correct usage - using was/am with "said"

Question

Which one is correct:

My manager told me that I was not doing great at work.

or

My manager told me that I am not doing great at work.

Neither is correct at the moment. Please can you use capital letters properly. Thank you. — chasly - supports Monica, Aug 31 '15 at 23:11
@tchrist - I sort of see what you are getting at but the verbs in this question are simple present and simple past. — chasly - supports Monica, Aug 31 '15 at 23:22
My question is more around the using the present tense with the past tense. which one is correct
My manager told me that I was not doing great at work

or My manger told me that I am not doing great at work. — Sonam, Aug 31 '15 at 23:35

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 01 '15 at 02:55

2

Both are past reports ("told") of your manager saying directly "You are not doing great at work." To make the statement make sense in a report, you have to shift the person to first from second -- "told me that I ...." and you have a choice of verb tenses in the report.

You may backshift to the past to accommodate the past report: "that I was not doing great work."

Or you may keep the present tense if the report is still true: "that I am not doing great work."

answered Sep 01 '15 at 02:55

deadrat

44,678

I agree. Additional comment: The first is an opinion about a specific past time period. The second is a judgment, a global statement about your work in general. – aparente001 Sep 02 '15 at 01:01

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 01 '15 at 07:54

The first one is only right undoubtedly. You need to use the same tense unless the content of the indirect speech is about a fact that doesn't change over time.

For example we can say:

He told me that the sun rises from the east.

I think in colloquial language, the second one COULD (that's a big could) be used by some people, but still it's not right.

correct usage - using was/am with "said"

2 Answers2