A question about indirect speech

Question

Direct speech (Melinda): "I think that you are good at dancing."

1. Indirect speech(John): Melinda said that She thought I was good at dancing.

2. Indirect speech(John): Melinda said that She thought I am good at dancing.

3. Indirect speech(John): Melinda said that She think I am good at dancing.

4. Indirect speech(John): Melinda said that She think I was good at dancing.

Let assume that Jonh reported Melinda's words a few days later and at that moment her oppinion is still the same.
As far as I know If something is a fact or it's still true then there is no need to shift-back the tenses. But I'm curious whether this combinations of tenses sound logical and even possible?

Which Indirect form is grammatically correct/better ?

Thanks!

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

AnonymousAs far as I know If something is a fact or it's still true then there is no need to shift-back the tenses.

However, any 'reported speech' exercise expects you to backshift.

AnonymousWhich Indirect form is grammatically correct/better ?

1. Indirect speech(John): Melinda said that she thought I was good at dancing.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Melinda said (in the past) that she thought (at the time of the speaking, also in the past) I was (this back-shift is required because it is in the second level of indirect speech) good at dancing.
Back-shifting indirect speech is far more common than not.

Anonymous · Answer

Many thanks!

Anonymous · Answer

I have just one more question.

AlpheccaStars said that back-shifting indirect speech was far more common than not.
So now I'm asking myself whether it is common to preserve the tense instead of back-shifting in case of immediate reporting or when something is true in general.
Let assume that words are reported seconds after they are spoken.
Which answer of Jennifer would be more natural in the following example?

Example:
Jonh: "I am from Japan."
Mark: "What did he say?"
Jennifer: He said that he is from Japan.
or
Jennifer: He said that he was from Japan.
or
Jennifer: He says that he is from Japan. (probably "says" requires a question in a present tense )

Thanks a lot!

CalifJim · Answer

Example:
John: "I am from Japan."
Mark: "What did he say?"
Jennifer: He said that he is from Japan.

This is a typical example of "immediate reporting". It happens in real life fairly often. In the artificial laboratory of the English class, however, "immediate reporting" is not usually what is meant by "reported speech" ("indirect speech"). My advice is to back-shift in every case of reported speech you have to produce in an English class.

It's OK if you back-shift in immediate reporting as well. Back-shifting is always right, so it's best to get into the habit of using it in any situation you can. Probably the main reason English teachers want you to do exercises on reported speech is that they want you to be quick at changing verb tenses. If you don't shift the tenses, you're getting no practice on that.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you CJ!
I am sorry for these small annoying errors. I hope that I will get rid of them in the near future .

AlpheccaStars · Answer

CalifJimIt's OK if you back-shift in immediate reporting as well. Back-shifting is always right, so it's best to get into the habit of using it in any situation you can. Probably the main reason English teachers want you to do exercises on reported speech is that they want you to be quick at changing verb tenses. If you don't shift the tenses, you're getting no practice on that.

I agree. When you become as fluent as a native speaker, you will back-shift most of the time without thinking about it, and also not back-shift when the context is right.

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