Special Cases in Tense Change

Look at these two sentences:

The teacher said, “The earth moves round the sun.”

The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

He said, “I had finished my work.”

He said that he had finished his work.

Now look carefully.

In the first sentence, moves did not change.

In the second sentence, had finished also did not change.

Why did they not change

Because these are special cases.

In narration, we often use backshift. But not every sentence changes in the same way. Some sentences follow special rules.

Why This Lesson Is Important

In the last lesson, you learned that when the reporting verb is in the past, the tense usually goes one step back.

That rule is correct.

But some students start changing every sentence in the same way. Then they make mistakes.

For example, they may write:

The teacher said that the earth moved round the sun.

He said that he had had finished his work.

These are wrong in basic narration rules.

So you must learn the special cases clearly.

The Two Important Special Cases

In this lesson, we will learn two very important special cases:

Universal truth

Past perfect

These two usually do not change.

Special Case 1: Universal Truth

If the reported speech expresses a universal truth, scientific fact, natural law, or proverb, the tense usually does not change.

Easy idea:

A universal truth is true all the time. It was true before, it is true now, and it will be true later.

So we usually do not backshift it.

Examples of universal truth:

The earth moves round the sun

Water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius

The sun rises in the east

Honesty is the best policy

Example 1

Direct:

The teacher said, “The earth moves round the sun.”

Indirect:

The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Explanation:

moves did not change to moved

because this is a scientific fact

Example 2

Direct:

The scientist said, “Water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius.”

Indirect:

The scientist said that water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius.

Explanation:

boils did not change

because this is a scientific fact

Example 3

Direct:

Father said, “Honesty is the best policy.”

Indirect:

Father said that honesty is the best policy.

Explanation:

is did not change to was

because this is a proverb or general truth

Example 4

Direct:

The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”

Indirect:

The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

Explanation:

rises stays rises

because it is always true

So remember:

Universal truth usually does not change.

How to Recognize Universal Truth

Ask yourself:

Is this something always true

Is it a scientific fact

Is it a natural law

Is it a proverb or general truth

If the answer is yes, then tense usually stays the same.

Special Case 2: Past Perfect

Past perfect usually does not change in narration.

Past perfect form:

had plus V3

Easy idea:

Past perfect already shows an earlier past action.

So it usually does not go another step back.

Example 1

Direct:

He said, “I had finished my work.”

Indirect:

He said that he had finished his work.

Explanation:

had finished stayed had finished

Example 2

Direct:

Mina said, “I had seen the film before.”

Indirect:

Mina said that she had seen the film before.

Explanation:

had seen stayed had seen

Example 3

Direct:

The boy said, “I had gone there.”

Indirect:

The boy said that he had gone there.

Explanation:

had gone did not change again

Example 4

Direct:

She said, “I had written the letter.”

Indirect:

She said that she had written the letter.

Explanation:

had written stayed the same

So remember:

Past perfect usually stays the same.

Why Past Perfect Does Not Usually Change

Past perfect already means past before past.

So it is already back enough.

That is why we usually do not change it again.

One Sentence Step by Step

Let us study one universal truth sentence carefully.

Sentence:

The teacher said, “The earth moves round the sun.”

Step 1

Check the reporting verb.

It is said, so it is past.

Step 2

Normally we expect backshift.

Step 3

But the reported speech is a scientific fact.

Step 4

So the tense does not change.

Final answer:

The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Another Step by Step Example

Sentence:

He said, “I had finished my work.”

Step 1

Check the reporting verb.

It is said, so it is past.

Step 2

Normally we expect backshift.

Step 3

But the verb is already in past perfect:

had finished

Step 4

Past perfect usually stays the same.

Final answer:

He said that he had finished his work.

Compare Normal Rule and Special Case

Normal backshift:

He said, “I am tired.”

He said that he was tired.

Special case, universal truth:

The teacher said, “The earth moves round the sun.”

The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Special case, past perfect:

He said, “I had finished my work.”

He said that he had finished his work.

This comparison is very important.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1

Changing universal truth unnecessarily.

Wrong:

The teacher said that the earth moved round the sun.

Correct:

The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

Mistake 2

Changing a proverb unnecessarily.

Wrong:

Father said that honesty was the best policy.

Correct:

Father said that honesty is the best policy.

Mistake 3

Changing past perfect again.

Wrong:

He said that he had had finished his work.

Correct:

He said that he had finished his work.

Mistake 4

Forgetting that these are exceptions.

Some students try to apply one step back to every sentence.

That creates errors.

Quick Revision

Remember these two special cases:

Universal truth usually does not change.

Past perfect usually stays the same.

Examples:

The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.

He said that he had finished his work.

Practice

A. Change into indirect speech

1. The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”

2. The scientist said, “Water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius.”

3. Father said, “Honesty is the best policy.”

4. He said, “I had finished my homework.”

5. Mina said, “I had seen the bird before.”

6. The boy said, “I had gone to school.”

7. The teacher said, “Practice makes a man perfect.”

8. She said, “I had written the answer.”

B. Write the correct form

1. The teacher said that the earth ______ round the sun.

2. He said that he had ______ his work.

3. Father said that honesty ______ the best policy.

4. Mina said that she had ______ the letter.

C. Choose the correct answer

1. Universal truth usually

   changes to past

   does not change

   changes to future

2. Past perfect usually

   changes again

   stays the same

   becomes present

3. “The sun rises in the east” is an example of

   past perfect

   universal truth

   future tense

Answers

A.

1. The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

2. The scientist said that water boils at one hundred degrees Celsius.

3. Father said that honesty is the best policy.

4. He said that he had finished his homework.

5. Mina said that she had seen the bird before.

6. The boy said that he had gone to school.

7. The teacher said that practice makes a man perfect.

8. She said that she had written the answer.

B.

1. moves

2. finished

3. is

4. written

C.

1. does not change

2. stays the same

3. universal truth

Self Check

Now ask yourself:

Can I identify a universal truth sentence

Can I explain why universal truth usually does not change

Can I identify a past perfect form

Can I remember that past perfect usually stays the same

Can I avoid changing these two cases wrongly

Homework

Write three sentences of universal truth in direct speech.

Then change them into indirect speech.

Write three sentences with past perfect in direct speech.

Then change them into indirect speech.