You have said, "They are waiting outside."

[Tait-ka]

Hi,

You have said, "They are waiting outside."

Source: This direct speech sentence is from a past paper of English for grade 10, held in 2024, subjective part (group 2).
(Lahore Board)

In the paper it was asked to convert it into reported/indirect speech.

My question is:
Should I change the tense of the green part when converting it into reported speech? i.e.:
You have said that they were waiting outside.

Or, should I not change the tense? i.e.:
You have said that they are waiting outside.


Thanks.

 

[jutfrank]

You have said, "They are waiting outside."

What a bizarre choice to use the present perfect in such a sentence. I can only guess that anyone who thought that that was a good idea probably does want you to backshift 'are' to 'were'. If you've got the exam paper there, don't you have the answer sheet?

In real language, the choice of whether to backshift would largely depend on the meaning—whether 'they' are still waiting outside at the time of reporting, whether the speaker and listener are aware of this, and the extent to which this is relevant to the current situation.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree entirely with jutfrank that "You have said" is really odd there. I don't even think the instruction is clear. Let's say they'd used a more natural tense and asked you to change "You said 'They are waiting outside'" into reported speech. My answer would be "I said they were waiting outside".

 

[Tait-ka]

My answer would be "I said they were waiting outside".

Sorry but is this your mistake to use 'I' here? Shouldn't it be "You said they were waiting outside"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry but is this your did you make a mistake to use when you used 'I' here? Shouldn't it be "You said they were waiting outside"?

That's why I said the instruction was unclear! I genuinely don't know whether I'm supposed to rewrite it as if I'm still talking to someone else and referring to them as "you", or if the writer wanted me to understand that I, the reader, is "you". Honestly, it's a terrible question!

 

[jutfrank]

Can you show us a picture of the relevant page of the exam paper, Tait-ka?

 

[Tait-ka]

Can you show us a picture of the relevant page of the exam paper, Tait-ka?

Yes, this is the screenshot of the paper.
It's vi) of question#6.

 

[jutfrank]

Thank you. And do you not have the answer sheet?

 

[Tait-ka]

And do you not have the answer sheet?

Sorry I don't have. The board doesn't provide the answer sheet/keys.

 

[Tait-ka]

I'm supposed to rewrite it as if I'm still talking to someone else and referring to them as "you".

Yes, that's what the paper setter wanted.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, that's what the paper setter wanted.

In that case, it's "You said they were waiting outside". I am, again, glossing over the fact that the original makes no sense with the present perfect.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, that's what the paper setter wanted.

How do you know this?

I am, again, glossing over the fact that the original makes no sense with the present perfect.

I think that's wise, but I don't think it's out of the question that the test-setter wants you also to backshift the present perfect part to past perfect, like this:

You had said that they were waiting outside.

In any case, I think we're all in agreement that the question is a complete failure.