English Grammar Test English Grammar Reported Speech 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: He said, 'I have been working all day.' What is the reported speech?
- He said he has been working all day.
- He said he had been working all day. (Correct answer)
- He said he was working all day.
- He said he worked all day.
Correct answer: He said he had been working all day.
Present perfect continuous 'have been working' backshifts to past perfect continuous 'had been working.'
Question 2: She said, 'I don't know the answer.' What is the reported speech?
- She said she doesn't know the answer.
- She said she didn't know the answer. (Correct answer)
- She said she hadn't known the answer.
- She said she wouldn't know the answer.
Correct answer: She said she didn't know the answer.
Simple present 'don't know' backshifts to simple past 'didn't know' in reported speech.
Question 3: Which sentence correctly reports the question: 'Did she pass the exam?'
- He asked did she pass the exam.
- He asked if she passed the exam.
- He asked whether she had passed the exam.
- Both B and C are acceptable. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both B and C are acceptable.
Both 'passed' (no change) and 'had passed' (backshifted) are acceptable reported forms.
Question 4: The coach said, 'Train harder!' What is the reported speech?
- The coach said train harder.
- The coach told us to train harder. (Correct answer)
- The coach said that train harder.
- The coach asked us train harder.
Correct answer: The coach told us to train harder.
Imperatives become 'told + object + to-infinitive' in reported speech.
Question 5: She said, 'I was cooking dinner.' What is the reported speech?
- She said she is cooking dinner.
- She said she was cooking dinner.
- She said she had been cooking dinner. (Correct answer)
- She said she cooked dinner.
Correct answer: She said she had been cooking dinner.
Past continuous 'was cooking' backshifts to past perfect continuous 'had been cooking.'
Question 6: He said, 'I should study more.' What is the reported speech?
- He said he should study more. (Correct answer)
- He said he had to study more.
- He said he would study more.
- He said he must study more.
Correct answer: He said he should study more.
'Should' does not change in reported speech — it remains 'should.'
Question 7: She asked, 'Have you eaten yet?' What is the reported speech?
- She asked if I have eaten yet.
- She asked if I had eaten yet.
- She asked if I had eaten already.
- Both B and C are correct. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both B and C are correct.
Present perfect backshifts to past perfect, and 'yet' can remain or be replaced by 'already' in reported speech.
English Grammar Test English Grammar Reported Speech 4
He said, 'I have been working all day.' What is the reported speech?