Sequence of Tenses

Question

"I told her to tidy her room but she won't."Is it alright? Does it mean she hasn't yet tidied the room? Can we only use Sequnce of Tenses concerning Reported Speech?Thank you in advance.

Kooyeen · Accepted Answer

FandorinIs it alright? Does it mean she hasn't yet tidied the room?

I think it's ok. It means you told her to do it, but she doesn't want to straighten up her room. Don't worry about the sequence of tenses in reported speech... the part after "but" in your sentence is not part of the reported speech.

Philip · Answer

I told her to tidy her room, but she wouldn't. (room is still messy)
I've told her to tidy her room, but she won't. (room is still messy)

Fandorin · Answer

Kooyeen
FandorinIs it alright? Does it mean she hasn't yet tidied the room?
I think it's ok. It means you told her to do it, but she doesn't want to straighten up her room. Don't worry about the sequence of tenses in reported speech... the part after "but" in your sentence is not part of the reported speech.

Thank you, Kooyeen. Apparently, it isn't Reported Speech. After all, can we use sequence of tenses only in Reported Speech?

Fandorin · Answer

PhilipI told her to tidy her room, but she wouldn't. (room is still messy)
I've told her to tidy her room, but she won't. (room is still messy)

Thank you Philip.

CalifJim · Answer

Fandorin"I told her to tidy her room but she won't."

won't and wouldn't are used idiomatically to mean refused (to).
won't tidy her room means 'refuses to tidy her room'.
wouldn't tidy her room means 'refused to tidy her room'.
As for reported speech, the pattern told ... to implies the reporting of an imperative.

I told her, "Tidy your room!"
Reported as: I told her to tidy her room.
Sequence of tenses is a general phenomenon, not restricted to reported speech.
CJ

Sequence of Tenses

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