Ch. 02 Social Functions & Reported Speech — 1ère C Anglais — Bibliothèque Numérique by Edutech Congo

1. Expressing oneself on familiar issues

Cet objectif vise à te rendre capable de parler à l'oral, avec aisance, de sujets de société qui touchent la vie quotidienne des Congolais et des jeunes en général : l'emploi, les questions sociales et politiques, la place de la femme, les loisirs, l'alimentation et les problèmes de santé. Il faut mobiliser du vocabulaire précis et des structures pour donner et justifier son opinion.

1.1 Employment (l'emploi)

a job / a career / a vacancy — un emploi / une carrière / un poste vacant
to apply for a job / a job application — postuler à un emploi / une candidature
to be unemployed / unemployment — être au chômage / le chômage
a candidate / an employer / an employee — un candidat / un employeur / un employé
to hire / to recruit / to lay off — embaucher / recruter / licencier
self-employed / a job interview / a CV (curriculum vitae)

Exemple

"Youth unemployment is a serious problem in many African countries. Many young graduates cannot find a job that matches their qualifications, so some of them decide to become self-employed."

1.2 Social and political issues

poverty / corruption / inequality — la pauvreté / la corruption / l'inégalité
human rights / a citizen / the government — les droits de l'homme / un citoyen / le gouvernement
an election / to vote / a policy — une élection / voter / une politique
development / a demonstration / a strike — le développement / une manifestation / une grève

1.3 Women (la femme dans la société)

gender equality / women's rights — l'égalité des genres / les droits de la femme
to empower women / empowerment — donner du pouvoir aux femmes / l'autonomisation
a working mother / discrimination — une mère qui travaille / la discrimination

1.4 Leisure, food and health problems

leisure activities / to relax / entertainment — activités de loisirs / se détendre / le divertissement
a balanced diet / junk food / to be malnourished — une alimentation équilibrée / la malbouffe / être malnutri
a disease / to fall ill / to recover / a checkup — une maladie / tomber malade / se rétablir / une visite médicale

1.5 Giving your opinion (donner son avis)

Expressions utiles

In my opinion, ... / As far as I'm concerned, ... / I believe that ... / I'm afraid I don't agree with you because ... / Personally, I think that ... / It seems to me that ...

2. Introductions & Socializing — interagir à l'oral

Dans une conversation familière, tu dois savoir formuler une demande, donner ou demander un avis, conseiller, suggérer et inviter quelqu'un. Ce sont des fonctions sociales du langage (social functions) déjà vues en Seconde et qu'il faut enrichir en Première.

2.1 Making requests (faire une demande)

Structures

Could you please pass me the salt? / Would you mind opening the window? / Do you think you could help me with this?

2.2 Asking for / giving opinions

Structures

What do you think about the new job policy? / How do you feel about that? — In my view, ... / I'd say that ...

2.3 Giving advice (conseiller)

Structures

If I were you, I would apply for that job. / You should always prepare for a job interview. / You'd better tell the truth.

2.4 Making suggestions (suggérer)

Structures

Why don't we organize a meeting? / Shall we discuss this tomorrow? / What about asking the manager?

2.5 Inviting (inviter)

Structures

Would you like to come to the ceremony? / How about joining us for dinner? / I'd be delighted if you could come.

Mini-dialogue

A: "Would you like to come to my sister's graduation party on Saturday?"
B: "I'd love to! What time shall I come?"
A: "Why don't you come around 6 pm? And if I were you, I would bring a small gift."

3. Telephoning: apologies, complaints, compliments, congratulations

Au téléphone, certaines expressions sont spécifiques : s'excuser, se plaindre, complimenter ou féliciter. Ce sont des actes de parole (speech acts) que tu dois savoir reconnaître et produire.

3.1 Apologising and giving excuses

Expressions

I'm sorry, I can't make it because I have another appointment. / I do apologize for being late. / I'm afraid I won't be able to attend the meeting.

3.2 Making a complaint

Expressions

I'm afraid I have a complaint about the service. / I'm not satisfied with the way I was treated. / This is the second time this has happened, and I'm not happy about it.

3.3 Paying a compliment

Expressions

That's a great idea! / You did a wonderful job! / I really like the way you handled the situation.

3.4 Congratulating someone

Expressions

Congratulations on your new job! / Well done on passing your exams! / I'm so happy for you, congratulations!

Dialogue téléphonique

A: "Hello, this is Aline speaking. I'm sorry, I can't make it to the meeting because my car broke down."
B: "Oh, that's too bad. By the way, congratulations on your promotion!"
A: "Thank you very much! I'll call the office to apologize as well."

4. Direct Speech and Indirect (Reported) Speech

Définition

Le discours direct (direct speech) rapporte les paroles exactes de quelqu'un, entre guillemets : "I am tired," she said. Le discours indirect (reported / indirect speech) rapporte ces mêmes paroles sans guillemets, en les intégrant dans une phrase introduite par un verbe comme said, told, asked : She said (that) she was tired.

4.1 Règle générale de transformation

Ce qui change

Les pronoms personnels et possessifs s'adaptent au point de vue du narrateur : I → he/she, my → his/her, we → they...
Les temps verbaux reculent d'un cran dans le passé (backshift) si le verbe introducteur est au passé (said, told, asked).
Les expressions de temps et de lieu changent (now → then, today → that day...).
"say" devient "tell" lorsqu'il est suivi d'un complément de personne (say to somebody → tell somebody), sans "that" obligatoire.

4.2 Le recul des temps (tense backshift)

Discours direct	Discours indirect	Exemple
Present simple	Past simple	"I work hard," → He said he worked hard.
Present continuous	Past continuous	"I am working," → She said she was working.
Present perfect	Past perfect	"I have finished," → He said he had finished.
Past simple	Past perfect	"I saw him," → She said she had seen him.
will	would	"I will help," → He said he would help.
can	could	"I can swim," → She said she could swim.
must	had to	"I must go," → He said he had to go.
may	might	"It may rain," → She said it might rain.

4.3 Changements des expressions de temps et de lieu

Discours direct	Discours indirect
now	then / at that time
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
yesterday	the day before / the previous day
this week	that week
next year	the following year
ago	before
here	there

4.4 Reporting statements (rapporter des affirmations)

Exemples

1. "I am tired," she said. → She said (that) she was tired.
2. "I saw him yesterday," John said. → John said (that) he had seen him the day before.
3. "We will help you," they said. → They said (that) they would help us.
4. "You must finish this today," the manager said. → The manager said (that) I had to finish that day.

4.5 Reporting questions (rapporter des questions)

Pour une question fermée (oui/non), on introduit if ou whether. Pour une question ouverte (wh-question), on garde le mot interrogatif. Dans les deux cas, l'ordre sujet-verbe redevient celui d'une phrase affirmative (plus d'inversion, plus d'auxiliaire "do/does/did").

Exemples

5. "Do you like your job?" she asked me. → She asked me if/whether I liked my job.
6. "Where do you work?" he asked. → He asked (me) where I worked.

4.6 Reporting orders and instructions (rapporter des ordres)

On utilise told / asked + complément + to + base verbale pour un ordre à la forme affirmative, et not to + base verbale pour un ordre négatif.

Exemples

7. "Close the door," the teacher told the students. → The teacher told the students to close the door.
8. "Don't be late," she said to us. → She told us not to be late.

Discours direct	Discours indirect
"I am looking for a job," she said.	She said (that) she was looking for a job.
"Have you found a job?" he asked her.	He asked her if she had found a job.
"Fill in this form," the employer said.	The employer told him/her to fill in that form.

5. Tense agreement (la concordance des temps)

Règle

Le recul des temps ne s'applique que si le verbe introducteur (said, told, asked) est au passé. Si le verbe introducteur est au présent (says, tells), on ne change pas le temps du verbe rapporté. On ne change pas non plus le temps quand la phrase rapportée exprime une vérité générale ou un fait scientifique toujours vrai.

Exemples

"The earth revolves around the sun," the teacher said. → The teacher said (that) the earth revolves around the sun. (vérité générale : pas de changement)
"I am busy," she says. → She says (that) she is busy. (verbe introducteur au présent : pas de changement)

🎯 L'essentiel à retenir

À l'oral, sache formuler une demande, un conseil, une suggestion et une invitation avec des structures variées.
Au téléphone : s'excuser (I'm sorry, I can't...), se plaindre, complimenter, féliciter (Congratulations on...).
Discours indirect = pronoms + temps + expressions de temps/lieu qui changent, et say → tell devant un complément de personne.
Le recul des temps ne s'applique que si le verbe introducteur est au passé (said, told, asked).
Question fermée → if/whether ; question ouverte → mot interrogatif conservé ; plus d'inversion ni de "do/does/did".
Ordre → told/asked + complément + to + base verbale ; ordre négatif → not to + base verbale.

Discours indirect — affirmations simples (emploi)

Facile

Mets les phrases suivantes au discours indirect. Utilise said et fais attention au recul du temps.

"I am looking for a job," Paul said.
"Many young people are unemployed," the teacher said.
"I work in a bank," Marie said.
"We need more job opportunities," the minister said.
"I like my new job," Peter said.

Corrigé

Paul said (that) he was looking for a job.
The teacher said (that) many young people were unemployed.
Marie said (that) she worked in a bank.
The minister said (that) they needed more job opportunities.
Peter said (that) he liked his new job.

Discours indirect — questions (enjeux sociaux)

Moyen

Transforme les questions suivantes au discours indirect. Attention à l'ordre des mots et à l'introduction par if/whether ou par le mot interrogatif.

"Do you think women have equal rights?" the journalist asked.
"What do you think about unemployment?" she asked me.
"Are you satisfied with your job?" he asked her.
"Why do so many young people leave the villages?" the reporter asked.
"Have you found a job yet?" she asked him.

Corrigé

The journalist asked if/whether I thought women had equal rights.
She asked me what I thought about unemployment.
He asked her if/whether she was satisfied with her job.
The reporter asked why so many young people left the villages.
She asked him if/whether he had found a job yet.

Discours indirect — ordres et instructions

Moyen

Rapporte les ordres suivants en utilisant told ou asked + to + base verbale (forme affirmative ou négative selon le cas).

"Fill in this form," the employer said to the candidate.
"Don't be late for the interview," she told him.
"Bring your certificates," the manager told the applicants.
"Respect women's rights," the minister told the audience.
"Don't waste your time," his father told him.

Corrigé

The employer told the candidate to fill in that form.
She told him not to be late for the interview.
The manager told the applicants to bring their certificates.
The minister told the audience to respect women's rights.
His father told him not to waste his time.

Discours indirect — mélange (temps, modaux, marqueurs)

Difficile

Ce texte contient des affirmations, des questions et un ordre, avec des marqueurs de temps et des modaux. Rapporte-le en entier au discours indirect. Le récit est fait le lendemain.

The employment officer said: "I will contact you tomorrow."
He asked the candidate: "Can you start work now?"
The candidate replied: "I must ask my family today."
The officer said: "I saw your application yesterday."
Finally he told her: "Don't forget to bring your ID card."

Corrigé

The employment officer said (that) he would contact her the next day.
He asked the candidate if/whether she could start work then.
The candidate replied that she had to ask her family that day.
The officer said (that) he had seen her application the day before.
Finally he told her not to forget to bring her ID card.

🏆

Niveau Bac — dialogue téléphonique complet à rapporter

Bac

Lis ce court dialogue téléphonique entre Fatima et Marc (excuses, plainte, félicitations), puis rapporte-le intégralement au discours indirect, phrase par phrase. Le récit est fait le jour même de l'appel.

Fatima: "Hello Marc, I'm sorry, I can't make it to the meeting because I have a family problem."
Marc: "Oh, that's too bad. Can you call the office and explain the situation?"
Fatima: "I already tried, but the secretary was not very helpful. I'm not satisfied with the way she talked to me."
Marc: "I understand. By the way, congratulations on your new job! I heard you started last week."
Fatima: "Thank you! I'll send you my new phone number tomorrow."
Marc: "Great, don't forget!"

Corrigé phrase par phrase

Fatima greeted Marc and said (that) she was sorry (that) she couldn't make it to the meeting because she had a family problem.
Marc said (that) that was too bad and asked her if/whether she could call the office and explain the situation.
Fatima said (that) she had already tried, but the secretary had not been very helpful, and she added (that) she wasn't satisfied with the way the secretary had talked to her.
Marc said (that) he understood, and he congratulated her on her new job, adding that he had heard (that) she had started the week before.
Fatima thanked him and said (that) she would send him her new phone number the next day.
Marc said (that) that was great and told her not to forget.

🎯 Testez vos connaissances

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Question 1/10

"I am tired," she said. → She said that she ______ tired.

Question 2/10

"We will help you," they said. → They said (that) they ______ help us.

Question 3/10

"Do you like your job?" she asked me. → She asked me ______ I liked my job.

Question 4/10

"Where do you live?" he asked her. → He asked her where she ______.

Question 5/10

"Close the door," the teacher said to the students. → The teacher told the students ______ the door.

Question 6/10

"Don't be late," she said to us. → She told us ______ late.

Question 7/10

Direct speech: "I'm coming," Ana said to her friend. Quelle transformation est correcte ?

Question 8/10

Au téléphone, quelle phrase sert à s'excuser ?

Question 9/10

"You must finish this today," the manager said. → The manager said (that) I ______ finish that day.

Question 10/10

"I will call you tomorrow," she said. → She said (that) she would call me ______.

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