[Grammar] Past reported speech

[enthink]

Hello,

Could a native speaker help me with this question?

Let's take this direct speech statement:
Laura: "I would do it now if you wanted me to."


Which of the following reported-speech statements derived from the above is/are natural?

The reported-speech statement is said many months later, when Laura's offer has expired (is no longer valid).

If more than one is natural, please say so!


1) Laura said she would do it then if he wanted her to.

2) Laura said she would have done it then if he wanted her to.

3) Laura said she would do it then if he had wanted her to.

4) Laura said she would have done it then if he had wanted her to.



What about formal vs informal style?

Thank you! :-D

 

[bhaisahab]

Hello,

Could a native speaker help me with this question?

Let's take this direct speech statement:
Laura: "I would do it now if you wanted me to."


Which of the following reported-speech statements derived from the above is/are natural?

The reported-speech statement is said many months later, when Laura's offer has expired (is no longer valid).

If more than one is natural, please say so!


1) Laura said she would do it then if he wanted her to.

2) Laura said she would have done it then if he wanted her to.

3) Laura said she would do it then if he had wanted her to.

4) Laura said she would have done it then if he had wanted her to.



What about formal vs informal style?

Thank you! :-D

I would use #4 for preference.

 

[enthink]

Thanks. Does that mean that the other options are not natural?

 

[susiedqq]

#4 - because all verbs agree in time.

But your original statement:
"I would do it now if you wanted me to."

should be

"I would do it now if you want me to."

 

[enthink]

But your original statement:
"I would do it now if you wanted me to."

should be

"I would do it now if you want me to."

Why? The speaker knows he doesn't want her to do it at that moment and considers it unreal or highly unlikely then and in the future. That should be the irrealis pattern (would + past tense), shouldn't it?

 

[bhaisahab]

Why? The speaker knows he doesn't want her to do it at that moment and considers it unreal or highly unlikely then and in the future. That should be the irrealis pattern (would + past tense), shouldn't it?

I would use "I would do it now if you wanted me to" and "I will do it now if you want me to". That's not to say that "I would do it now if you want me to" is wrong, but I wouldn't use it.

 

[5jj]

Thanks. Does that mean that the other options are not natural?

#4 is better, but you will hear #2. Some native speakers do not use the past perfect as much as grammar books suggest they do. I recommend that you do not follow their example.

#3 is not possible.

 

[enthink]

#4 is better, but you will hear #2. Some native speakers do not use the past perfect as much as grammar books suggest they do. I recommend that you do not follow their example.

#3 is not possible.

Very informative, thanks. Do you have any comment on #1?

 

[5jj]

Very informative, thanks. Do you have any comment on #1?

Sorry; I thought that others had commented on #1. Like bbhaisahab, I would use your original version, not susiedqq's.

My answer to your question is that I probably would not say #1, but others do. The 'rules' on reported speech, in conversation at least, are far more flexible than some books suggest.

Incidentally, look at the words that I have coloured blue. They do not fit into any common pattern covered in course books, but they are perfectly acceptable, in my opinion.

 

[Kotfor]

Hello,


1) Laura said she would do it then if he wanted her to.

2) Laura said she would have done it then if he wanted her to.

3) Laura said she would do it then if he had wanted her to.

4) Laura said she would have done it then if he had wanted her to.

Not a teacher
I think that 1 is correct. Why? Because If we choose 4 then how will we handle this one -

Laura: "I would have done it [STRIKE]now [/STRIKE]if you had wanted me to."

We would have two similar sentences eventually while we have two different sentences initially.

 

[5jj]

We would have two similar sentences eventually while we have two different sentences initially.

That often happens, for example:

"Have you done it?" - He asked me if I had done it.
"Did you do it?" - He asked me if I had done it.

In real life we are not usually concerned with actively thinking about tenses; we are trying to communicate messages to others, and understand their messages to us. Much of the apparent confusion we discuss when we talk about what we should and should not say is not there when the words are actually uttered and heard. The partcipants in a conversation know what they are referring to.

 

[enthink]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'd just like to point out that I was not asking about grammar rules (prescriptive approach) but about what is natural to native speakers (descriptive approach).

 

[5jj]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'd just like to point out that I was not asking about grammar rules (prescriptive approach) but about what is natural to native speakers (descriptive approach).

I can't speak for others posting in this thread, but my answers have been based on what is generally acceptable. This is why I did not reject #1 and #2 outright. #1 is not 'correct' by the strct 'rules' governing backshifting in reported speech, but many people do not follow these in practice. The 'rules' are better considered as helpful advice. I rejected #3 because I don't think any native speaker would say it.