worsened.")
Reported speech folds those words into your own sentence: L'auteur souligne que les inégalités se sont aggravées. (The author emphasizes that inequality has worsened.)
The second version is what earns B2 points, because it shows you can integrate someone else's idea into an argument instead of simply transcribing it. That is the core move of a DELF B2 essay.
1. The structure: introducer verb + que + clause
Every reported statement follows the same skeleton:
Elle affirme que ce phénomène touche toutes les classes sociales.
She asserts that this phenomenon affects every social class.
Get this frame automatic, and everything else is just filling it in correctly.
2. Upgrade your introducer verb (this is where B1 becomes B2)
Most candidates report everything with dire (to say). Dire is fine — but it is B1. The single fastest way to sound B2 is to swap it for a precise verb that shows how the idea is being expressed.
| B1 (avoid overusing) | B2 alternative | English |
|---|---|---|
| dire | affirmer | to assert |
| dire | souligner | to emphasize |
| dire | préciser | to specify |
| dire | nuancer | to qualify |
| dire | réfuter | to refute |
| dire | estimer | to consider / to judge |
Choosing souligner over dire tells the examiner you understand the weight of a statement, not just its content. That is a B2 competence.
3. The tense concordance (la concordance des temps)
Here is the rule that trips up most candidates. When your introducer verb is in the past (il a dit, l'auteur a expliqué), the tenses inside the clause shift back:
| Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
| présent | imparfait |
| futur simple | conditionnel présent |
| futur antérieur | conditionnel passé |
| passé composé | plus-que-parfait |
| imparfait | imparfait (no change) |
| plus-que-parfait | plus-que-parfait (no change) |
Direct: Il a dit : « Je viendrai. » (future)
Reported: Il a dit qu'il viendrait. (conditional)
One important nuance: if the introducer verb is in the present (l'auteur souligne que…), no shift happens — the clause keeps its original tense. Concordance only kicks in with a past introducer. In a DELF essay you will often report in the present (l'auteur affirme que…), which keeps things simple; but if you set your reporting in the past, you must shift.
The combination examiners love to see: future → conditional plus a correct time shift in the same sentence. That pairing signals confirmed B2 control.
4. The time and place expressions that must change
This is the detail almost everyone forgets. When you report in the past, time and place markers shift too:
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| aujourd'hui | ce jour-là |
| hier | la veille |
| demain | le lendemain |
| maintenant | à ce moment-là |
| la semaine prochaine | la semaine suivante |
| la semaine dernière | la semaine précédente |
| ici | là |
❌ Il a dit qu'il viendrait demain.
✓ Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.
❌ Elle a dit qu'aujourd'hui elle était libre.
✓ Elle a dit que ce jour-là elle était libre.
The #1 mistake: shifting only the first verb
The most common error is transforming the introducer verb but leaving the rest of the sentence in direct-speech mode. The entire sentence has to move into reported speech — not just the opening verb.
❌ Il a expliqué que « le problème va s'aggraver demain ».
✓ Il a expliqué que le problème s'aggraverait le lendemain.
Everything downstream of que — the tense, the time markers, the pronouns — belongs to the subordinate clause and must be consistent. No mixing.
3 ready-to-use formulas for your DELF B2 essay
Memorize these three sentence patterns. They plug directly into the "development" section of an argumentative essay, where you cite a source or a position:
1. L'auteur souligne que ce phénomène touche toutes les classes sociales.
The author emphasizes that this phenomenon affects every social class.
2. Les experts estiment que des mesures urgentes s'imposent.
Experts consider that urgent measures are needed.
3. Certains réfutent l'idée que la technologie crée plus d'emplois qu'elle n'en détruit.
Some refute the idea that technology creates more jobs than it destroys.
Notice the third one: réfuter l'idée que… is a ready-made way to introduce a counter-argument, which is exactly what a balanced B2 essay needs.
Your examiner checklist
Before you hand in your essay, check that every reported statement passes these four tests:
- B2 introducer verb used (souligner, affirmer, réfuter…), not just dire.
- Tense concordance respected when the introducer verb is in the past.
- Time markers transformed (demain → le lendemain, aujourd'hui → ce jour-là).
- The whole clause is in reported speech — no mixing of direct and indirect.
Hit all four and you are no longer describing what someone said — you are arguing with it. That is the difference between a B1 and a B2 script.
FAQ
What is le discours indirect in French?
It is reported (indirect) speech: reporting what someone said or wrote inside your own sentence, using an introducer verb followed by que, instead of quoting their exact words.
Why does reported speech matter for the DELF B2?
The B2 written and oral tests reward your ability to present and discuss positions. Reporting a viewpoint in indirect speech — with a precise verb and correct tense agreement — is a direct marker of B2-level control. Relying only on direct quotes or simple dire reads as B1.
Which introducer verbs sound B2?
Affirmer, souligner, préciser, nuancer, réfuter, estimer — each adds a shade of meaning (assert, emphasize, specify, qualify, refute, judge) that plain dire cannot.
When do the tenses change in French reported speech?
Only when the introducer verb is in the past (il a dit que…). Present → imparfait, future → conditional, passé composé → plus-que-parfait. If the introducer verb is in the present, tenses stay the same.
What is the most common mistake?
Shifting only the first verb and leaving the rest of the sentence unchanged. The tense, time markers, and pronouns after que all have to move into reported speech together.
Reading the rule is not the same as producing it under exam pressure. Test reported speech on a full DELF B2 practice test, and check every reported statement against the four-point checklist.
Get the free DELF B2 practice test →