Question

1. He said, "The boy broke the window."
2. He said that the boy broke the window.
3. He said that the boy had broken the window.
[Which one is the same as #1? Is it #3? What about #2?]

4. He said, "World War I broke out in 1914."
5. He said that World War I broke out in 1914.
6. He said that World War I had broken out in 1914.
[Which one is the same as #4? Is it #5? What do you think about #6?]

Answer 1

Yes, 1 and 3 mean the same thing, although in today's casual speech, either 2 or 3 would be taken as correct.

And 5 and 6 mean the same as 4, even though 6 uses verb tenses correctly and 5 is a bit off.