I want to know the correct indirect statement for this sentence:
He said," grass is green."
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3It would help if you clarified what you want to know. The question in the title would appear to be one about biology or possilbly philosophy rather than about the English language.– KillingTimeFeb 14, 2020 at 8:33
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Sorry if I posted it wrong. Actually this is my first question and I don't know much about how to post properly.– nectarFeb 14, 2020 at 8:50
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I want to know the correct indirect statement for this sentence: He said, "grass is green."– nectarFeb 14, 2020 at 8:51
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It's not about posting properly. It's about making your mind up what your question actually is.– RegDwigнtFeb 14, 2020 at 10:53
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1 Answer
The category of "universal truth" is a little vague and imprecise - it is better to think of it as "generally accepted as true." However, and unfortunately, I can't think of a better term.
(Compare He said "All swans are white" -> "He said that all swans are white." despite the fact that there are black swans in Australia.)
"Grass is green" is such a statement despite there being other shades of grass, including black.
Thus it is not necessary to backshift the tense in reported speech:
"He said that grass is green."
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Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. But would it be incorrect if I change the tense in reported speech?– nectarFeb 14, 2020 at 9:26