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I would like to explain the situation where I didn't notice my brother when he came home, and therefore didn't know when he got home. I thought I should say like this:

I didn't know when my brother had come home.

But I found another rule that if you are referring obvious facts, backshift wouldn't always appear.

Mom wrote me that she will get home around seven.

and not always

Mom wrote me that she would get home around seven.

Is it ordinary to say like this?

I didn't know when my brother came home.

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    I'm not sure what you mean by 'obvious facts', but it depends on whether or not Mom has arrived home. (If she hasn't, will is appropriate.)
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Sep 13, 2022 at 12:17
  • Oh, I see! Thank you very much for your information. I wanted to mean by writing 'obvious facts,' 'things that are all natural for the speaker.' Thank you!
    – Nigutumok
    Commented Sep 14, 2022 at 3:05

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Yes it's perfectly fine.

But I found another rule that if you are referring obvious facts, backshift wouldn't always appear.

Are you sure? Maybe you can provide the source of this? I doubt that this is true though.

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  • Thank you for your answer! So, can I say both "I didn't know when my brother came home" and "I didn't know when my brother had come home"?
    – Nigutumok
    Commented Sep 13, 2022 at 10:35
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    Yup! @Nigutumok They are both fine and can be used!
    – DialFrost
    Commented Sep 13, 2022 at 10:38

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