Reported Speech - Mögen, Sollen, and Wollen.
Hey guys another grammar post, this time we’ll be talking about the uses of mögen, sollen, and wollen with reference to reported speech. This is something really meant for those at a B2/C1+ level & primarily those who read newspapers.
First of all, Konjunktiv I isn’t going to be explained in this post, so you might wanna give that a quick read if you’re unaware, and secondly… enjoy the post!
Wait what do you mean by reported speech?
Reported speech is simply reporting what someone else has said, and appears quite often in newspapers with the Konjunktiv I mood. Mögen, Sollen, and Wollen can all be used to modify the tone of the reported speech.
Mögen
Mögen is used in reported speech to show a polite request. You may either use the Konjunktiv I or Konjunktiv II form, but möchten is more common than mögen in 3rd person plural.
Ex: Sie bat dich, du mögest/möchtest so schnell wie möglich zurückrufen. Tr: She asked you to call back as soon as possible [polite tone].
Ex: Er hat zu ihr gesagt, dass sie sich ein bisschen beeilen möge/möchte. Tr: He told her that she ought to speed up a bit [polite tone].
Sollen
i) When reporting on commands, sollen is stronger than mögen and suggests a command as opposed to a polite request. You can also use Konjunktiv I or Konjunktiv II here, but solle is more common than sollte.
Ex: Die Polizei befahl den Leuten, sie sollen/sollten weitergehen. Tr: The police ordered the people to carry on [walking].
Ex: Er verlangt von ihr, sie solle/sollte sich ein bisschen beeilen. Tr: He demanded that she hurry up [command tone].
ii) When reporting on speech, sollen is the most neutral option and suggests that the reporter doesn’t know whether the speaker’s claims are true/false. In fact, the claims don’t even have to come from the speaker themselves - no judgement is made. Either Konjunktiv I or Indikativ is possible.
Ex: Lisa soll/solle schwanger sein. = Man behauptet, dass Lisa schwanger ist. Tr: It’s reported that Lisa is pregnant.
Ex: Ich habe gehört, dass er jetzt irgendwo im Ausland leben soll/solle. Tr: I’ve heard that he’s currently living somewhere abroad.
Wollen
When reporting on speech, wollen is the least neutral of these options and suggests that the truth of the statement is doubtful. Unlike sollen, the claim being doubted does normally come from the speaker. Once again, either Konjunktiv I or Indikativ are possibly - the latter way more common.
Ex: Lisa will/wolle schwanger sein = Lisa behauptet, dass sie schwanger ist. Tr: Lisa claims that she is pregnant.
Ex: Mark will/wolle der jüngste Läufer sein = Mark behauptet, dass er der jüngste Läufer ist. Tr: Mark claims that he’s the youngest runner.
There you have it! If you’re interested in finding out more about how modal verbs go beyond their usual meaning, look upp Subjektive Bedeutungen Modalverben.
Enjoy! :)
