The use of the grammatical tenses and the interpretation of temporal parameters in indirect speech

In English grammar it is taken for granted that the use of the tenses in in direct speech differs from their 'ordinary' use and additional rules must b e introduced to account for these differences. In this way the tenses obtai n a secondary meaning. This paper argues that we do not need any sequence o f tenses rule. With the help of a third time parameter, similar to Reichenb ach's reference time, it is possible to explain the use of the tenses in- a nd outside indirect speech. The approach must take contextual factors, part icularly other temporal expressions, into consideration, but the tenses ret ain a single meaning.