Indirect speech-past tense?

Question

The following sentence comes from today's the New York Times:

Now, after building dozens of the walls in universities, condominiums and offices for $10,000 to $20,000 each, he said he is being flooded with inquiries from homeowners and is planning to expand into the residential market.

I am wondering whether it should be "...he said he was being...and was planning..." as it is indrect speech.

The other option could be"...he says he is being..."

What do you think?

Philip · Accepted Answer

CaliveThe following sentence comes from today's the New York Times:

Now, after building dozens of the walls in universities, condominiums and offices for $10,000 to $20,000 each, he said he is being flooded with inquiries from homeowners and is planning to expand into the residential market.

I am wondering whether it should be "...he said he was being...and was planning..." as it is indrect speech.

The other option could be"...he says he is being..."

What do you think?

If the flooding and planning is going on now, the present is fine.

J Lewis · Answer

I tend to agree with Calive. After all, the sentence begins with "now", so why not use "says", which is then more consistent with "is being" and "is planning"?

Aperisic · Answer

Now, after building dozens of the walls in universities, condominiums and offices for $10,000 to $20,000 each, he said he is being flooded with inquiries from homeowners and is planning to expand into the residential market.

I am wondering whether it should be "...he said he was being...and was planning..." as it is indrect speech.

No it can be OK. He said (two days ago, for example) that he is currently being flooded these days. It is not important that he said that two days ago, but that he was two days ago, he is today and he is going to be/will be probably for many more days in the process of being flooded. That is what he meant two days ago.

I am on vacation for two months. We are leaving the place and I want to assure the group that today is the correct day when we all arranged to leave the place.

She told us 20 days ago that today is the correct day.

Suppose I said the same a day ahead

She told us 19 days ago that tomorrow is going to/will be the correct day.

So, no, you do not have to change everything to the past tense. It is advisable to do so only if there is nothing more to say about what someone said in the past. It is safe to shift everything to the past tense, though. That, I agree.

CalifJim · Answer

I am wondering whether it should be "...he said he was being...and was planning..." as it is indrect speech.

It could have been restated as you suggest, but it is fine as is.
This is an example of "immediately reported" indirect speech. What is "immediate", i.e., "the present", can be stretched. It depends more on the judgment of the speaker than on absolute time. In immediately reported indirect speech, the verb of reporting is in the past, but what is reported is in the present. The idea is that nothing of consequence (with regard to the original statement) has changed in the world since the original statement was made (in the opinion of the reporter).

Here is the prototypical case:

-- I want you to take these envelopes to Mr. Johnson.
-- Sorry. I didn't hear you. What did you say?
-- I said (that) I want you to take these envelopes to Mr. Johnson.
(wanted is possible but not required.)

The idea of 'immediacy' is stretched to 'recency' in newspaper reporting:

-- The president declared yesterday that he wants to reorganize several governmental agencies.
(wanted is possible but not required.)
(It's not likely that he doesn't still want to reorganize them today.)

Likewise,

He said he is being flooded with inquiries.
(was is possible but not required.)
(In all probability, he said this so recently that we can be fairly certain that he is still being flooded with inquiries. Moreover, it is quite engaging stylistically. It makes the reader feel that the information is merely being repeated immediately, as if it were the prototypical case illustrated above.)

CJ

Calive · Answer

I have learned something new. Tomorrow's news (in NYT?): Calive said he is thankful to everyone who helped him clear the doubt.

Milky · Answer

You can distance the time of reporting from the time of when the speaker spoke by using "said" and then use the present to show that you assume, or know, that he is still being flooded by... and planning... .

CalifJim · Answer

Tomorrow's news (in NYT?): Calive said he is thankful to everyone who helped him clear the doubt.

That was a very clever response! It made me smile.

CJ

Indirect speech-past tense?

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