Reported Speech: present tense or past tense?

Question

Dear all,

I am perplexed by the use of reported speech in several circumstances, i.e. the tense should be used.

Situation 1:

Time Line: 8 August (the Manager said) -> 9 August (now/presently, I write a report) -> what the manager mentioned is still in the future.

Yesterday, the manager said, 'I will handle the project next week and finish it by the end of next month'.

Today, I write a report on this. Should I say:

a) The manager says that he will handle the project next week and finish it by next month; or

b) The manager said that he would handle the project the following week and finish it by the following month; or

c) The manager said that he will handle the project next week and finish it by next month; or

d) The manager says/said that he will undertake the project on 15 August and finish it by 30 September; (The use of date obviates the change of time words in indirect speech) or

e) The manager will handle the project next week and finish it by next month ?

Situation 2:

A report to what someone has reported to others...

(i.e. I'll report to A about B, and B reported itself to C.)

Let's say. C is a group of shareholders, B is a company, and A is another company.

Time Line: July 2010 (B reported to C about the company's financial status in between Jan 2010 and June 2010 and new projects to be started in the 3rd and 4th quarter) -> August 2010 (I'll report to A what B reported to C).

What tense should I choose in the following sentences:

B stated that it earned $1 million between Jan 2010 and June 2010 and would start 3 new projects in October 2010. It/B was/is now preparing the preliminary work of the projects. B/It expected/expects to finish all the preliminary work by the end of September 2010.

- Is the influence of reported speechin 'B stated.... in October 2010' ended after the full-stop? (if yes, it is logical to use present tense for the 2 sentences afterwards, isn't it? For the 2 sentences mention things about future)

Many Thanks!!

Melancholy, always

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

Hi Melancholy, and welcome to English Forums,

Situation 1:
Time Line: 8 August (the Manager said) -> 9 August (now/presently, I write a report) -> what the manager mentioned is still in the future.

Yesterday, the manager said, 'I will handle the project next week and finish it by the end of next month'.

Today, I write a report on this. Should I say:

a) The manager says that he will handle the project next week and finish it by next month; or - no he said it in the past.
b) The manager said that he would handle the project the following week and finish it by the following month -- first choice. The "he will" shifts back to "he would." He would handle and he would finish.
c) The manager said that he will handle the project next week and finish it by next month -- okay as long as the "next week" being referred to is still in the future of when the report is written
d) The manager says/said that he will undertake the project on 15 August and finish it by 30 September -- tenses might be okay, but "next week" doesn't equal a specific date like 15 August.
e) The manager will handle the project next week and finish it by next month -- This eliminates that he said it. I think it's important to capture that he was the one who said it.

You don't have to back shift in the reported speech if what was said (then) about the future is still in the future. But you can, and it's commonly done.

Situation 2:
A report to what someone has reported to others...
(i.e. I'll report to A about B, and B reported itself to C.)

Let's say. C is a group of shareholders, B is a company, and A is another company.

Time Line: July 2010 (B reported to C about the company's financial status in between Jan 2010 and June 2010 and new projects to be started in the 3rd and 4th quarter) -> August 2010 (I'll report to A what B reported to C).

What tense should I choose in the following sentences:

B stated that it earned $1 million between Jan 2010 and June 2010 and would start 3 new projects in October 2010. -- Perfect

It/B was/is now preparing the preliminary work of the projects. B/It expected/expects to finish all the preliminary work by the end of September 2010.
-- The further back in time you go from when it was originally said, the more the entire back shift makes sense. If something was said yesterday and you're reporting it today, keeping the present/future might work just fine, but if B said this in July and it's now a month later and maybe those September deadlines don't look as likely, I'd back shift.
B was preparing and expected

- Is the influence of reported speechin 'B stated.... in October 2010' ended after the full-stop? (if yes, it is logical to use present tense for the 2 sentences afterwards, isn't it? For the 2 sentences mention things about future) -- I'm not sure what this means.

Let me know if this doesn't make sense.

Melancholy · Answer

a) The manager says that he will handle the project next week and finish it by next month; or - no he said it in the past.

But I see such a usage in newspaper every day... why's that?

Is the influence of indirect speech in 'B stated that it earned $1 million between Jan 2010 and June 2010 and would start 3 new projects in October 2010.' ended after the full-stop? (i.e. B was preparing and expected....... if yes, it is logical to use present tense for the 2 sentences afterwards, isn't it? For the 2 sentences mention things about future, and the reported speech is no longer functioning for the last 2 sentences? i.e. Mixing reported speech and indicative mood together) -- I'm not sure what this means.

I hope this will makes things more clearly. thx.

Mudclay · Answer

Hello! I have here something to share, but i strongly suggest to wait for the experts. (anybody can correct if ever i have mistakes or misleading explanation)

Reported Speech:

Declarative- A said (that) S+Vpast/had Vpp i.e. i'm tired. He said that he was tired.

He said that he had been tired.

A told B (that) S + Vpast/had Vpp i.e. i don't know. A told B that he didn't know.

A told B that he hadn't known.

(A said to B is not recommended)

Interrogative - A asked B (if/whether) S+Vpast/had Vpp i.e Are you hungry? A asked B if she/he was hungry.

A asked B (W/H) S+Vpast/had Vpp i.e Why are you angry? A asked B why she was angry

Imperative - A asked B (not)to V base i.e Please stop crying. A asked B to stop crying.

A asked B (not)to V base i.e get out of my sight. A asked B to get out of his/her sight.

Note: this might not how native speakers explain. (Let's wait for them)

Thank you! I hope it helps.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Melancholy
a) The manager says that he will handle the project next week and finish it by next month; or - no he said it in the past.

But I see such a usage in newspaper every day... why's that?

News media present a special case. They use present tense frequently for things that happened in the past.

They might say "The president is vowing to fight for child nutrition programs" even if it's being reported at an hour when the president if fast asleep and not saying anything.

But even the newspaper wouldn't say "At yesterday's press conference, the president is vowing..."

In your case, you're reporting on what happened at the meeting, correct?

Melancholy · Answer

Grammar Geek, thanks for your advice.

By the way, might I use reported speech and indicative mood together?

E.g. The president said, 'the government will try its best to fight against crime. The Police Force is now recruiting more manpower, who may become detectives next year after a series of trainings.'

I use reported speech in the first sentence:

The president said that the government would try its best to fight against crime.

Then, I use indicative mood to speak of the actual situation, which has no bearing on who mentioned the situation.

The Police Force is now recruiting more manpower, who may become detectives next year after a series of trainings.

And the whole paragraph will become:

The president said that the government would try its best to fight against crime. The Police Force is now recruiting more manpower, who may become detectives next year after a series of trainings.

Mucho Gracias,

Melancholy, always

BarbaraPA · Answer

Ah, I understand your second question now. Thanks for the clear example.

You can do that as long as you have this information about the police force from another source. (You know it's true, outside of the person's statement.)

Otherwise:
The president said that the government would try its best to fight against crime and that the police force is now looking for new recruits, who may become detectives after a year of training.

Let me know if you have any questions about the other changes I made.

Manpower would have been fine, but not when you added the "who may become detectives." That took it from a non-count noun to specific individuals, and didn't read right.

Reported Speech: present tense or past tense?

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