past simple and past perfect progressive in reported speech

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ostap77

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"He knew that it was raining as the roofs were wet." Correct?

OR

"He knew that it had been raining as the roofs were wet." Corret?
 

bhaisahab

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"He knew that it was raining as the roofs were wet." Correct?

OR

"He knew that it had been raining as the roofs were wet." Correct?
They are both correct. The difference is that in the first it is raining now and in the second it isn't, although it has been.
 

ostap77

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They are both correct. The difference is that in the first it is raining now and in the second it isn't, although it has been.

She says, "It was raining as the roofs were wet."

If it's already in past tense so might not backshift it in informal conversation?

"She said that it was raining as the roofs were wet." may refer both to the past and present in reported speech?
 

5jj

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She says, "It was raining as the roofs were wet."

If it's already in past tense so might not backshift it in informal conversation?

"She said that it was raining as the roofs were wet." may refer both to the past and present in reported speech?

I don't see how this can refer to the present, - she is unlikely to say 'It is raining as the roofs are wet,' because she can presumably see that it is raining.
 

bhaisahab

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I don't see how this can refer to the present, - she is unlikely to say 'It is raining as the roofs are wet,' because she can presumably see that it is raining.
Yes, I agree. The only situation in which this could work is if it were a stage direction or similar.
 

Tdol

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She could be looking out of a window and able to see that they're wet, and the light isn't good enough to see whether rain is falling because it's a light drizzle. Maybe ;-)
 
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5jj

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She could be looking out of a window and able to see that they're wet, and the light isn't good enough to see whether rain is falling because it's a light drizzle. Maybe ;-)

Exactly. This is why I have learnt never to use 'never' or 'always' when I talk about English grammar. Tdol's hypotheical situation may be extremely unlikely - but it's possible.
 
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