Present and Past tenses in direct speech towards reported speech

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

reported speech:1. I was told that Martha had failed her driving test.- it means that somebody earlier said: , Matha failed her driving test.’’

reported speech: 2.I was told that Martha failed her driving test,-it means that somebody earlier said: 3., Martha failed her driving test’’ or 4.,Marha fails her driving test’’.
How do we know it is 3. or 4.? When can it be 3. and when 4.? Do we have to ask additional questions to know this?

Thank you very much.

2

Hi Saneta,

I appreciate the seriousness of your question but I don’t honestly think it matters whether the original was ‘failed’ or ‘has failed’ (not ‘fails’). The main point is that (1) and (2) are fine.

Alan