6 предложений. Что не так?

[nas2000]

As to me, I take the indirect speech as the direct one converted, and I hope that this p.o.v. is not far from that of the grammar's. So, if there is something like < 'I live in the village where I was born' - the girl said > in the direct speech, it naturally transforms to < 'She said that she lived in the village where she had been born > in the indirect one. There is nothing to stumble at, I believe.

There is nothing wrong there. But to me, it seems a little too complicated. I wonder how you'd report this:
Ringo said: "In the town where I was born (there) lived a man who sailed to sea."

[Gibsonmpgu]

Another good reason to never use its teachings right there!

As usual, you're absolutely right. But you shouldn't forget that here we have a lot of kids who come to visit just to read and learn a couple of things that could help them feel comfortable enough in class. They don't want our "either ... or ..." and they couldn't care less about what we, the toughest experts of the language capable to split hairs, know about it. We should always remember that this is Study.Ru but not Connoiseurs' Club, and give them simple answers, and avoid confusing them.

It's not fair to give examples from poetry. He could have put it this way: "In the town where I'd been born ..." What would be wrong?

[Superb]

I think it may be confusing for users (lots of kids)  not to be aware of the rule  that it is possible not to change the tense in some cases.

[Gibsonmpgu]

I think it may be confusing for users (lots of kids)  not to be aware of the rule ...

I'm sure they will be aware when their season comes, believe me. But sticking to strict rules in the beginning would save them a lot of trouble when they are taught by school teachers with square brains who themselves might be unaware of the rule.

[Superb]

I believe you and respect your knowledge a lot. You definitely have a point. However, I beg your pardon, I can not agree with you. I think it is a quite wrong way  - trying to adjust English Grammar Rules  to  curious requirements of some "school teachers with square brains"  in order to get  good results. i][/i]

[Gibsonmpgu]

However, I beg your pardon, ...

But you shouldn't. This is why we are here - to clash our opinions.


Here is a piece taken at random out of some grammar test. Which is correct?

40. Choose the appropriate variant of indirect speech.

"I think the film was a huge success" - said Peter.

Peter said that ... .

A) she thought the film had been a huge success.
B) he thinks the film was a huge success.
C) he thought the film was a huge success.
D) he thought the film had been a huge success.
E) I thought the film had been a huge success.

[Superb]

That's ok.
I would tick D). Why?

[Gibsonmpgu]

Absolutely correct. Is the grammar the same?

2) Согласование времен
    - Она сказала, что родилась в отдаленной деревушке в Сибири.
    - She said that she was born in a remote village.
 

[Superb]

No, it isn't.
She was born - the situation can not change -  so we may not to change the tense.
The film was a huge success - this situation   may be already changed or finished and it may be not true in present - we don't know from the context - so, we have to make changes acсording to the rule.

[Gibsonmpgu]

I'm afraid you're being a little too inattentive. We're are talking about different things. You described the situation. That's OK. But my question was

Is the grammar the same?

That's why I'm just wondering if I can use "... had been born ..."?

[nas2000]

He said that he thought the film had been a success.
Technically it's correct but it's ambiguous.
I think the film was a success.
AND
I think the film has been a success.

And it doesn't sound a bit less unnatural than its Russian translation: он сказал, что он думал, этот фильм имел успех. Russian school again, right?

Anyway, does it really matter when he thought the film was a success? I think option C is also acceptable. However to make it simpler, I'd use one of these:
He says the film was a success.
He said the film was a success.
He says he (still) thinks the film was a success.
He's just said he thinks the film was a success.

It's not fair to give examples from poetry. He could have put it this way: "In the town where I'd been born ..." What would be wrong?

I wish Ringo could comment on that as well as on "sail to sea". In my opinion there's no need for the past perfect although it wouldn't be wrong to use it.


BTW  It's never too late to study at study.ru. I'm still learning too.

[Gibsonmpgu]

... Russian school again, right?

http://testuz.ru/eng_test.php?id=200

  What   should   Russian   schoolchildren   do?  

... I'm still learning too.

Who doesn't?

"sail to sea"

Some lyrics read this line as "sail the sea".

[adwise43]

BTW  It's never too late to study at study.ru. I'm still learning too.

Then you may feel the difference between:
"Он сказал, что думал, что этот фильм пользовался успехом".
  and
"Он сказал, что думает, что этот фильм пользовался успехом".
And may success attend you! 

[Superb]

I'm afraid you're being a little too inattentive. We're are talking about different things. You described the situation. That's OK. But my question was

Is the grammar the same?

That's why I'm just wondering if I can use .had been born

Sorry for a misunderstanding. Although, it would be better to form questions clearer so that to avoid confusing.
As  I see you want me to answer the question which has already been discussed above. Ok -  you can use "..had been born.  ..." it is also correct. So what, if you please? What are you trying to prove?
 

[nas2000]

BTW  It's never too late to study at study.ru. I'm still learning too.

Then you may feel the difference between:
"Он сказал, что думал, что этот фильм пользовался успехом".
  and
"Он сказал, что думает, что этот фильм пользовался успехом".
And may success attend you! 

Он сказал, что в тот момент думал, что этот фильм имел успех. Now he doesn't think so.

I don't know what your level is but you might need to be advised that if the direct speech sentence is still relevant the tense is NOT USUALLY changed although it is possible.
He said he thinks the film was a success.

[adwise43]

He said that he thought the film had been a success.

Он сказал, что в тот момент думал, что этот фильм имел успех. Now he doesn't think so.

Great! But the initial sentence was: "I think the film was a huge success" - said Peter. Does it imply the meaning you voiced here? Do you think the sentence being converted into indirect speech could have acquired this meaning?  And that was why I ventured to ask you to make your choice.

[nas2000]

What   should   Russian   schoolchildren   do?  

I think the site moderators could open a special section for those who need to figure out видовременную форму глагола and such.

Some lyrics read this line as "sail the sea".

Checked in the cartoon. It's "sail to sea".

Does it imply...

No it doesn't. That was just an example.

[Gibsonmpgu]

... So what, if you please? What are you trying to prove?

I'm afraid my English is not good enough, so I think I better switch over back to Russian.

Не знаю, помните ли вы, с чего началось это обсуждение. Напоминаю:

Есть 6 предложений на русском, по 2 на каждое правило. Я перевел их на английский. Все оказались неверны. Что в них не так?
2) Согласование времен
    - Она сказала, что родилась в отдаленной деревушке в Сибири.
    - She said that she was born in a remote village.

Не знаю, насколько искушён автор вопроса в тонкостях английской грамматики, но, судя по всем без исключения предложениям, не особо. Следовательно, все предложения были составлены от балды, тем более не им самим, а более хитрым способом. Одно из этих предложений вызвало дискуссию: использовать ли в нём Past Perfect или Past Simple. Все ресурсы были брошены на то, что бы доказать правильность и того, и другого. Но автору вопроса, я думаю, абсолютно наплевать, что оба варианта правильные: ему тест надо пройти, и наши попытки доказать что-то друг другу ему просто неинтересны. Я к тому, что для школьника, для не хватающего звёзд с неба студента при сдаче зачётов, выполнении тестов, написания не к ночи будь помянутого ЭХЭ, должно существовать лишь "чёрное" и "белое": вот это можно, а вот это ни-ни. (Что было в голове у создателя заданий мы не знаем.) Я и привёл в качестве примера вопрос из взятого наобум теста и не думал, что из-за этого такой "сыр-бор" разгорится. Граждане, да плюньте вы на тупой вопрос из столь же тупого теста. Вы бы посмотрели, что там вообще творится! Ровно год назад точно такая же буря в стакане воды поднялась из-за анекдота, в котором при наборе автор перепутал артикли. Месяц почти обсуждали, какой смысл получается при явно неправильно употреблённом артикле. Даже найденный оригинал и попытка доказать, что суть анекдота не артикле, а совершенно в другом, ни к чему не привели.

... Although, it would be better to form questions clearer so that to avoid confusing.

Мой вопрос "Is the grammar the same?" означал, используется ли одна и та же грамматика в двух обсуждаемых предложениях.
Как его понятнее сформулировать, я не знаю. Чем я вас запутал, ума не приложу.

[Superb]

Отчего же, я все хорошо помнюю)
Наше с Вами обуждение  выглядит таким образом: (схематично)
Вы указали аскеру, что she was born - грубейшая ошибка.
Меня это немного смутило. Я написала, что есть правило и этот вариант тоже имеет право на жизнь.
Вы возразили, что школьникам такие тонкости знать необязательно, чтобы не травмировать психику необученных учителей и с успехом сдавать ЕГЭ и все такое.
Я возразила - что же это будет, если мы грамматику под учителей будем подгонять. Правила есть правила и их не может отменить даже самый забубенный учитель.
Вы предложили вопрос из теста, - вот тут я не поняла, зачем, (думала, потом прояснится - но нет!) -  и  обсуждение немедленно вышло на новый захватывающий виток, уводя нас в увлекательный мир причудливых переплетений прямой и косвенной речи
Но наша-то с Вами дискуссия не о грамматике, а о другом.
Что делать школьникам?: 1. Знать о том, что в косвенной речи возможно и не менять время в ..... и т.д , короче, правила.(сто первый раз).
2. При сдаче российских тестов и экзаменов всегда сдвигать время)).

"и наши попытки доказать что-то друг другу ему просто неинтересны" - зато нам самим как интересны.)

[nas2000]

Some lyrics read this line as "sail the sea".

Checked in the cartoon. It's "sail to sea".

While doing some research on a question in a parallel thread I found the answer to the question in this one. It's an idiom.

go to sea = go to work on a ship
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/sea