What is the role of tense backshifting when reporting reported speech in indirect speech?

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What is the role of tense backshifting when reporting reported speech in indirect speech?

The role of tense backshifting in reporting reported speech in indirect speech is to accurately reflect the time and perspective of the original speaker's words. When reporting someone's speech indirectly, the tense of the reported speech is typically shifted back to reflect the past tense. This is done to indicate that the reported speech is not happening in the present but rather occurred in the past. Tense backshifting helps maintain the chronological order of events and ensures that the reported speech is presented in a grammatically correct and coherent manner.