“I joined the company three years ago.”
Mr. Jones said yesterday that he joined the company three years ago.
“I joined the company exactly three years ago, to the day.”
Mr. Jones said yesterday that he had joined the company exactly three years before, to the day.
Can somebody explained the difference in terms of meaning between these 2 different reported sentences. What does it mean to the day .Why in one sentence past simple is correct (same time frame) and why in the second it is not (different time frame)so past perfect is needed how ever both are said" yesterday"
Best Answer
The basic rule for tense shift in reported speech is"
1 Present tense becomes past tense
2 Past tense becomes past perfect
3 Future tense becomes conditional tense
Direct speech: I do - reported speech: He said he did
I did - He said he had done
I'll do - He said he would do