By Simple past, Direct speech

MrPedantic wrote:It seems to me that it's only possible to hear pastness if either a) you put it into indirect speech, e.g. or b) you use the "would" of habitual past action, e.g.If the entire context were about the past, wouldn't it possible to take the 'will' as the simple past? MrPedantic...

Sir, I am a bit confused that how simple past in reported indirect speech gets converted to present perfect tense (not to simple present) in reported direct speech in, St. Patrick said, "All the snakes have been driven out of Ireland, and they have swum to England".

Well, it seems you're posting from Australia... As to the other matter, I was taught that a simple past in direct speech automatically became a past perfect in R. S., as long as the introducing verb was in the past. I sounds so much better - less complicated - if it stays in the Simple past!...

"is" is the 3rd person singular present tense of "to be" "was" is 3rd person simple past of "to be" Reading your sentences, I would put this interpretation on them: I thought he is late. I think this need some speech marks (") Perhaps you are telling someone about something that happened in...

It would be easier if you thought about what you have written before you post it, and be sure that you have expressed yourself as clearly as possible. This is not a chat room. the subordinating clause is (was?) accordingly simple past present or past continuous present -- what is this supposed...

I don't really understand the question either... Konstantin, you're referring to the Conditional with your German example. Indirect speech in German works differently as the Conjunctive has to be used in formal German, which however, can be replaced by the Conditional (would+infinitive). In...