Các trường hợp ngoại lệ của câu trần thuật mà thì ở mệnh đề phụ không bao giờ đổi mặc cho động từ ở mệnh đề chính là ở thì quá khứ:
1. Động từ trong câu trực tiếp có thời gian xác định
Ex: My father said, "I was born in 1977". >> My father said that he was born in 1977.
2. Câu điều kiện loại 2, 3:
Ex1: He said, "If I were you, I wouldn't marry him." >> He said that if he were me, he wouldn't marry him.
Ex2: She said, "If I had studied harder, I would have passed." >> She said that if she had studied harder, she would have passed.
3. Quá khứ giả định (Trong câu ước, cấu trúc "as if", ...):
Ex: They said, "I wish I were a boy". >> They said that she wished she were a boy.
4. Trong lời nói trực tiếp có "ccould, would, should, might, used to, ought to, would rather, had better, ...":
Ex: He said, "You had better not contact me". >> He said that I had better not contact him.
5. Lời nói trực tiếp diễn tả sự thật hiển nhiên, một tình huống không đổi:
Ex: My teacher said, "The sun rises in the East". >> My teacher said that the sun rises in the East.