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Sb70012 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Back-shifting in indirect zero conditional sentences

"If she heats ice it melts."
1. He said that if she heated ice it melted.
2. He said that if she heats ice it melts.


"If she is late for work her boss gets angry"
3. He said that if she was late for work her boss got angry.
4. He said that if she is late for work her boss gets angry.

Hi,
In indirect zero conditional sentences back-shifting (tense change) occurs or not?

Source: self made grammar question
Thank you
  

Top answer

I wouldn't change the tense in the first case, as the sentence refers to a 'universal truth'. It was true when she said that, it is still true today, and will be true in the future (or at least as long as she's alive -- although ice will always melt if heated). As for the second example, I would only go one tense back if I knew that she was no longer working for the company.

— Ozzourti

  • I wouldn't change the tense in the first case, as the sentence refers to a 'universal truth'.
  • It was true when she said that, it is still true today, and will be true in the future (or at least as long as she's alive -- although ice will always melt if heated).
  • As for the second example, I would only go one tense back if I knew that she was no longer working for the company.
  • If she still has that job and her boss still gets angry every time she's late, then I wouldn't change the tense.
  • " and so on.
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1 Answers
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I wouldn't change the tense in the first case, as the sentence refers to a 'universal truth'. It was true when she said that, it is still true today, and will be true in the future (or at least as long as she's alive -- although ice will always melt if heated).

As for the second example, I would only go one tense back if I knew that she was no longer working for the company. If she still
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