past simple and past perfect progressive in reported speech

ostap77 said:

"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?

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bhaisahab said:

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.

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ostap77 said:

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?

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fivejedjon said:

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.

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Tdol said:

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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