It's obviously been

"I see" and "I say" are simple present tense, so stick with present perfect, "It has been."

Otherwise,

I saw it and I told my friend that I was sure it had been there for a long time.

To use the past perfect in a present time statement, you'd need a past tense event to refer to:
I say to my friend, "I'm sure it had been there for a long time before the wind cove

AvangiI saw it and I told my friend that I was sure it had been there for a long time.

But wouldn't I be able to do this:

I saw it and I told my friend that:

"I'm sure it has been there for a long time."

My question is, would I be able to say:

"I'm sure it had been there for a long time." to desribe a carcass th

AvangiI saw it and I told my friend that I was sure it had been there for a long time.

But the sentence above doesn't include a past event to refer to.

PreciousJones

Avangi I saw it and I told my friend that I was sure it had been there for a long time.

But wouldn't I be able to do this:

I saw it and I told my friend that:

"I'm sure it has been there for a long time."

My question is, would I be able to say:

"I'm sure it had been there for a

What's the difference between indirect speech and direct speech? What do we usually use in conversation?

Good question. When you quote someone (using quotation marks) that's called "direct speech."

The doctor said, "You're too damned fat!"

Indirect speech simply tells the story.

The doctor told me I was way too fat.

The doctor used the present tense, but when I tell the story in the past in indirect speech, I backshift the "are" to "was."

When I quote hi