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Yogi2005 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Indirect speech - backshift of tense

hello everybody,

I'd like to know if backshift of tense is neccessary in every day speech?

  1. My example from a book says:
    direct speech: He said, "I live in Paris."
    Indirect speech: He said he lived in Paris.
Would it be a mistake if I said: "He said he lives in Paris"? (I know that he still lives in Paris).

2. Are the senetnces below correct? if so, what's the difference?
a) I said I don't want to be with her.
b) I said I didn't want to be with her.

thank you for help
  

Top answer

Yogi2005 hello everybody, I'd like to know if backshift of tense is neccessary in every day speech? " Indirect speech: He said he lived in Paris. k.

— Philip

  • Yogi2005 hello everybody, I'd like to know if backshift of tense is neccessary in every day speech?
  • " Indirect speech: He said he lived in Paris.
  • k.
  • Would it be a mistake if I said: "He said he lives in Paris"?
  • (I know that he still lives in Paris).
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9 Answers
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Yogi2005hello everybody,

I'd like to know if backshift of tense is neccessary in every day speech?

  1. My example from a book says:
    direct speech: He said, "I live in Paris."
    Indirect speech: He said he lived in Paris.o.k.
Would it be a mistake if I said: "He said he lives in Paris"? (I know
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direct speech : i am ill

indirect speech : He said that he was ill.

They are true sentences becaus indirect speech is past and you must speak past tense

He said that he was ill. You must understand he is ill now

For e.g.

Kelly: I can't come to party this evening because i am very tired.

Mike: I see. No problem see you later.

at party
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The backshift is always correct, but never required if what is reported is still true.

CJ
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Strongly suggest reading the quotations from Jespersen present in my posts here:

sequence of tenses
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0 The correct version is I said I didn't want to live with her. There should be the consequence of tenses and tha past tense and the present tense in one sentence don't go together.0-
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I said I didn´t want to be her.
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hello. yeah, it's a mistake because if the sentece begins in simple present you have to change only the pronoun and verb (third person of singular) there is no backshift. for example: He says, “I speak English.” – He says that he sp
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