Backshift in Reported Speech Practice Test — Advanced

All 45 questions with answers

Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.

1. Q1She told me she ___ in Paris, but she moved away last month.

   Alived Blives Chas lived Dwill live

   Answer: A. lived

   Backshift is required here because the state of living in Paris is no longer true, as the clause 'but she moved away last month' confirms. The past simple 'lived' is the backshifted form of the original present simple 'I live.' The present forms 'lives' and 'has lived' are incorrect because they imply the residency is ongoing. 'Will live' suggests a future state that contradicts the context of her having already moved away.

2. Q2The astronomer explained that the Earth ___ around the sun.

   Arevolves Bhas revolved Chad revolved Dis revolving

   Answer: A. revolves

   The use of the present simple for universal truths or scientific facts is typically maintained in reported speech even when the reporting verb is in the past. 'Revolves' is preferred to emphasize that the fact remains permanently true. 'Has revolved' and 'had revolved' imply a completed or perfected action, which does not suit a continuous, permanent celestial movement. 'Is revolving' (present continuous) incorrectly suggests a temporary, in-progress action rather than an enduring scientific truth.

3. Q3He mentioned that he ___ to the gym every morning before work.

   Agoes Bhad gone Cwill go Dhas gone

   Answer: A. goes

   For habitual actions that are still ongoing at the time of reporting, the present simple 'goes' is often retained to indicate the habit's continued relevance. Backshifting to 'went' or 'had gone' would suggest the habit has ceased or occurred prior to a different past point. 'Has gone' describes a specific recent trip rather than a routine, and 'will go' suggests a future intention rather than a current habit.

4. Q4She said, 'I have finished the report.' -> She said she ___ the report.

   Afinished Bhad finished Chas finished Dwould finish

   Answer: B. had finished

   The present perfect 'have finished' must backshift to the past perfect 'had finished' when the reporting verb 'said' is in the past. This indicates that the completion of the report happened before the act of reporting. 'Finished' (past simple) is the backshift for the past simple 'I finished.' 'Has finished' is usually avoided in formal reporting unless the reporter is emphasizing the immediate, current relevance of the result.

5. Q5Choose the correct sentence.

   AHe said he wants to leave yesterday. BHe said he wanted to leave yesterday. CHe said he will want to leave yesterday. DHe said he has wanted to leave yesterday.

   Answer: B. He said he wanted to leave yesterday.

   The time adverbial 'yesterday' refers to a specific finished past period. The verb must be in a past form to be grammatically compatible. 'Wanted' correctly aligns the state of wanting with the past time frame. 'Wants,' 'will want,' and 'has wanted' all involve present or future perspectives that create a logical clash with 'yesterday.'

6. Q6Choose the correct version of the sentence: 'She claimed that she is working on the project last week.'

   AShe claimed that she has been working on the project last week. BShe claimed that she was working on the project last week. CShe claimed that she is working on the project last week. DShe claimed that she works on the project last week.

   Answer: B. She claimed that she was working on the project last week.

   The reporting verb 'claimed' and the time phrase 'last week' require the past continuous 'was working.' The original statement was likely 'I am working' or 'I was working'; in either case, reporting it relative to 'last week' requires the past form. 'Is working' and 'works' are present forms that cannot be modified by 'last week.' 'Has been working' is also incorrect because it implies the work continues into the present, which the phrase 'last week' excludes.

7. Q7They told us they ___ for the bus for an hour when it finally arrived.

   Ahave been waiting Bhad been waiting Cwere waiting Dwaited

   Answer: B. had been waiting

   The past perfect continuous 'had been waiting' is used to describe an action that was in progress over a duration ('for an hour') up until a specific point in the past ('when it finally arrived'). 'Have been waiting' incorrectly suggests the wait is still happening now. 'Were waiting' describes the action in progress but fails to emphasize the duration leading up to the arrival as effectively as the perfect continuous.

8. Q8He said he ___ very busy lately.

   Ahas been Bis Cbe Dhave been

   Answer: A. has been

   The adverb 'lately' indicates a period from the recent past up to the present. If the reporter believes the situation is still true, the present perfect 'has been' is maintained to preserve the link to the present moment. 'Is' describes a current state but does not typically pair with 'lately.' 'Have been' is a subject-verb agreement error with the singular 'he,' and 'be' is an uninflected base form.

9. Q9She said she ___ in London for five years before she moved to New York.

   Awill live Bhad lived Chas lived Dwas living

   Answer: B. had lived

   The past perfect 'had lived' is required to show that one past state (living in London) preceded another past event (moving to New York). This sequence is standard when ordering events in the past. 'Has lived' is incorrect because the entire period is finished and in the past. 'Was living' focuses on the progress of the action rather than its completion before the move, and 'will live' is temporally nonsensical here.

10. Q10He said, 'I am feeling tired today.' (reporting on the same day) -> He said he ___ tired today.

    Afeeling Bwas feeling Chad felt Dfeel

    Answer: B. was feeling

    Even when reporting on the same day ('today'), the past-tense reporting verb 'said' typically triggers a backshift from the present continuous 'am feeling' to the past continuous 'was feeling' to maintain the sequence of tenses. 'Feel' and 'feeling' are grammatically incomplete as complements here. 'Had felt' would suggest he was tired at some point before the day began, changing the meaning of the original utterance.

11. Q11The director said the company ___ profits last quarter.

    Ahad made Bwas making Cmakes Dhas made

    Answer: A. had made

    The original statement used the past simple ('We made profits last quarter'). In reported speech, the past simple typically backshifts to the past perfect 'had made' to indicate the period (last quarter) is finished and occurred before the reporting moment. 'Makes' implies a current habit, 'has made' implies current relevance that clashes with the specific 'last quarter' marker, and 'was making' suggests a process rather than a completed financial result.

12. Q12Choose the correct sentence.

    AShe said she bought a new car next week. BShe said she would buy a new car next week. CShe said she buys a new car next week. DShe said she had bought a new car next week.

    Answer: B. She said she would buy a new car next week.

    The modal 'will' for future intent backshifts to 'would' when reported with a past-tense verb like 'said.' This 'future-in-the-past' construction is required because 'next week' is future relative to the original statement. 'Had bought' is past perfect and contradicts the future reference. 'Buys' and 'bought' are also incorrect as they do not express the intended future plan.

13. Q13Choose the correct version of the sentence: 'He said he has seen the movie before he met her.'

    AHe said he had seen the movie before he met her. BHe said he saw the movie before he met her. CHe said he would see the movie before he met her. DHe said he has seen the movie before he has met her.

    Answer: A. He said he had seen the movie before he met her.

    The past perfect 'had seen' is used to show that viewing the movie happened before another past action ('met her'). When reporting an original 'I have seen' or 'I saw,' the past perfect is the standard formal shift to clarify the order of events. 'Saw' is common in casual speech but less precise. 'Would see' is for future intent, and 'has seen' fails to backshift.

14. Q14She said she ___ to see the manager right then.

    Awants Bhas wanted Chad wanted Dwanted

    Answer: D. wanted

    The original speech was 'I want to see the manager right now.' When reported, 'want' (present simple) backshifts to 'wanted' (past simple), and 'now' shifts to 'then.' 'Wants' fails to follow the sequence of tenses. 'Has wanted' and 'had wanted' add unnecessary perfect aspects that the original simple statement did not contain.

15. Q15He said he ___ his homework when I called.

    Awas doing Bdid Chas done Dis doing

    Answer: A. was doing

    The past continuous 'was doing' is maintained in reported speech to describe an action that was in progress at a specific moment in the past ('when I called'). 'Did' would imply the homework was finished exactly when the phone rang, which changes the meaning. 'Has done' and 'is doing' are present forms that cannot be used in this reported speech context when the reporting verb ('said') is in the past.

16. Q16She said, 'I am working.' -> She said she ___.

    Ais working Bhad worked Chas been working Dwas working

    Answer: D. was working

    The present continuous 'am working' backshifts to the past continuous 'was working' to align with the past reporting verb 'said.' 'Is working' is only used if the reporter wants to stress that the action is still happening at the moment of reporting. 'Had worked' and 'has been working' change the aspect and the timing of the action relative to the report.

17. Q17He said, 'I have been working.' -> He said he ___.

    Ahad been working Bhas been working Cwas working Dworked

    Answer: A. had been working

    The present perfect continuous 'have been working' expresses duration up to a point. In reported speech, this backshifts to the past perfect continuous 'had been working.' 'Has been working' is the unshifted form. 'Was working' and 'worked' lose the 'perfect' nuance, which indicates that the work began before the period being discussed and continued through it.

18. Q18She said, 'I was working.' -> She said she ___.

    Aworks Bhas been working Chad been working Dis working

    Answer: C. had been working

    In formal reported speech, the past continuous 'was working' typically backshifts to the past perfect continuous 'had been working' to indicate that the action was in progress prior to the reporting moment. While the past continuous is often retained in informal speech, the past perfect continuous is the standard transformation for clarity in complex sequencing. 'Works,' 'is working,' and 'has been working' are all present-referring forms.

19. Q19He said, 'I had worked.' -> He said he ___.

    Awas working Bhad worked Chas worked Dworked

    Answer: B. had worked

    The past perfect 'had worked' is already at the 'furthest' past point in the English tense system. Consequently, it does not undergo further backshift in reported speech and remains 'had worked.' 'Worked' (past simple), 'was working' (past continuous), and 'has worked' (present perfect) would all change the meaning or time reference of the original statement.

20. Q20She said, 'I will work.' -> She said she ___.

    Acan work Bwill work Cwould work Dmay work

    Answer: C. would work

    The modal verb 'will' used for future intent backshifts to 'would' following a past-tense reporting verb. This is known as the 'future-in-the-past.' 'Will work' fails to backshift. 'Can work' (ability) and 'may work' (possibility) change the modal meaning entirely.

21. Q21He said, 'I can work.' -> He said he ___.

    Acan work Bcould work Cwas able to work Dwould work

    Answer: B. could work

    The modal 'can' (ability or permission) backshifts to 'could' in reported speech. 'Was able to' is a periphrastic alternative that is semantically similar but not the direct modal backshift for 'can.' 'Can work' fails the sequence of tenses, and 'would work' changes the meaning to volition or a conditional state.

22. Q22She said, 'I may work.' -> She said she ___.

    Acan work Bwill work Cmight work Dmay work

    Answer: C. might work

    The modal 'may' (possibility) backshifts to 'might' in reported speech. 'Might' preserves the original degree of probability while aligning with the past reporting verb 'said.' 'May work' is the unshifted form. 'Will work' expresses certainty, and 'can work' expresses ability, both of which misrepresent the original speaker's meaning.

23. Q23He said, 'I must work.' -> He said he ___.

    Acan work Bshould work Cwould work Dhad to work

    Answer: D. had to work

    When 'must' expresses obligation, it backshifts to 'had to' in reported speech because 'must' lacks a past-tense form for reported obligation. 'Should' implies advice rather than necessity. 'Would' and 'can' change the modal meaning to volition and ability, respectively.

24. Q24She said, 'I should work.' -> She said she ___.

    Awould work Bmust work Chad to work Dshould work

    Answer: D. should work

    The modal 'should' is backshift-invariant; it does not change its form in reported speech. It remains 'should' whether used for advice, obligation, or expectation. 'Had to' is too strong (it replaces 'must'), and 'would' is a conditional. 'Must' is a present-tense form that cannot be the backshift of 'should.'

25. Q25He said, 'I ought to work.' -> He said he ___.

    Ahad to work Bwould work Cought to work Dshould work

    Answer: C. ought to work

    'Ought to' is a modal verb that remains unchanged in reported speech. Like 'should,' it is backshift-invariant. While 'should' is a near-synonym, 'ought to' is the direct reported form. 'Had to' and 'would' change the degree or type of modal meaning.

26. Q26She said, 'I have to work.' -> She said she ___.

    Awill work Bmust work Chad to work Dwould work

    Answer: C. had to work

    The semi-modal 'have to' follows standard tense-backshift rules because it functions as a regular verb. Its present form 'have to' becomes the past form 'had to.' 'Must' and 'would' are different modals, and 'will' describes future intent, not existing obligation.

27. Q27He said, 'I am going to work.' -> He said he ___.

    Awould go to work Bis going to work Cwas going to work Dhad gone to work

    Answer: C. was going to work

    The prospective structure 'be going to' backshifts its auxiliary verb ('am' becomes 'was'). 'Was going to' describes a plan that was current at the time of the original statement. 'Would go' is the backshift for 'will.' 'Is going to' fails to backshift, and 'had gone' describes a completed past action.

28. Q28She said, 'I will have worked.' -> She said she ___.

    Awould have worked Bwould work Chad worked Dwill have worked

    Answer: A. would have worked

    The future perfect 'will have worked' backshifts to the conditional perfect 'would have worked.' This maintains the 'past-in-the-future' perspective from the new past reporting point. 'Will have' fails to backshift. 'Had worked' is a simple past perfect, which loses the future-facing aspect of the original statement.

29. Q29He said, 'I could work.' -> He said he ___.

    Ahad worked Bwould work Ccould work Dcan work

    Answer: C. could work

    Because 'could' is already a past or subjunctive form of 'can,' it does not backshift further in reported speech. It remains 'could' to express ability or possibility. 'Would work' changes the meaning to volition, and 'had worked' changes the aspect to a completed action.

30. Q30She said, 'I might work.' -> She said she ___.

    Amight work Bhad worked Cmay work Dwould work

    Answer: A. might work

    The modal 'might' expresses a low degree of possibility and is backshift-invariant; it remains 'might' in reported speech. 'May work' is the unshifted present form. 'Had worked' is an indicative past perfect, and 'would work' changes the meaning to volition or a conditional future.

31. Q31He said, 'I will see you tomorrow.' -> He said he would see me ___.

    Ayesterday Btomorrow Cthe next day Dthe day before

    Answer: C. the next day

    time reference markers (words that depend on context) like 'tomorrow' must be adjusted to 'the next day' or 'the following day' in reported speech. This ensures the timing remains accurate regardless of when the report is made. 'Yesterday' and 'the day before' refer to the past, which would be incorrect.

32. Q32She said, 'I saw him yesterday.' -> She said she had seen him ___.

    Ayesterday Bthe day before Cthe next day Dtoday

    Answer: B. the day before

    The time reference marker 'yesterday' shifts to 'the day before' or 'the previous day' to maintain the correct time reference relative to the original utterance. 'Yesterday' would only be retained if the reporting happened on the very same day as the original statement. 'Today' and 'the next day' refer to entirely different times.

33. Q33He said, 'I am staying here.' -> He said he was staying ___.

    Ain there Bhere Cthere Dat that place

    Answer: C. there

    The spatial reference 'here' (near the speaker) shifts to 'there' (away from the speaker) in reported speech. This reflects the change in location from the original utterance to the reporting moment. 'At that place' is grammatically possible but less standard than the direct shift to 'there.'

34. Q34Choose the correct sentence.

    AShe said she liked that book. BShe said she likes that book. CShe said she liked this book. DShe said she likes this book.

    Answer: A. She said she liked that book.

    In standard reported speech, both the verb and the demonstrative adjective must shift. 'Like' (present simple) backshifts to 'liked' (past simple), and 'this' (near) shifts to 'that' (far). This aligns the statement with the past perspective of 'said.' Options using 'likes' or 'this' fail to make these necessary adjustments.

35. Q35He asked, 'Where are you going?' -> He asked where I ___ going.

    Awas Bwere Chad been Dam

    Answer: A. was

    Reported questions require two changes: the word order must be declarative (subject + verb), and the tense must backshift. The original 'are you going' (present continuous) becomes 'I was going' (past continuous). 'Were' is incorrect because it does not agree with the singular subject 'I.' 'Am' fails to backshift, and 'had been' changes the aspect to the past perfect continuous.

36. Q36She asked, 'Do you like coffee?' -> She asked if I ___ coffee.

    Ahad liked Blike Cliked Dwas liking

    Answer: C. liked

    For yes/no questions, 'if' or 'whether' is introduced, the auxiliary 'do' is removed, and the main verb backshifts. 'Like' (present simple) becomes 'liked' (past simple). 'Had liked' incorrectly implies the feeling was only in the past (past perfect), and 'was liking' is incorrect because 'like' is a state/feeling verb — a verb describing a state — and is not usually used in the continuous aspect.

37. Q37He said, 'Don't touch it.' -> He told me ___ touch it.

    Adon't Bdidn't Cnot to Dto not

    Answer: C. not to

    Negative imperatives (commands) are reported using the structure: reporting verb + object + 'not' + to-infinitive. Therefore, 'not to touch' is the correct formal choice. 'Don't' and 'didn't' are not used in this infinitive construction. 'To not' is a putting an adverb between 'to' and the verb, which is generally avoided in formal grammar.

38. Q38She said, 'Please help me.' -> She asked me ___ help her.

    Ashould Bfor Cto Dthat

    Answer: C. to

    Requests are transformed into a 'to'-infinitive construction in reported speech. The reporting verb 'asked' is followed by the object ('me') and the infinitive 'to help.' 'Should,' 'for,' and 'that' do not fit the required grammatical pattern for reporting a direct request for action.

39. Q39Which of the following modals does NOT backshift in reported speech?

    Awill Bhave to Cshould Dmust

    Answer: C. should

    'Should' is backshift-invariant and does not change its form in reported speech. This is because it is already historically a past form of 'shall' and functions in reported speech as a conditional or modal of advice. 'Will' backshifts to 'would,' 'have to' to 'had to,' and 'must' (obligation) to 'had to.'

40. Q40He said he ___ have studied harder for the exam.

    Amust Bwill Ccan Dshould

    Answer: D. should

    The modal 'should' is used here to express a past regret ('should have studied'). Since 'should' does not backshift, it remains 'should.' 'Must have' expresses a logical deduction about the past, 'will have' is future perfect, and 'can' is a present form that cannot combine with 'have studied' to express regret in this way.

41. Q41Choose the correct sentence.

    AHe said he would be able to help me. BHe said he might can help me. CHe said he would can help me. DHe said he could able to help me.

    Answer: A. He said he would be able to help me.

    English does not allow 'modal stacking' — using two modal verbs in a row (e.g., 'would can'). To express future or conditional ability, we must use the multi-word form 'be able to' after the modal 'would.' 'Could able to' is redundant and ungrammatical.

42. Q42She said she ___ have arrived earlier if the train had been on time.

    Awould Bcan Cwill Dmust

    Answer: A. would

    This reports a third conditional (a counterfactual or 'what-if' about the past). The 'if' clause uses the past perfect ('had been on time'), and the result clause uses 'would have arrived' to describe an outcome that did not actually happen. 'Would' remains unchanged in reported speech. 'Must' would imply a logical deduction, 'will' is for the future, and 'can' is for present ability.

43. Q43The manager said we ___ to finish the report by noon.

    Amust Bshould Cought Dwill

    Answer: C. ought

    'Ought' is the only modal in this list that requires the 'to'-infinitive ('ought to finish'). 'Must,' 'should,' and 'will' are followed by a bare infinitive (the verb without 'to'). Additionally, 'ought' is backshift-invariant, making it correct for this reported context.

44. Q44Choose the correct version of the sentence: 'He said he might to go to the meeting.'

    AHe said he may go to the meeting. BHe said he might to go to the meeting. CHe said he might have gone to the meeting. DHe said he might go to the meeting.

    Answer: D. He said he might go to the meeting.

    The modal 'might' must be followed by a bare infinitive ('go'), never a 'to'-infinitive. 'May go' is the unshifted form and is less formal than 'might' in a past reporting context. 'Might have gone' changes the meaning to a past possibility, whereas 'might go' refers to a future or present possibility relative to the time he spoke.

45. Q45They said they ___ have finished the project by now.

    Adid Bcan Cmight Dwill

    Answer: C. might

    The modal 'might' combined with 'have finished' (the perfect infinitive) expresses a possibility — a guess or deduction — about whether the project is complete 'by now.' 'Did' cannot precede 'have finished.' 'Can' would backshift to 'could,' and 'will' would backshift to 'would' in reported speech.