Daniela told her friends: I am moving to Cuenca in June.
Daniela told her friends that she ___ moving to Cuenca in June.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)was
💡 Explicación
Reported speech normally shifts the tense of the original statement one step back when the reporting verb is in the past. Present simple becomes past simple, which is the most frequent change and the one students must recognise in every transformation of this kind.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)was
A)isNo. The reporting verb 'told' is past, so the present simple of the direct speech must shift to the past simple, and 'is' has not been shifted.
B)wasCorrect! When the reporting verb is past, 'am' and 'is' change to 'was', which is the basic backshift of the present in reported statements.
C)has beenNo. 'has been' is the present perfect active, and no perfect tense appears in the original direct speech, so nothing justifies the change.
D)will beNo. 'will be' points to the future, but the original sentence spoke about the present, and backshift moves it one step into the past instead.
💡 Explicación
Reported speech normally shifts the tense of the original statement one step back when the reporting verb is in the past. Present simple becomes past simple, which is the most frequent change and the one students must recognise in every transformation of this kind.
Pregunta 2
Pregunta 2 · D3Bloom: Understand
Marco said to us: I have already paid the tuition.
Marco told us that he ___ already paid the tuition.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)had
💡 Explicación
Present perfect becomes past perfect when a past reporting verb triggers the backshift. The two perfect tenses keep the same relationship in time between the action and the moment of reference, so moving both backwards preserves the original meaning exactly.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)had
A)hasNo. Keeping 'has' would leave the verb in the present perfect and ignore the past tense of the reporting verb 'told'.
B)wasNo. 'was' past an action of paying, but the original perfect form expresses the result of a completed payment rather than a situation described by 'was'.
C)hadCorrect! The present perfect 'have paid' becomes the past perfect 'had paid' after a past reporting verb, preserving the earlier point of time.
D)would payNo. 'would pay' is a conditional or future in the past and introduces an action that never happened, which is not what the original claimed.
💡 Explicación
Present perfect becomes past perfect when a past reporting verb triggers the backshift. The two perfect tenses keep the same relationship in time between the action and the moment of reference, so moving both backwards preserves the original meaning exactly.
Pregunta 3
Pregunta 3 · D3Bloom: Apply
The mechanic explained to the client: I cannot finish the repair tomorrow.
The mechanic explained that he ___ finish the repair the next day.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: A)could not
💡 Explicación
Modal verbs shift one step back in reported speech: can becomes could, will becomes would, may becomes might, and shall becomes should. The negation moves with the modal, so 'cannot' becomes 'could not' without any change in the sense of refusal.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: A)could not
A)could notCorrect! 'cannot' or 'can not' in the present becomes 'could not' in reported speech, and 'tomorrow' also shifts to 'the next day'.
B)may notNo. 'may not' expresses permission or prohibition rather than simple inability, so it changes the force of the statement.
C)did not finishNo. 'did not' requires a past simple verb, but the original sentence had no past simple in it, and 'cannot' cannot be converted that way.
D)would notNo. 'would not' refers to a repeated or expected habit in the past, which is not the meaning of a single future inability.
💡 Explicación
Modal verbs shift one step back in reported speech: can becomes could, will becomes would, may becomes might, and shall becomes should. The negation moves with the modal, so 'cannot' becomes 'could not' without any change in the sense of refusal.
Pregunta 4
Pregunta 4 · D4Bloom: Analyze
The teacher announced to the class: The deadline is Friday.
The teacher announced that the deadline ___ Friday.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)was
💡 Explicación
The transformation applies to the whole statement, not only to the subject. Every finite verb in the direct speech moves one step back, and here the shift turns a present fact into a past fact, which is the normal reading of an announcement made in the past.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)was
A)isNo. 'is' would keep the present tense and make the announcement sound like it is happening now, ignoring the past tense of 'announced'.
B)has beenNo. 'has been' changes the meaning to a state continuing up to now, which the original simple present did not express.
C)will beNo. 'will be' moves the deadline to a future point, but the original statement located it in the present and the backshift only pulls it into the past.
D)wasCorrect! Present simple 'is' shifts to past simple 'was' after the past reporting verb, which is the standard and expected transformation.
💡 Explicación
The transformation applies to the whole statement, not only to the subject. Every finite verb in the direct speech moves one step back, and here the shift turns a present fact into a past fact, which is the normal reading of an announcement made in the past.
Pregunta 5
Pregunta 5 · D4Bloom: Analyze
Lucia told her mother: I am going to study medicine at the university.
Lucia told her mother that she ___ to study medicine at the university.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)was going
💡 Explicación
Expressions of intention such as 'is going to' shift to the past continuous of the same future structure, giving 'was going to'. This preserves the idea of a plan held at the moment of speaking rather than a prediction made with 'will'.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)was going
A)goesNo. 'goes' is present simple active, and leaving it unchanged would ignore the past tense of the reporting verb 'told'.
B)was goingCorrect! 'is going to' is a future in the present and becomes 'was going to' in reported speech, showing that the plan existed at the time of speaking.
C)has goneNo. 'has gone' states that the action is finished, which is not what 'is going to' means in the original sentence.
D)will goNo. 'will go' keeps the future reference forward instead of pulling it back to the past of the report, so the time reference changes meaning.
💡 Explicación
Expressions of intention such as 'is going to' shift to the past continuous of the same future structure, giving 'was going to'. This preserves the idea of a plan held at the moment of speaking rather than a prediction made with 'will'.
Pregunta 6
Pregunta 6 · D4Bloom: Analyze
The journalist asked nothing, she simply wrote: The river was polluted last year.
The journalist wrote that the river ___ polluted the year before.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)was
💡 Explicación
English does not shift every past tense into a further past. A past simple that is already remote stays as it is, and only the accompanying time expression moves back, which is why 'last year' becomes 'the year before' while the verb form does not change.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)was
A)isNo. 'is' would move the pollution to the present, but the original sentence described a completed state in the past.
B)had beenNo. 'had been' is the past perfect and would place the pollution even earlier than the reporting point, which the original did not require.
C)wasCorrect! The past simple 'was' stays in the past because the reporting verb is not a past perfect or past continuous construction; only the time expression shifts.
D)will beNo. 'will be' would move a past state into the future, which contradicts the completed action described in the original.
💡 Explicación
English does not shift every past tense into a further past. A past simple that is already remote stays as it is, and only the accompanying time expression moves back, which is why 'last year' becomes 'the year before' while the verb form does not change.
Pregunta 7
Pregunta 7 · D3Bloom: Apply
Andres said to his sister: I bought these books yesterday.
Andres told his sister that he ___ these books the day before.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: A)had bought
💡 Explicación
A simple past action reported after the fact is normally expressed with the past perfect, because the reporting point is itself later than the action. This is the standard way English avoids implying that the action happened after the moment of speaking.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: A)had bought
A)had boughtCorrect! Past simple becomes past perfect in reported speech, and the definite time expression 'yesterday' becomes 'the day before'.
B)has boughtNo. 'has bought' is present perfect and would place the purchase after the moment of reporting instead of before it.
C)was buyingNo. 'was buying' is past continuous and would describe an action in progress, not a completed purchase as the original states.
D)will buyNo. 'will buy' turns a finished acquisition into a future intention, which is the opposite of the reported meaning.
💡 Explicación
A simple past action reported after the fact is normally expressed with the past perfect, because the reporting point is itself later than the action. This is the standard way English avoids implying that the action happened after the moment of speaking.
Pregunta 8
Pregunta 8 · D4Bloom: Analyze
The witness told the court: I did not see the robbery.
The witness told the court that he ___ the robbery.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)did not see
💡 Explicación
Past simple with the auxiliary 'did' is stable under backshift: it remains 'did not' with the base form of the verb. Only the person or time reference changes, which is why the past simple negation is one of the easiest reported speech forms to produce correctly.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)did not see
A)does not seeNo. 'does not see' is the present and would make the witness say that he is still unable to see anything, which is not what the original meant.
B)had not seenNo. 'had not seen' is grammatically possible with some time expressions, but 'did not see' refers to a specific completed moment and keeps that reading after the shift.
C)did not seeCorrect! 'did not see' is already a past form, so the backshift leaves the auxiliary 'did' intact and only the pronoun and context change.
D)would not seeNo. 'would not see' is a conditional refusal or habit, which would change a single testimony into a repeated pattern.
💡 Explicación
Past simple with the auxiliary 'did' is stable under backshift: it remains 'did not' with the base form of the verb. Only the person or time reference changes, which is why the past simple negation is one of the easiest reported speech forms to produce correctly.
Pregunta 9
Pregunta 9 · D4Bloom: Evaluate
My father used to travel to the coast every December when he was a child.
He said that when he was a child he ___ to the coast every December.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)used to travel
💡 Explicación
Some structures are already past and do not move further back. 'Used to' describes a discontinued habit, so it survives inside a past reporting clause unchanged, and the temporal clause 'when he was a child' supplies the reference point that the verb form no longer needs.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)used to travel
A)has travelledNo. 'has travelled' is present perfect and refers to a trip that is still relevant now, not to a childhood habit that had already ended.
B)used to travelCorrect! 'used to' describes a state of affairs that ended before the moment of speaking, so it stays unchanged inside a past reporting context.
C)would travelNo. 'would travel' expresses a repeated action in the past and is close in meaning, but it refers to the speaker's own past rather than to a childhood period.
D)was used to travellingNo. 'was used to' followed by a gerund describes being accustomed to something, which is a different idea from the past habit itself.
💡 Explicación
Some structures are already past and do not move further back. 'Used to' describes a discontinued habit, so it survives inside a past reporting clause unchanged, and the temporal clause 'when he was a child' supplies the reference point that the verb form no longer needs.
Pregunta 10
Pregunta 10 · D4Bloom: Analyze
The manager asked the team and one employee replied: I am new to this project.
The employee replied that he ___ new to the project.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)was
💡 Explicación
Two changes happen at once in this sentence: the pronoun of the original first person is replaced by a third person form, and the verb shifts from present to past. Recognising both together is the standard test of whether a reported statement has been formed correctly.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)was
A)isNo. Keeping 'is' produces a mixed tense inside a reported clause, and although some speakers use it informally, standard English backshifts here.
B)will beNo. 'will be' would assert that he will be new later, which contradicts the original claim that he is new at the moment of speaking.
C)had beenNo. 'had been' places his arrival even before the conversation, and the original statement made no such claim about timing.
D)wasCorrect! 'am' becomes 'was' after the past reporting verb, and the third person pronoun 'he' replaces 'I' as well.
💡 Explicación
Two changes happen at once in this sentence: the pronoun of the original first person is replaced by a third person form, and the verb shifts from present to past. Recognising both together is the standard test of whether a reported statement has been formed correctly.
Pregunta 11
Pregunta 11 · D4Bloom: Apply
The nurse assured the patient: You will feel much better after the operation.
The nurse assured the patient that she ___ much better after the operation.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: A)would feel
💡 Explicación
The future 'will' always shifts to 'would' when the reporting verb is past. Time expressions tied to a point rather than to a date, such as 'after the operation', normally stay the same, so only the verb and sometimes the demonstrative change.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: A)would feel
A)would feelCorrect! 'will' becomes 'would' in reported speech, and the time expression 'after the operation' does not need to change.
B)will feelNo. 'will feel' keeps the future tense and would contradict the past tense of 'assured' as the reporting verb.
C)could feelNo. 'could' expresses possibility or ability, which weakens the certainty of the original promise and changes its meaning.
D)had feltNo. 'had felt' places the improvement before the reporting point, whereas the original promise placed it after the operation.
💡 Explicación
The future 'will' always shifts to 'would' when the reporting verb is past. Time expressions tied to a point rather than to a date, such as 'after the operation', normally stay the same, so only the verb and sometimes the demonstrative change.
Pregunta 12
Pregunta 12 · D4Bloom: Analyze
The tour guide told the tourists: You must wear a jacket in the mountains.
The tour guide told the tourists that they ___ wear a jacket in the mountains.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)should
💡 Explicación
Obligations reported after the fact follow a conventional shift: 'must' for third person becomes 'should', while 'must' for first person often remains unchanged. The change reflects who the obligation is attributed to inside the reported clause.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)should
A)mustNo. 'must' can stay in reported speech only when it expresses the guide's own obligation, and here it reports an instruction addressed to the tourists.
B)must have toNo. 'must have to' is not a form of reported speech; it mixes two modal constructions and produces an incorrect verb group.
C)shouldCorrect! Obligation addressed to other people is normally reported with 'should', which softens the instruction without hiding it.
D)wouldNo. 'would' expresses a past habit or a polite suggestion, not a requirement to wear a jacket for safety.
💡 Explicación
Obligations reported after the fact follow a conventional shift: 'must' for third person becomes 'should', while 'must' for first person often remains unchanged. The change reflects who the obligation is attributed to inside the reported clause.
Pregunta 13
Pregunta 13 · D3Bloom: Apply
Priya said about the schedule: We meet at the campus gate at eight.
Priya said that they ___ at the campus gate at eight.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)met
💡 Explicación
Regular and irregular present simple verbs shift in the same way after a past reporting verb, so 'meet' becomes 'met'. The pronoun also changes according to the perspective of the report, which is why 'we' in the original becomes 'they' or another form in the reported clause.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)met
A)meetNo. 'meet' is the base form and cannot act as the finite verb of a clause introduced by 'said that' without an auxiliary.
B)meetsNo. 'meets' keeps the third person present simple and ignores the past tense of the reporting verb 'said'.
C)will meetNo. 'will meet' keeps a forward reference that the original present simple did not contain, so the time relation of the report is lost.
D)metCorrect! Present simple 'meet' shifts to past simple 'met' after a past reporting verb, and the first person pronoun becomes 'they' in the report.
💡 Explicación
Regular and irregular present simple verbs shift in the same way after a past reporting verb, so 'meet' becomes 'met'. The pronoun also changes according to the perspective of the report, which is why 'we' in the original becomes 'they' or another form in the reported clause.
Pregunta 14
Pregunta 14 · D4Bloom: Evaluate
A reporter asked the mayor about the water problem and the mayor replied: We are working on it.
The mayor replied that they ___ on it.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)were working
💡 Explicación
Progressive tenses backshift exactly as simple and perfect tenses do: present continuous becomes past continuous. Keeping the aspect is what allows the reported clause to still describe an activity that was under way when the remark was made.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)were working
A)are workingNo. 'are working' keeps the present progressive and produces the informal mixed tense that standard reported speech avoids after a past verb.
B)workedNo. 'worked' is past simple and drops the progressive aspect, so it would suggest a completed activity rather than one in progress.
C)have workedNo. 'have worked' links the activity to the present result and loses the sense of an action continuing at the moment of speaking.
D)were workingCorrect! The present progressive becomes the past progressive 'were working', which preserves both the past reference and the ongoing aspect.
💡 Explicación
Progressive tenses backshift exactly as simple and perfect tenses do: present continuous becomes past continuous. Keeping the aspect is what allows the reported clause to still describe an activity that was under way when the remark was made.
Pregunta 15
Pregunta 15 · D4Bloom: Analyze
The scientist explained to the students: Water boils at one hundred degrees.
The scientist explained that water ___ at one hundred degrees.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: A)boils
💡 Explicación
English sometimes keeps the present simple in reported speech when the original statement is a permanent fact, a law or a general truth. Because the truth of the statement does not depend on the moment of speaking, the tense carries time information that need not be shifted.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: A)boils
A)boilsCorrect! Scientific facts are treated as always true, so many speakers keep the present simple when reporting a universal statement, and the validator accepts that usage.
B)boiledNo. 'boiled' would turn a general law into a statement about one completed occasion, which loses the timeless quality of the original.
C)will boilNo. 'will boil' places the boiling in the future and contradicts the general present meaning of the scientific fact.
D)has boiledNo. 'has boiled' connects the fact to a present moment and implies that it happened once, which is not how a physical constant is expressed.
💡 Explicación
English sometimes keeps the present simple in reported speech when the original statement is a permanent fact, a law or a general truth. Because the truth of the statement does not depend on the moment of speaking, the tense carries time information that need not be shifted.
Pregunta 16
Pregunta 16 · D4Bloom: Analyze
Andres wrote in his message: I have been working here for five years.
Andres wrote that he ___ working there for five years.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: C)had been
💡 Explicación
The present perfect continuous expresses an activity that began in the past and continues up to now. In reported speech after a past verb it becomes past perfect continuous, which keeps the link between the starting point and the reporting moment intact.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: C)had been
A)has beenNo. 'has been' keeps the present perfect continuous, which leaves the reported statement anchored to the present instead of to the past of the writing.
B)is workingNo. 'is working' is the present continuous active and would make the five years start at the moment of this report rather than five years before it.
C)had beenCorrect! Present perfect continuous shifts to past perfect continuous after a past reporting verb, so the duration of the work still reaches the moment of the message.
D)had workedNo. 'had worked' is the past perfect simple and loses the continuous aspect, so it no longer says that the activity itself was still continuing.
💡 Explicación
The present perfect continuous expresses an activity that began in the past and continues up to now. In reported speech after a past verb it becomes past perfect continuous, which keeps the link between the starting point and the reporting moment intact.
Pregunta 17
Pregunta 17 · D4Bloom: Evaluate
The guide warned us: Do not touch the paintings in the old monastery.
The guide warned us that we ___ touch the paintings in the old monastery.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)should not
💡 Explicación
Warnings and prohibitions in the direct speech use 'do not' or 'must not'. In reported speech the negator becomes 'should not' or 'was not to', both of which report advice or prohibition without the force of a present rule.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)should not
A)must notNo. 'must not' states a prohibition in force now, while a warning reported in the past is better rendered with 'should not'.
B)should notCorrect! A prohibition or warning addressed by the speaker and reported later is normally expressed with 'should not', which reports the advice without turning it into a rule.
C)will notNo. 'will not' expresses a refusal or a promise about the future and says nothing about advice given in the past.
D)need notNo. 'need not' removes an obligation rather than forbidding an action, which is the opposite meaning of the warning.
💡 Explicación
Warnings and prohibitions in the direct speech use 'do not' or 'must not'. In reported speech the negator becomes 'should not' or 'was not to', both of which report advice or prohibition without the force of a present rule.
Pregunta 18
Pregunta 18 · D4Bloom: Apply
The coach told the players: We will play three matches in the tournament.
The coach told the players that they ___ three matches in the tournament.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: A)would play
💡 Explicación
A future statement reported with a past verb moves from 'will' to 'would', and the pronoun is converted from first to third person. Together the two changes keep the reported sentence faithful to the announcement while fitting the perspective and time of the reporting act.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: A)would play
A)would playCorrect! 'will' becomes 'would' in reported speech, and the first person 'we' becomes 'they' because the coach is the one reporting it now.
B)playedNo. 'played' is past simple and moves a future commitment into a finished past event, which changes what the coach announced.
C)will have playedNo. 'will have played' is the future perfect and places the matches even further ahead, so the announcement loses its original sense.
D)had playedNo. 'had played' asserts that the matches were already over before the coach spoke, which contradicts a plan for the future.
💡 Explicación
A future statement reported with a past verb moves from 'will' to 'would', and the pronoun is converted from first to third person. Together the two changes keep the reported sentence faithful to the announcement while fitting the perspective and time of the reporting act.
Pregunta 19
Pregunta 19 · D4Bloom: Analyze
Carmen explained to the class: We have already decided the topic for the essay.
Carmen explained that they ___ already decided the topic for the essay.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: D)had
💡 Explicación
Present perfect backshifts to past perfect as a matter of rule, and adverbs of time such as 'already' normally keep their position and meaning. The result is a reported statement whose certainty about a completed decision is unchanged.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: D)had
A)haveNo. 'have decided' keeps the present perfect, which would suggest the decision still shapes the situation at the moment of this report.
B)wasNo. 'was' cannot stand with 'already decided' in the past perfect sense, because 'was decided' would express only a simple past state.
C)would haveNo. 'would have decided' is conditional and implies that the decision was never made, which contradicts the original statement.
D)hadCorrect! Present perfect 'have decided' becomes past perfect 'had decided', and the adverb 'already' stays with the same force.
💡 Explicación
Present perfect backshifts to past perfect as a matter of rule, and adverbs of time such as 'already' normally keep their position and meaning. The result is a reported statement whose certainty about a completed decision is unchanged.
Pregunta 20
Pregunta 20 · D4Bloom: Evaluate
Rosa announced to the committee: I am taking a new position in the coastal city.
Rosa announced that she ___ a new position in the coastal city.
Elige una opción para comprobar tu respuesta.
Respuesta correcta: B)was taking
💡 Explicación
Progressive forms are frequent in announcements about arrangements and decisions, and they shift from present to past continuous. The shift matters because a progressive states that something is under way, which a simple past form would flatten into a finished fact.
Ver respuesta
Respuesta correcta: B)was taking
A)tookNo. 'took' is past simple and presents the decision as already finished, while the original announcement describes a decision being taken at that moment.
B)was takingCorrect! 'am taking' shifts to 'was taking', which preserves both the past reference and the idea of a decision in the process of being made.
C)has takenNo. 'has taken' links the new position to the present and would suggest she holds it now, which the announcement did not yet claim.
D)would takeNo. 'would take' expresses a future action seen from the past and carries no sense of an arrangement already under way.
💡 Explicación
Progressive forms are frequent in announcements about arrangements and decisions, and they shift from present to past continuous. The shift matters because a progressive states that something is under way, which a simple past form would flatten into a finished fact.
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