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Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them. I got the following questions:

  1. "What kind of computers do you have?", which I reported as "He asked me what kind of computers I have."
  2. "What music do you like?", which I reported as "She asked me what music I like."

My logic is that in these cases the situation hasn't changed in the five minutes since the question was asked (I still liked the same music and my computers still weren't stolen) and it is OK to use the present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense without any exceptions. What am I missing here?

###Update

Update

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University. Quoting Unit 48, "Reported speech 2":

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

 

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

 

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

 

(The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

 

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from the same book, "Additional Exercises, Reported Speech", 25.5:

What's your job?

 

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

 

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

The last example looks very similar to my own.

Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them. I got the following questions:

  1. "What kind of computers do you have?", which I reported as "He asked me what kind of computers I have."
  2. "What music do you like?", which I reported as "She asked me what music I like."

My logic is that in these cases the situation hasn't changed in the five minutes since the question was asked (I still liked the same music and my computers still weren't stolen) and it is OK to use the present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense without any exceptions. What am I missing here?

###Update

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University. Quoting Unit 48, "Reported speech 2":

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

 

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

 

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

 

(The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

 

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from the same book, "Additional Exercises, Reported Speech", 25.5:

What's your job?

 

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

 

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

The last example looks very similar to my own.

Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them. I got the following questions:

  1. "What kind of computers do you have?", which I reported as "He asked me what kind of computers I have."
  2. "What music do you like?", which I reported as "She asked me what music I like."

My logic is that in these cases the situation hasn't changed in the five minutes since the question was asked (I still liked the same music and my computers still weren't stolen) and it is OK to use the present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense without any exceptions. What am I missing here?

Update

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University. Quoting Unit 48, "Reported speech 2":

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

(The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from the same book, "Additional Exercises, Reported Speech", 25.5:

What's your job?

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

The last example looks very similar to my own.

added 15 characters in body; edited tags
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RegDwigнt
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Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them.

  I got the following questions - first one is "What kind of computers do you have?" and I reported it as "He asked me what kind of computers I have." and another one is "What music do you like?" and I reported it as "She asked me what music I like.":

  1. "What kind of computers do you have?", which I reported as "He asked me what kind of computers I have."
  2. "What music do you like?", which I reported as "She asked me what music I like."

In myMy logic is that in these casecases the situation didn't changehasn't changed in 5the five minutes since the question was asked (I still liked the same music and my computers still weren't stolen) and it is OK to use the present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense without any exceptions. What am I missing here?

UPDATE###Update

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University.

Quote from Quoting Unit 48 Reported, "Reported speech 22":

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

       (The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

(The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from the same book - Additional, "Additional Exercises, Reported SpeechSpeech", 25.5:

What's youyour job?

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

LastThe last example looks very similar to my own.

Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them.

  I got following questions - first one is "What kind of computers do you have?" and I reported it as "He asked me what kind of computers I have." and another one is "What music do you like?" and I reported it as "She asked me what music I like."

In my logic in these case situation didn't change in 5 minutes since question was asked (I still liked same music and my computers weren't stolen) and it is OK to use present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense without any exceptions. What am I missing here?

UPDATE

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University.

Quote from Unit 48 Reported speech 2

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

       (The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from same book - Additional Exercises, Reported Speech, 25.5

What's you job?

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

Last example looks very similar to my own.

Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them. I got the following questions:

  1. "What kind of computers do you have?", which I reported as "He asked me what kind of computers I have."
  2. "What music do you like?", which I reported as "She asked me what music I like."

My logic is that in these cases the situation hasn't changed in the five minutes since the question was asked (I still liked the same music and my computers still weren't stolen) and it is OK to use the present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense without any exceptions. What am I missing here?

###Update

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University. Quoting Unit 48, "Reported speech 2":

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

(The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from the same book, "Additional Exercises, Reported Speech", 25.5:

What's your job?

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

The last example looks very similar to my own.

added 877 characters in body
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AlexD
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Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them.

I got following questions - first one is "What kind of computers do you have?" and I reported it as "He asked me what kind of computers I have." and another one is "What music do you like?" and I reported it as "She asked me what music I like."

In my logic in these case situation didn't change in 5 minutes since question was asked (I still liked same music and my computers weren't stolen) and it is OK to use present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense withwithout any exceptions. What am I missing here?

UPDATE

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University.

Quote from Unit 48 Reported speech 2

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

       (The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from same book - Additional Exercises, Reported Speech, 25.5

What's you job?

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

Last example looks very similar to my own.

Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them.

I got following questions - first one is "What kind of computers do you have?" and I reported it as "He asked me what kind of computers I have." and another one is "What music do you like?" and I reported it as "She asked me what music I like."

In my logic in these case situation didn't change in 5 minutes since question was asked (I still liked same music and my computers weren't stolen) and it is OK to use present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense with any exceptions. What am I missing here?

Today I had another English lesson and all students were instructed by teacher to ask each other few predefined questions and then to report them.

I got following questions - first one is "What kind of computers do you have?" and I reported it as "He asked me what kind of computers I have." and another one is "What music do you like?" and I reported it as "She asked me what music I like."

In my logic in these case situation didn't change in 5 minutes since question was asked (I still liked same music and my computers weren't stolen) and it is OK to use present tense here.

But my teacher corrected me and insisted that I should always use past tense without any exceptions. What am I missing here?

UPDATE

I've checked 'English Grammar in Use' by Cambridge University.

Quote from Unit 48 Reported speech 2

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn't changed, you do not need to change the verb to the past:

direct: Paul said, 'My new job is very interesting.'

reported: Paul said that his new job is very interesting.

       (The situation hasn't changed. His job is still interesting.)

You can also change the verb to the past.

Another example from same book - Additional Exercises, Reported Speech, 25.5

What's you job?

How much do you earn?

Valid answers are:

He wanted to know what my job was and asked me how much I earned.

He wanted to know what my job is and asked me how much I earn.

Last example looks very similar to my own.

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AlexD
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