| backshift |
| Definition -
The backwards-in-time shifting of tense that occurs when we report indirect speech.
Notes: 1. A useful general rule for backshifting is: Present tense becomes past tense and past tense become past perfect. |
|
Example - (1) "I have lived in the south for years," Mr Smith said. (direct speech) (2) Mr Smith told me that he had lived in the south for years. (backshifted indirect speech) |
|
Oxford English Dictionary - There is no OED citation for the term. |
