Tenses in reported speech

Responding to Bubr's original post.

It is CORRECT to say: The professor told us that mathematics ISN'T easy (present tense).
This is because it is a construction called a "known truth", that is, a statement which is assumed to be true for all time. Other examples might be: I told him that cats like milk.

Rommie

Cheers - but, just to confuse the issue, it is ALSO correct to say The professor told us that mathematics WASN'T easy.

It all depends on whether you count "mathematics isn't easy" as a "known truth", or simply as a statement that was the professor said was true. It's up to you, the speaker, to choose which of the two you prefer. Your choice will put a "spin" on the sentence, coloring it with your world view.

Personally, I would have said "...WASN'T easy" - not because the other version is wrong, but because I wouldn't classify this as a "known truth". This is because I happen to believe that mathematics IS easy, and consequently, the statement "mathematics isn't easy" cannot possibly (in my view) be a KNOWN truth, because it isn't even a TRUTH. The point that I'm trying to make here is that that would be my particular spin. Both versions are correct, but they have subtly different implications regarding the world-view of the speaker.

Rommie

Indeed.

This is best exemplified by example. Compare:

1. The wise one told me that freedom IS worth fighting for.
2. The old fool told me that freedom WAS worth fighting for.

The difference between 1 and 2 is entirely a difference in spin. The speaker of sentence 1 believes the words of the "wise one". The speaker of sentence 2 does not.

Rommie.

I would like some exercises on Reported Spaech as i am studying it

It would be of much help to me

Thanks