killthebuddha
Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 144
Location: Assigned to the Imperial Gourd
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 Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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Jbhughes,
In addition to the aforementioned exceptions to the simple past-to-past perfect backshift rule, consider these:
http://targetstudy.com/languages/english/direct-and-indirect-speech.html
Exception 1:
If Reporting speech has "universal truth" or "habitual fact" then there is no change in the Tense.
Exception 2:
If Reporting speech has "past historical fact" then there is no change in the Tense.
Exception 3:
If Reporting speech has "two actions to be happened at a time" then there is no change in the Tense.
Exception 4:
If Reporting speech has some "imagined condition" then there is no change in the Tense.
Exception 5:
If Reporting speech contains "had 3d form," "to infinitive," and "would," "could," "should," "must," "might," "ought to," etc., then there is no change in the Tense.
That makes 7 exceptions to the backshift rule thus far. How many apply to your situation? Enough to have eschewed ("gazuntite") (that's for you, johnslat  ) the rule?
--ktb |
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