“Easy” noun clauses Tina wants to know where the meeting is Tony wonders who stole the car I don’t know if Tina has finished the project She will ask me whether or not I will help I have heard that Tony is very smart

Simple rule Verb in the main clause is in –Present tense –Future tense –Present perfect tense then the noun clause can use any of the six verb tenses (=“easy” noun clause)

Harder rule Verb in the main clause in in –Past tense –Past perfect tense then the noun clause (=“reported speech”) can only use –Past tense –Past perfect tense –“Past” modal (“would,” “might,” “could,” etc.)

Harder rule Another way to look at it: –When the main clause has a verb in Past tense Past perfect tense –then the noun clause does not use »Present tense »Present perfect tense »Future tense »“present” modals (“can,” “may,” etc.)

Big exception He knew that the Earth is (was?) flat He told them that his name is (was?) Tony She explained what the formula for water is (was?) He knew that the sky is (was?) blue

Reported speech Tina wanted to know where the meeting was Tony wondered who had stolen the car I didn’t know if Tina had finished the project She asked me whether or not I would help I had heard that Tony was very smart

“will” or “would” She told me that she would move to New York She told me that she will move to New York He said that the meeting would be on September 1 st He said that the meeting will be on October 1 st

Practice