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Past perfect in reported statements of complex sentence

English Language & Usage Asked by KBriezy on April 25, 2021

If the sentence is reported statements, whether both parts of the sentence have to be in Past Perfect or only the first one?

For example:

"I had loved her for more than half of my life," she said.

And here:
She said she had had someone she loved.
OR
She said she had had someone she had loved.
Which one is correct?

One Answer

//"I had loved her for more than half of my life," she said.//

In the indirect speech/ reported speech, it will be:

She said (that) she had loved her for more than half of her life.

Here, the introductory clause "She said" won't change in terms of tense, but may change to verbs like told, cribbed, complained, etc. as the case might be.

The other two sentences are different ones.

//She said she had had someone she loved.//

// She said she had had someone she had loved//

These are now itself reported sentences, and if converted to direct speech (if it is useful to you?) they will look like:

She said, "I have had someone I love."

She said, "I have had someone I have loved"

Hope it serves your purpose.

Correct answer by Ram Pillai on April 25, 2021

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