Basics of backshift in reported speech. 45 questions on tense changes when reporting statements.
What this test covers
- Present → Past Backshift
- Reporting Verbs: Said & Told
- Pronoun & Time Expression Changes
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
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.
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Q1He said, 'I live in London.' Reported speech: He said he ___ in London.
Answer: A. lived
When we report what someone said, we usually move the verb one step into the past. Here, the present word 'live' changes to the past word 'lived'.
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Q2She said, 'I like coffee.' Reported speech: She said she ___ coffee.
Answer: A. liked
To report a present state like 'like,' we move it into the past tense. 'Liked' is the correct past form.
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Q3He said, 'I work here.' Reported speech: He said he ___ there.
Answer: A. worked
The present tense 'work' moves one step back to the past tense 'worked' in reported speech.
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Q4They said, 'We want to go.' Reported speech: They said they ___ to go.
Answer: B. wanted
In reported speech, we change 'want' to 'wanted' because the original statement happened in the past.
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Q5She said, 'I need help.' Reported speech: She said she ___ help.
Answer: D. needed
The present tense 'need' changes to the past tense 'needed' when we tell someone else what she said.
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Q6He said, 'I am reading.' Reported speech: He said he ___ reading.
Answer: D. was
When reporting 'am reading,' the helping verb 'am' moves to the past tense 'was'.
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Q7She said, 'It is raining.' Reported speech: She said it ___ raining.
Answer: B. was
The present word 'is' moves back one step into the past to become 'was' in reported speech.
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Q8They said, 'We are playing.' Reported speech: They said they ___ playing.
Answer: A. were
When reporting 'are playing' for a group, 'are' moves back in time to become 'were'.
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Q9He said, 'I am waiting.' Reported speech: He said he ___ waiting.
Answer: D. was
The present 'am' changes to the past 'was' when we report what he said.
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Q10She said, 'I am studying.' Reported speech: She said she ___ studying.
Answer: B. was
We move the action back into the past. 'Am studying' becomes 'was studying' in reported speech.
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Q11He said, 'I have finished.' Reported speech: He said he ___ finished.
Answer: D. had
In reported speech, 'have' moves back in time to become 'had'. So, 'have finished' becomes 'had finished'.
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Q12She said, 'I have seen this movie.' Reported speech: She said she ___ that movie.
Answer: A. had seen
The action 'have seen' moves one step further back to 'had seen' because the event happened before she spoke about it.
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Q13He said, 'I will help.' Reported speech: He said he ___ help.
Answer: C. would
When we report a statement with 'will,' it changes to 'would' in reported speech.
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Q14She said, 'I can swim.' Reported speech: She said she ___ swim.
Answer: D. could
The word 'can' changes to its past form, 'could,' when we report what someone said.
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Q15He said, 'I will call you.' Reported speech: He said he ___ call me.
Answer: A. would
When reporting a future promise with 'will,' we change it to 'would'.
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Q16He said, 'I bought a car.' Reported speech: He said he ___ a car.
Answer: C. had bought
The original word 'bought' is already in the past. In reported speech, we move it even further back to 'had bought'.
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Q17She said, 'I was working.' Reported speech: She said she ___ working.
Answer: D. had been working
To move 'was working' one step back into the past, we use 'had been working'.
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Q18They said, 'We had left.' Reported speech: They said they ___ left.
Answer: D. had
The past phrase 'had left' is already as far back as it can go, so it stays the same in reported speech.
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Q19He said, 'I must go.' Reported speech: He said he ___ go.
Answer: C. had to
When we report 'must' (meaning something is necessary), we usually change it to 'had to'.
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Q20She said, 'I may come.' Reported speech: She said she ___ come.
Answer: C. might
The word 'may' changes to 'might' in reported speech.
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Q21They said, 'We shall wait.' Reported speech: They said they ___ wait.
Answer: A. would
When 'shall' is used to talk about the future, it changes to 'would' in reported speech, just like 'will' does.
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Q22He said, 'I have to finish.' Reported speech: He said he ___ finish.
Answer: B. had to
The present phrase 'have to' moves back one step into the past to become 'had to'.
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Q23She said, 'I don't know.' Reported speech: She said she ___ know.
Answer: A. didn't
The present negative 'don't' changes to the past negative 'didn't' in reported speech.
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Q24He said, 'I was tired.' Reported speech: He said he ___ tired.
Answer: A. had been
The past word 'was' moves one step further back to become 'had been' in reported speech.
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Q25They said, 'We were busy.' Reported speech: They said they ___ busy.
Answer: C. had been
The past word 'were' moves one step back into the past to become 'had been' in reported speech.
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Q26He said, 'I could run fast.' Reported speech: He said he ___ run fast.
Answer: B. could
Words like 'could,' 'should,' 'might,' and 'would' do not change when we report them.
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Q27She said, 'I should study.' Reported speech: She said she ___ study.
Answer: A. should
The word 'should' stays the same in reported speech. It does not have a 'further past' form.
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Q28He said, 'I might visit.' Reported speech: He said he ___ visit.
Answer: A. might
The word 'might' does not change in reported speech.
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Q29They said, 'We would help.' Reported speech: They said they ___ help.
Answer: D. would
The word 'would' stays as 'would' when we report it.
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Q30She said, 'I had been waiting.' Reported speech: She said she ___ waiting.
Answer: B. had been
The past phrase 'had been' is already in its furthest past form, so it stays the same in reported speech.
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Q31He said, 'I am hungry.' Reported speech: He said ___ was hungry.
Answer: C. he
When reporting what someone said about themselves, we change the pronoun. Since 'he' is speaking, 'I' becomes 'he'.
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Q32She said, 'I like my job.' Reported speech: She said she liked ___ job.
Answer: D. her
The possessive 'my' changes to 'her' because a woman is talking about her own job.
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Q33They said, 'We are tired.' Reported speech: They said ___ were tired.
Answer: B. they
When a group says 'we,' we change it to 'they' when we tell someone else about it later.
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Q34He said, 'I lost my keys.' Reported speech: He said he had lost ___ keys.
Answer: C. his
The speaker is male, so 'my keys' becomes 'his keys' in the report.
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Q35She said, 'This is my book.' Reported speech: She said ___ was her book.
Answer: C. that
In reported speech, we usually change 'this' to 'that' because the object is not with us right now.
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Q36He said, 'I will go now.' Reported speech: He said he would go ___.
Answer: A. then
The word 'now' usually changes to 'then' in reported speech because the action happened in the past.
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Q37She said, 'I am busy today.' Reported speech: She said she was busy ___.
Answer: D. that day
In reported speech, 'today' changes to 'that day' because we are talking about a day in the past.
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Q38He said, 'I will leave tomorrow.' Reported speech: He said he would leave ___.
Answer: A. the next day
When we report what someone said, 'tomorrow' changes to 'the next day'.
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Q39She said, 'I saw him yesterday.' Reported speech: She said she had seen him ___.
Answer: A. the day before
In reported speech, 'yesterday' changes to 'the day before'.
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Q40He said, 'I finished it two days ago.' Reported speech: He said he had finished it two days ___.
Answer: C. before
The word 'ago' changes to 'before' when we report a statement. So, 'two days ago' becomes 'two days before'. 'Later' would point forward in time, not backward. 'Past' and 'ago' are not used in reported speech backshift.
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Q41He said, 'I am tired now.' Reported speech: He said he ___ tired then.
Answer: C. was
We move the verb back ('am' becomes 'was') and the time expression back ('now' becomes 'then').
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Q42She said, 'I will call today.' Reported speech: She said she ___ call that day.
Answer: D. would
We move 'will' back to 'would' and change 'today' to 'that day'.
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Q43They said, 'We are busy now.' Reported speech: They said they ___ busy then.
Answer: B. were
For a group, the present 'are' becomes the past 'were'. Also, 'now' becomes 'then'.
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Q44He said, 'I will finish tomorrow.' Reported speech: He said he ___ finish the next day.
Answer: A. would
The word 'will' changes to 'would' in reported speech. We also change 'tomorrow' to 'the next day'.
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Q45She said, 'I am happy today.' Reported speech: She said she ___ happy that day.
Answer: C. was
The present 'am' changes to the past 'was' and 'today' changes to 'that day'.
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