Indirect Speech and Would.

Temporal Adverbs Shift

- here > there

- this / these > that / those

- now > then

- ago > before

- tomorrow > the next / following day

- today > that / the same day

- yesterday > the day before / the preceding day

- next week / year > the following week / year

- this week / year > that week / year

- last week / year > the week / year before

- note: the next day / week / year (= the whole period: The next year will be horrible.) ≠ next day / week / year (= some point during the period: I will come back next year.)

 

Tense Shift

- a tense shift generally necessary

(a) present > past

(b) ambiguous situations (not clear whether referring to the present or to the past)

(c) mere objective reporting

(d) state verbs

- tense shift generally NOT necessary

(a) past > past perfect

(b) unambiguous situations (clear whether referring to the present or to the past)

(c) still relevant situations (the speaker takes the statement for granted)

(d) action verbs

- ‘would’ in indirect speech

(a) = future ‘will’

(b) = modal ‘will’

(c) = a real condition

(d) = an unreal condition

(e) = a repeated action

E x e r c i s e :

‘The rate of inflation has slowed down.’ > They announced…that the rate of inflation had slowed down. [refers to the past => a tense shift] / …that the rate of inflation has slowed down. [refers to a still relevant state of things => no need of a tense shift] > They have announced…that the rate of inflation has slowed down. [past perfect in the introductory clause => no need of a tense shift]

‘I’ve got two houses.’ > Sarah told me…that she had two houses. [mere reporting => a tense shift] / …that she has got two houses. [refers to a still relevant state of things, the speaker believes the claim => no need of a tense shift]

‘I don’t want anything to eat.’ > Mark said…that he didn’t want anything to eat. [refers to a past situation => a tense shift] / …that he doesn’t want anything to eat. [refers to a present situation, the speakers are about to eat now => no need of a tense shift]

‘I’m leaving.’ > James announced…that he was leaving. [refers to a past situation => a tense shift] /…that he is leaving. [refers to a present situation, the speaker is about to leave now => no need of a tense shift]

‘I posted the card yesterday’. > She reassured me…that she posted the card yesterday. [an action verb => no need of a tense shift]

‘I am happy.’ > She said…that she was happy.

‘I was happy there.’ > She said that…that she had been happy there. [a state verb => a tense shift]

‘I’ve seen the film before.’ > She told me…that she had seen the film before. [BrE => a tense shift] / …that she saw the film before. [AmE => no need of a tense shift]

‘I dropped it while I was running.’ > He said…that he had dropped it while he was running. [a combination of past simple + past progressive in an unambiguous situation => no need of a tense shift with the past progressive]

‘I was standing at that window when I noticed the light in the office.’ > She said…that she was standing at that window when she noticed the light in the office. [an unambiguous situation => no need of a tense shift]

‘I lived in the town when I was small.’ > He said…that he lived in the town when he was small. [an unambiguous situation => no need of a tense shift]

‘We’ll have to wait until it’s over.’ > He said…that he would have to wait until it was over. [a potentially ambiguous situation => a tense shift]

 

Subjunctives / Conditions

- a real condition (higher probability) >> a tense shift

(If I am [charged], I will fight the case tooth and nail. >> He said that if he were [charged], he would fight the case tooth and nail.)

- an unreal condition (lower probability) >> no need of a tense shift

(If I won I would give the money to the charity. >> He said that if he won he would give the money to the charity.)

- subjunctive >> no need of a tense shift

(You’d better go now. >> He said that he had better go now.)

E x e r c i s e :

Mr Davidson, 47, of Norbury, Derbyshire, has not been charged. But he vowed: ‘If I am, I will fight the case tooth and nail.’ > He said…that he would fight the case tooth and nail. [a real condition with a higher probability to occur => a tense shift]

‘If I won I would give the money to the charity.’ > He said…that he would give the money to the charity. [an unreal condition with a lower probability to occur => no need of a tense shift x BUT: two possible interpretations arise]

‘You’d better go now.’ = ‘You had better go now.’ > He said…that he had better go now. [subjunctive => no need of a tense shift]

‘I wish it would stop raining.’ > He said…that he wished it would stop raining. [‘wish’ ≠ condition in E => no need of a tense shift]

‘I wish I understood Italian.’ > She said…that she wished she understood Italian. [‘wish’ ≠ condition in E => no need of a tense shift]

‘It’s time you went to bed.’ > He said…that it was time I went to bed. [subjunctive => no need of a tense shift]

‘I’d rather die than live in Wimbledon.’ = I would rather die than live in Wimbledon. > She said…that she would rather die than live in Wimbledon. [subjunctive => no need of a tense shift]

 

Modals

- can, may, shall, will, must as an obligation >> a tense shift >> could, might, should, would, had to

(I must go at once. >> He said that he had to go at once.)

- could, might, should, would, must as a logical necessity >> no tense shift

(There must be a mistake. >> He said that there must be a mistake.)

E x e r c i s e :

‘The problem can be solved.’ > He said…that the problem could be solved. [‘can’ => a tense shift]

‘Take an umbrella. It might rain later.’ > He said…that it might rain later. [‘might’ => no tense shift]

‘You might have made a mistake.’ > He said…that I might have made a mistake. [‘might’ => no tense shift]

‘There must be a mistake.’ > He said…that there must be a mistake. [‘must’ as a logical necessity => no tense shift]

‘I must go at once.’ > He said…that he had to go at once. [‘must’ as an obligation => a tense shift]

‘You must have made a mistake.’ He said…that I must have made a mistake. [‘must’ as a logical necessity => no tense shift]

 

Simultaneity

(1a) They waited. After a moment a voice replied, ‘It isn’t easy being a cop!’ ‘What did he say?’ whispered Ford in astonishment. ‘He said it isn’t easy being a cop.’ ‘Well surely that’s his problem isn’t it?’ ‘I’d have thought so.’

- a still relevant situation => no tense shift necessary

(1b) ‘Only a Quidditch player?’ Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn’t believe his ears. ‘Hermione – he’s one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!’

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(2a) ‘Darling,’ she said. ‘Guess what? Good Afternoon! are looking for researchers. Current affairs, terribly good. I’ve spoken to Richard Finch, the editor, and told him all about you. I said you had a degree in politics, darling. Don’t worry, he’ll be far too busy to check. He wants you to come in on Monday for a chat.’

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(2b) After got depressed on Friday Jude came round and talked to me about being more positive about things, bringing with her fantastic black dress for me to borrow for party. Was worried that might split or spill on the dress but she said she had lots of money and dresses because of top job and did not matter so not to worry about it. Love Jude. Girls are so much nicer than men…

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(3a) ‘I got all my school stuff last week,’ Harry explained. ‘And how come You knew I’m staying at the Leaky Cauldron?’ ‘Dad,’ said Ron simply.

- a still relevant situation => no tense shift necessary

(3b) ‘Who told you where I lived?’ ‘I followed you home once.’ ‘Where from?’ ‘I saw you out wandering around and I followed you.

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(4a) ‘Mark. Why are you here?’ ‘Bridge… I just told you why I’m here.’

- a still relevant situation => no tense shift necessary

(4b) Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the stunned dragons. ‘I didn’t know you were bringing her, Hagrid,’ Charlie said, frowning.

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(4c) ‘How do you feel?’ he asked. ‘Like a military academy,’ said Arthur, ‘bits of me keep on passing out.’ Ford stared at him blankly in the darkness. ‘If I asked you where the hell we were,’ said Arthur weakly, ‘would I regret it?’ Ford stood up. ‘We’re safe,’ he said. ‘Oh good,’ said Arthur.

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(5) I’m not,’ Hermione whispered. ‘If I’d been a bit cleverer, I’d have told everyone what you are!’ ‘But they already know,’ said Lupin. ‘At least, the staff do.’ ‘Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf,’ Ron gasped.

- a still relevant situation => no tense shift necessary

- the same situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(6) ‘My name,’ he said, ‘… is Slartibartfast.’ Arthur practically choked. ‘I beg you pardon?’ he spluttered. ‘Slartibartfast,’ repeated the old man quietly. ‘Slartibartfast?’ The old man looked at him gravely. ‘I said it wasn’t important,’ he said.

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(7) ‘What are you watching this for? It’s rubbish. You’re always telling me. ‘I thought you liked cartoons.’ ‘I do. I just don’t like this one. It’s terrible. They both stared at the screen without speaking.

- a still relevant situation x BUT: a tense shift of present to past more natural

(8) At long last Harry thought it must be time for breakfast, so he headed through the portrait hole alone.

- ‘must’ as a logical necessity => no tense shift

 

Journals: ‘…said that + present tense’

- sentence beginning: a tense shift >> sentence end: no tense shift

- * sentence beginning: no tense shift *>> * sentence end: a tense shift

> S1: He said that the drugs were safe and not performance enhancing and should have worked their way out of the horse’s system long before he arrived in Athens. S2: Mr O’Connor said that his team will make further inquires as to what went wrong.

- S1: a mere objective report of the statement => a tense shift

- S2: the same situation x BUT: a still relevant situation + no need to be objective => no tense shift necessary

 

Posteriority

‘You don’t think you’ll be unfaithful?’ ‘No. Not once I’m married. I told Hamish I’ll kill him if he does, so I’d better stick to that.’

- a real condition x BUT: no tense shift

‘Old friend? We read law at Oxford together. I always knew he’d conquer the world.’

- a tense shift: ‘would’ = future ‘will’

10:45 P.M. Oh God. Daniel fell about laughing when said I could not programme video. Said he would do it for me. Still, at least have done best for Mum.

- a tense shift: ‘would’ = future ‘will’

 

Anteriority

I realized I’d forgotten something back home.

- a tense shift: present perfect > past perfect

It turned out Magda had booked a big table at 192 and told everyone to go there instead of my flat, and there they all were waiting with presents, planning to buy me dinner. Magda said they had had a weird, almost spooky sixth sense that the Grand Marnier soufflé and frizzled lardon thing were not going to work out.

- a state verb => a tense shift necessary

- a tense shift: present perfect > past perfect

I heard Daniel coming up the stairs behind me. ‘Honey,’ said the woman, in an American accent, looking over my head at him. ‘I thought you said she was thin.’

- past simple > present perfect = too complicated => no tense shift

‘I owe you an apology about Daniel. He said that you ran off with his fiancée… and left him broken hearted, he said.’ ‘Ah. No, it was the other way around. It was my wife… my heart.’

- an unambiguous situation + action verb + past simple > present perfect = too complicated => no tense shift

Are you gonna give me something? I thought I made it clear last night. When it comes to me, you can have everything.

- an unambiguous situation (‘last night’ refers to past) => no tense shift necessary

 

Combination of Tenses

- (not very common)

- He was only told of the burglary last night as he visited his sister, Anne Marie, in Hoddesdon, Herts. The news did not seem to bother him unduly. ‘That’s life I suppose,’ he said. Gazza, wearing a striped blue and yellow shirt and jeans, said he would have to wait until he flew back to Rome to discover the full extent of the damage.

- ‘Don’t kill her. I mean it.’ ‘I’ll handle this.’ ‘Well then, you’ll have to handle Farrell if you kill her. He said he didn’t want her harmed until we find out what she knows about the book.’

- It runs out Mark has spent quite lot of time in Portugal over the last month, in manner of heartwarming private detective. He told me he tracked Julio down to Funchal and found out quite a bit about where the funds were, but couldn’t cajole, or threaten, Julio into returning anything.

-‘No. They just started following me home after school. So I thought I’d better not go home, so they wouldn’t find out where I lived. I thought I’d come round here.’ ‘Thanks a lot.’ ‘They won’t chuck sweets at you.’

-‘Yeah. I just thought I’d pop back before the reception and see if she’s better.’