Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners

Making the necessary changes in reported speech

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English as a Second Language

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Updated on March 06, 2017

1. Tom said, 'I want to visit my friends this weekend.'

Tom said he wants to visit his friends that weekend.
Tom said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.
Tom said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend.

Correct Wrong

Make sure to change both the pronoun and the time indicator (this to that) in reported speech.

2. Jerry said, 'I'm studying English a lot at the moment.'

Jerry said he was studying English a lot at that moment.
Jerry said he was studying English a lot at the moment.
Jerry said I was studying English a lot at that moment.

Correct Wrong

Change 'the moment' to 'that moment' in reported speech.

3. They said, 'We've lived here for a long time.'

They said they have lived there for a long time.
They said they lived here for a long time.
They said they had lived there for a long time.

Correct Wrong

Move the present perfect tense into the past perfect tense in the reported speech.

4. He asked me, 'Have you finished reading the newspaper?'

He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper.
He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper.

Correct Wrong

Change questions from their inverted question structure back to standard sentence structure in the reported speech.

5. 'I get up every morning at seven o'clock.', Peter said.

Peter said he got up every morning at seven o'clock.
Peter said I got up every morning at seven o'clock.
Peter said he had got up every morning at seven o'clock.

Correct Wrong

Make sure to change pronouns when using reported speech.

6. Susan reassured me, 'I can come tonight.'

Susan told me I could come that night.
Susan told me she could come that night.
Susan told me she could come tomorrow evening.

Correct Wrong

Change 'tonight' to the 'that night' in the reported speech.

7. She said, 'I really wish I had bought that new car.'

She told me she really wished she bought that new car.
She told me she really had wished she had bought that new car.
She told me she really wished she had bought that new car.

Correct Wrong

The past perfect remains the past perfect in reported speech.

8. Jack said, 'He must be guilty!'

Jack said he must have been guilty.
Jack said he must have be guilty.
Jack said he must has been guilty.

Correct Wrong

Use the past modal verb of probability when reporting 'must'.

9. Cheryl asked her, 'How long have you lived here?'

Cheryl asked her how long she has lived there.
Cheryl asked her how long she lived there.
Cheryl asked her how long she had lived there.

Correct Wrong

Change the present perfect to the past perfect in reported speech.

10. He said, 'I must get going. Otherwise, I'm going to be late.'

He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.
He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, I was going to be late.
He told me he has to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.

Correct Wrong

'Had to' can be used as the past of the modal verb 'must'.

11. Lenny sang, 'I want to get away, I want to fly away.'

Lenny sang, 'I want to get away, I want to fly away.'
Lenny sang he wanted to get away, he wanted to fly away.
Lenny sings he wanted to get away, he wanted to fly away.
Lenny sang he wanted to get away, he wants to fly away.

Correct Wrong

Change the present simple to the past simple as well as pronouns when using reported speech.

Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners You got: % Correct. Reported Speech Champ

I got Reported Speech Champ. Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners

You know your English!. Andrew Rich / Vetta / Getty Images

You understand the changes necessary when using reported speech. Well done! Follow up by studying and practicing some more advanced level grammar forms.

Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners You got: % Correct. You Understand Reported Speech

I got You Understand Reported Speech. Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners

You've done well on your lessons. Anton Violin / Moment / Getty Images

Good try! You obviously understand reported speech, but are having some difficulty with some of the minor changes necessary. Keep practicing and you will mast reported speech soon.

Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners You got: % Correct. Reported Speech Still Needs Practice

I got Reported Speech Still Needs Practice. Reported Speech Quiz for English Learners

Keep working on your studies. Frank and Helena / Cultura / Getty Images

You still need to practice reported speech. Remember that the tense of the original statement moves one step back in reported speech. In other words, the present simple becomes the past simple. Keep working and you'll understand and be able to use the form soon.