[Grammar] A conbination of second conditional and reported speech

[cubezero3]

:-D

Hello, everyone.

I was reading the following sentence a moment ago.

The policeman in question was reprimanded and was in formed that if any further complaints were lodged against him, he would be prosecuted.

"Did the writer put in to reported speech a second conditional sentence or a first conditional sentence?"I couldn't help asking myself. Conclusion was reached immediately, for the part ahead is in past tense. Then again, I had to face a consequent question. Suppose the writer, for whatever reasons, had had absolute faith in "the policeman in question" never conducting the same behaviour in the future. There could have been something like the following:

The omibudsman reprimanded the policeman and said to him "if further complaints were to be lodged against you, you would be prosecuted."

If I want to change this sentence in to reported speech, what should I come up with?

Thanks in advance

Richard of Nanning

 

[cubezero3]

:shock:

According to grammar rules I have learnt. The sentence will be something like this:

The omibusman ... said to him if further complaints had been to be lodged against him, he would have been prosecuted.

This result smacks of madness.

As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right):

http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/reportedspeech.htm