This has nothing to do with "the two sentences", Pro, and I certainly didn't insist they were anything. I think if you check, you'll find I used words like, "they
could hold different meanings but ... "
The two statements that I believe were contradictory were;
1. "I know how reported speech works" [might not be the actual wording but that's the full gist of it]
AND
2. "[would] only works out to be the past of [__] in certain instances, and these instances are often reported speech".
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...upposed-5.html
If you know how reported speech works how can you have said what you said in 2.?