Las oraciones condicionales en estilo indirecto

[A] Tipo 1, forma básica. Los tiempos cambian de la manera usual:

– He said, «If I catch the plane I’ll be home by five» = 

= He said that if he caught the plane he would be home by five.

     Tipo 2, forma básica. No hay cambios en los tiempos:

• «If I had a permit, I could get a job,» he said = 

= He said that if he had a permit he could get a job.

      Tipo 3, forma básica. No hay cambios en los tiempos:

• «If she had loved Tom,» he said, «she wouldn’t have left him» =
• He said that if she had loved Tom she wouldn’t have left him.

[B] Ejemplos de if-clauses + órdenes y peticiones en estilo indirecto:

• He said, «If you have time wash the floor» o bien: He said, «If you have time would you wash the floor?» =

= He told/asked me to wash the floor if I had time (notar el cambio de orden), o bien: He said that if I had time I was to wash the floor.

• «If you see Ann ask her to ring me,» he said =

= He said that if I saw Ann I was to ask her to ring him. (La construcción de infinitivo aquí sería más torpe y menos clara.)

• PETER (on the phone): If you miss the last bus get a taxi =

Peter says that if we miss the last bus we are to get a taxi. (La construcción de infinitivo sería mucho menos usual aquí.)

[C] if-clauses + expresiones de consejo en estilo indirecto:

• «If you feel ill,» she said, «why don’t you go to bed?» o bien: «… you’d better go to bed» =

= She advised me to go to bed If I felt ill o bien: She said that if I felt ill I’d better/I should go to bed.

• «If I were you I’d stop taking pills,» she said =

= She advised me to stop taking pills.

[D] if-clauses + preguntas son trasladadas con la if-clause al final:

• «If the baby is a girl what will they call her?» he wondered =

= He wondered what they would call the baby if it was a girl. 

• «If the door is locked what shall I do?» she asked =

= She asked what she should/was to do if the door was locked.