Reporting the Past: Sequence of Tenses
When we share news, spread rumors, or report what someone else said, we typically use a subordinate clause starting with at (that).
In Danish, just like in English, if the main reporting verb is in the past tense—such as påstod (claimed) or indrømmede (admitted)—the verb inside the at-clause must also shift to the past tense to match it.
For example, if someone originally said "The rumor is a lie," you would shift it to "He claimed that the rumor was a lie":
| He claimed that the rumor was a lie. | Han påstod at rygtet var en løgn. |
| They admitted that it was a big lie. | De indrømmede at det var en stor løgn. |
| They believed that the rumor was false. | De troede at rygtet var falsk. |
Pronoun Shifts and Modals
When converting direct speech into reported speech, remember to adjust the pronouns to reflect the new perspective. If a thief says, "I stole the money," you report it as "He admitted that he stole the money."
| The thief admitted that he stole the money. | Tyven indrømmede at han stjal pengene. |
Modal verbs also follow the tense shift rule. For example, if a customer promises "I will not complain" (vil), it shifts to the past tense ville (would) when reported:
| The customer promised that she would not complain. | Kunden lovede at hun ikke ville klage. |
Don't Forget the Adverb Rule!
Because reported speech relies on at-clauses, it triggers the subordinate clause word order rule.
Any central adverbs—like ikke (not), aldrig (never), or også (also)—must be placed directly before the verb inside the at-clause. Notice how aldrig steps in front of the verbs afslørede and fortalte below:
| The journalist claimed that the boss never revealed the truth. | Journalisten påstod at chefen aldrig afslørede sandheden. |
| The teenager admitted that he never told the truth. | Teenageren indrømmede at han aldrig fortalte sandheden. |