Perubahan Tenses dalam Kalimat Tidak Langsung

Ketika kata kerja pelapor (seperti said atau told) berada dalam bentuk lampau (past tense), maka kata kerja di dalam kalimat yang dilaporkan harus bergeser satu langkah ke masa lampau. Proses tata bahasa ini disebut backshifting.

1. Tabel Aturan Pergeseran Tenses (Backshifting)

Berikut adalah pemetaan lengkap perubahan bentuk kata kerja dari kalimat langsung menjadi kalimat tidak langsung:

Tense Kalimat LangsungBentuk Kata Kerja (Langsung)Tense Kalimat Tidak LangsungBentuk Kata Kerja (Tidak Langsung)
Simple Presentwrite / writesSimple Pastwrote
Present Continuousam/is/are writingPast Continuouswas/were writing
Simple PastwrotePast Perfecthad written
Present Perfecthave/has writtenPast Perfecthad written
Past Continuouswas/were writingPast Perfect Continuoushad been writing
Simple Future (will)will writeConditional (would)would write
Modal: cancan writecouldcould write
Modal: maymay writemightmight write
Modal: mustmust writehad to (atau must)had to write

2. Contoh Penerapan Perubahan Tenses

Mari kita lihat bagaimana aturan-aturan ini diterapkan dalam contoh kalimat:

  • Simple Present -> Simple Past:
    • Langsung: “I live in London,” he said.
    • Tidak Langsung: He said that he lived in London.
  • Present Continuous -> Past Continuous:
    • Langsung: “We are washing the car,” she said.
    • Tidak Langsung: She said they were washing the car.
  • Simple Past / Present Perfect -> Past Perfect:
    • Langsung: “I bought a book,” Jack said.
    • Tidak Langsung: Jack said that he had bought a book.
    • Langsung: “I have eaten dinner,” she said.
    • Tidak Langsung: She said she had eaten dinner.
  • Will -> Would:
    • Langsung: “I will help you tomorrow,” Bob said.
    • Tidak Langsung: Bob said he would help me the next day.

3. Kata Kerja yang Tidak Berubah

Beberapa bentuk tenses dan modal verbs tertentu sudah berada di bentuk paling lampau sehingga tidak mengalami perubahan dalam kalimat tidak langsung:

  • Past Perfect: He said, “I had finished.” -> He said he had finished.
  • Should, Would, Could, Might, Ought to: She said, “You should go.” -> She said I should go.

4. Pengecualian pada Aturan Backshifting

Kita tidak melakukan pergeseran tenses (backshifting) dalam dua kondisi berikut:

A. Kata Kerja Pelapor Menggunakan Present Tense

Jika kata kerja pelapor menggunakan bentuk present seperti says, tells, reports (bukannya said atau told), maka tenses di dalam kalimat tidak mengalami pergeseran.

  • Langsung: He says, “I am hungry.” -> Tidak Langsung: He says he is hungry.

B. Pernyataan Berupa Kebenaran Umum atau Masih Benar Terjadi

Jika pernyataan yang dilaporkan merupakan kebenaran umum ilmiah yang permanen atau situasinya masih berlangsung ketika dilaporkan, pergeseran tenses bersifat opsional.

  • Langsung: She said, “Water boils at 100°C.” -> Tidak Langsung: She said that water boils at 100°C.