English Grammar Test English Grammar Reported Speech 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: He said, 'I used to walk to school.' What is the reported speech?
- He said he used to walk to school. (Correct answer)
- He said he had used to walk to school.
- He said he would walk to school.
- He said he was walking to school.
Correct answer: He said he used to walk to school.
'Used to' does not change in reported speech because it already refers to a past habit.
Question 2: She said, 'I might join the team.' What is the reported speech?
- She said she might join the team. (Correct answer)
- She said she may join the team.
- She said she would join the team.
- She said she could join the team.
Correct answer: She said she might join the team.
'Might' is already a past-form modal and does not backshift further in reported speech.
Question 3: The reporter said, 'The president arrived here yesterday.' What is the correct reported speech?
- The reporter said the president had arrived there the day before. (Correct answer)
- The reporter said the president arrived here yesterday.
- The reporter said the president arrives there the day before.
- The reporter said the president would arrive there the previous day.
Correct answer: The reporter said the president had arrived there the day before.
Tense backshifts, 'here' becomes 'there,' and 'yesterday' changes to 'the day before' in reported speech.
Question 4: He said, 'I will have finished by Monday.' What is the reported speech?
- He said he would have finished by Monday. (Correct answer)
- He said he will have finished by Monday.
- He said he had finished by Monday.
- He said he would finish by Monday.
Correct answer: He said he would have finished by Monday.
Future perfect 'will have finished' becomes 'would have finished' in reported speech.
Question 5: Which sentence is the correct reported form of: 'Don't be late,' she warned us?
- She warned us not to be late. (Correct answer)
- She warned us don't be late.
- She warned us to not late.
- She warned us that don't be late.
Correct answer: She warned us not to be late.
Negative imperatives with a reporting verb like 'warned' use 'warned + object + not to-infinitive.'
Question 6: She said, 'I saw him two days ago.' What is the reported speech?
- She said she had seen him two days before. (Correct answer)
- She said she saw him two days ago.
- She said she has seen him two days before.
- She said she had seen him two days ago.
Correct answer: She said she had seen him two days before.
Past simple backshifts to past perfect and 'two days ago' changes to 'two days before' in reported speech.
Question 7: He exclaimed, 'What a beautiful painting!' What is the reported speech?
- He exclaimed what a beautiful painting.
- He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting. (Correct answer)
- He said what a beautiful painting it was.
- He exclaimed that it is a beautiful painting.
Correct answer: He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting.
Exclamatory sentences are typically reported using 'said/exclaimed that' with an appropriate adjective or intensifier.
English Grammar Test English Grammar Reported Speech 5
He said, 'I used to walk to school.' What is the reported speech?