Past tense or present tense

Tom called me yesterday and said his wife wanted to by a car.

Then I want to send an email to my friend who is a car agent. I will say:

1. My friend called me yesterday. He said his wife wanted to by a car.

2. My friend called me yesterday. He said his wife wants to buy a car.


Are the above sentences both correct.

Winwin2011 said:

Tom called me yesterday and said his wife wanted to buy a car.

Then I want to send an email to my friend who is a car agent. I will say:

1. My friend called me yesterday. He said his wife wanted to buy a car.

2. My friend called me yesterday. He said his wife wants to buy a car.


Are the above sentences both correct.

Click to expand...

They are now.

Three things.

1. I doubt that your friend used past tense when he said his wife wants to buy a car, so why should you do so?

2. We call them car salesmen, not car agents. (AmE)

3. Say:

Are the sentences correct?

Tarheel said:

1. I doubt that your friend used past tense when he said his wife wants to buy a car, so why should you do so?

Click to expand...

Because it's quite common in reported speech.

Roman55 said:

Because it's quite common in reported speech.

Click to expand...

True.

The following explanation might be helpful to the OP.

'3. Optional Backshifting

When the verb of speech introducing the indirect speech is in a past tense (simple, progressive or perfect), and the situation reported is still true at the moment of speaking, we can, but do not have to, backshift.'── quoted from http://usingenglish.com/articles/indirect-reported-speech.html

Tarheel said:

2. We call them car salesmen, not car agents. (AmE)

Click to expand...

When I used 'salesman', SoothingDave told me that it was a 'car dealer' in AmE in this post http://usingenglish.com/forum/threa...of-a-picture?p=1176064&viewfull=1#post1176064
Are they called differently in the US?

Matthew Wai said:

When I used 'salesman', SoothingDave told me that it was a 'car dealer' in AmE in this post http://usingenglish.com/forum/threa...of-a-picture?p=1176064&viewfull=1#post1176064
Are they called differently in the US?

Click to expand...

The place where you go to buy a car is a car dealer, not a car shop. The person who handles the sale is a car salesman.