By English grammar, Indirect speech

(sorry to repeat the post from another thread; I feel it's quite an important matter) Indeed, MrPedantic. Wrt #2: From the best authority, back-shifting (from present to past) in the subordinate isn't mandatory: ------ Finally, I give some examples in which the tense...

From the best authority, back-shifting (from present to past) in the subordinate isn't mandatory: ------ Finally, I give some examples in which the tense has not been adjusted to that of the chief - I asked the guard what time the train usually starts. Otto Jespersen, Modern English...

If we use passive voice, we don't have to change it in reported speech. Am I right? JTT: That's right. Sounds your books are telling merely that some native speakers don't do always the tense backshift in direct-to-indirect speech conversion. But I don't take it as that those books are saying...