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Abstract Abstract: Backshifting is a syntactic rule of sequence of tenses (SOT) in indirect reported speech. Based on the data of 180 news reporting articles, this paper aims to explore the phenomenon of SOT variations which violate the rule of backshifting. The findings are as follows: 1) Three SOT variations appear in indirect reported speech, namely “past tense ∧ simple present tense, past tense ∧ present perfect, and past tense ∧ present future tense, in which the frequency of simple present tense is 65.58%，much higher than that of present perfect （18.18%）and present future tense（16.24%）; 2）The alternative uses of SOT variations in indirect reported speech are related to the unique semantic features of news texts and their specific pragmatic motivations. It is argued that when a syntactic rule is employed in texts, its binding of syntax is often subjected to the functions of cohesion and coherence in texts.
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2015, Vol. 0 
