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When do I have to use "will + verb" after that clause?

He said the project will be carried out.

vs

He said the project would be carried out.

According to the tense agreement, I think the first sentence is right.

Is there any slight difference?

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Both are correct. This is all about something called backshift where there is a shift from present tense to preterite in reported speech.

What he actually said was The project will be carried out, but I report this as He said the project would be carried out, using preterite would instead of present will.

In fact, even with preterite reporting verbs, backshift is often optional; you can keep the original present tense instead of backshifting it. Which is why will in your examples is perfectly acceptable.

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As far as I know, it should be "He said the project would be carried out", because you are talking about the future in the past. I think the first version is incorrect, but it is possible to say "He says the project will be carried out". In that case you are talking about the future in the present.

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  • A certain American native speaker told me once. much higher possibility - he said the project will be carried out. Is it right?
    – Steve Kim
    Commented Dec 2, 2015 at 8:49
  • @Stan Sidel: I agree with your reasoning, and can only add that it would be possible (if writing dialogue or quoting a speaker) to use will ... said: "The project will be carried out", he said. And "will" can be used to be very certain about something, and in writing it would be bold or italic often, and in speaking it would be stressed.
    – Cargill
    Commented Dec 2, 2015 at 8:52
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According to what I've learnt, "He said the project would be carried out" is the correct way of reported speech.

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    That is completely wrong advice. With reporting verbs, in many cases, it's perfectly okay to use the present tense instead of backshifting it. In this case, "Will OR would be carried out" are fine.
    – BillJ
    Commented Dec 2, 2015 at 11:28
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    – user140086
    Commented Dec 2, 2015 at 11:30

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