Reported Speech Statements

Respuesta correcta: A) was

• A) wasWas is correct: the present am backshifts to the past when the reporting verb said is in the past.
• B) isIs keeps the present tense and breaks the backshift that reported speech requires.
• C) wereWere would need a plural subject, but the reported subject she is singular.
• D) beBe is the bare infinitive and cannot carry the past tense of the report.

Respuesta correcta: B) lived

• A) livesLives stays in the present and does not follow the backshift rule.
• B) livedLived is correct: the present simple live backshifts to the past simple after said.
• C) liveLive is the plural present form and also keeps the wrong tense.
• D) livingLiving is a participle and cannot be the finite verb of the clause.

Respuesta correcta: C) were studying

• A) are studyingAre studying keeps the present continuous, which the backshift rule changes.
• B) studiedStudied changes the progressive aspect into the simple past, losing the idea of an action in progress.
• C) were studyingWere studying is correct: the present continuous backshifts to the past continuous.
• D) studyStudy is the present simple and does not show the past report.

Respuesta correcta: D) could

• A) canCan keeps the present modal and ignores the backshift.
• B) can toCan to is wrong because can never takes the particle to.
• C) could toCould to is wrong because a modal verb is followed by the bare infinitive.
• D) couldCould is correct: the modal can backshifts to could in reported speech.

Respuesta correcta: A) the next day

• A) the next dayThe next day is correct: the adverb tomorrow shifts to the next day in reported speech.
• B) tomorrowTomorrow keeps the original viewpoint and is not adjusted for the report.
• C) todayToday points to the day of the report, not to the day after the original words.
• D) yesterdayYesterday points backwards and reverses the meaning of tomorrow.

Respuesta correcta: B) the day before

• A) yesterdayYesterday keeps the original day and does not match the past perfect report.
• B) the day beforeThe day before is correct: yesterday shifts backwards to the day before in reported speech.
• C) the next dayThe next day points forward and reverses the meaning of yesterday.
• D) nowNow is a present adverb and cannot replace a past day.

Respuesta correcta: C) had to

• A) mustMust keeps the present obligation and does not follow the backshift.
• B) must toMust to is wrong because a modal verb never takes the particle to.
• C) had toHad to is correct: the modal must backshifts to had to in a past report.
• D) have toHave to keeps the present tense, which the past report changes.

Respuesta correcta: D) had seen

• A) has seenHas seen keeps the present perfect and ignores the backshift.
• B) sawSaw is the simple past and loses the earlier-perfect meaning of the original.
• C) seenSeen is only the past participle and cannot stand alone as the finite verb.
• D) had seenHad seen is correct: the present perfect have seen backshifts to the past perfect.

Respuesta correcta: A) her

• A) herHer is correct: the possessive my shifts to her when a third person reports the words of Marta.
• B) myMy would keep Marta speaking in her own voice, which the report does not.
• C) hisHis refers to a male owner, but the speaker Marta is female.
• D) theirTheir refers to a plural owner, while Marta alone owns the parents in the report.

Respuesta correcta: B) told

• A) saidSaid cannot take the object me directly; the correct form would be said to me.
• B) toldTold is correct: the reporting verb told takes a personal object, so told me is right.
• C) spokeSpoke is not used to report a statement; it describes the act of speaking.
• D) talkedTalked needs the preposition to before a person, as in talked to me.

Respuesta correcta: C) She said she was reading a book then.

• A) She said she is reading a book now.Is reading keeps the present continuous and now stays in the present, so no backshift happens.
• B) She said she was reading a book now.Was reading is right but now must become then in the reported version.
• C) She said she was reading a book then.Was reading is correct, and now becomes then because the report is made later.
• D) She said she read a book then.Read is the simple past and loses the progressive meaning of the original.

Respuesta correcta: D) The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.

• A) The teacher said that the sun rose in the east.Rose would suggest the fact was true only in the past, which is wrong for a general truth.
• B) The teacher said that the sun had risen in the east.Had risen adds a past perfect that a timeless fact does not need.
• C) The teacher said the sun rise in the east.Rise is the plural form and does not agree with the singular subject the sun.
• D) The teacher said that the sun rises in the east.Rises is correct: a general truth keeps the present simple even after a past reporting verb.

Respuesta correcta: A) Tom said that he had seen Maria at the market.

• A) Tom said that he had seen Maria at the market.Had seen is correct: the past simple saw backshifts to the past perfect.
• B) Tom said that he saw Maria at the market.Saw keeps the simple past and does not show that the action is earlier than the report.
• C) Tom said that he has seen Maria at the market.Has seen mixes a present perfect with a past reporting verb.
• D) Tom said that he sees Maria at the market.Sees keeps the present simple and ignores the backshift.

Respuesta correcta: B) The doctor told me that I should rest more.

• A) The doctor told me that I shall rest more.Shall is a different modal and does not match the original should.
• B) The doctor told me that I should rest more.Should is correct: the modal should has no past form and stays unchanged.
• C) The doctor told me that I will rest more.Will changes the meaning from advice to a future prediction.
• D) The doctor told me that I would rest more.Would changes should into a conditional form that the original does not have.

Respuesta correcta: C) Ana told me she would lend me her car.

• A) Ana told me she will lend me my car.Will keeps the present modal and my does not change to her.
• B) Ana told me she would lend me my car.Would is right but the possessive my must become her in the report.
• C) Ana told me she would lend me her car.Would and her are correct: will backshifts to would and the possessive my becomes her.
• D) Ana told me I would lend her my car.The pronouns are reversed: Ana is the lender and I am the receiver.

Respuesta correcta: D) They said they had finished the project the week before.

• A) They said they finished the project last week.Finished keeps the simple past and last week is not adjusted for the report.
• B) They said they have finished the project last week.Have finished mixes a present perfect with a past reporting verb.
• C) They said they had finished the project next week.Had finished is right but next week reverses the direction of last week.
• D) They said they had finished the project the week before.Had finished and the week before are correct: the past simple backshifts and last week shifts back.

Respuesta correcta: A) He said he had already left when I called.

• A) He said he had already left when I called.Had left is correct: the past perfect stays past perfect, and you becomes I for the listener.
• B) He said he has already left when I called.Has left changes the past perfect into a present perfect.
• C) He said he already left when I called.Left reduces the past perfect to a simple past and loses the order of events.
• D) He said he would already leave when I called.Would leave turns a completed action into a conditional one.

Respuesta correcta: B) I have been working all morning, Tom said.

• A) I am working all morning, Tom said.Am working would backshift to was working, not to had been working.
• B) I have been working all morning, Tom said.Have been working is correct: the present perfect continuous backshifts to the past perfect continuous.
• C) I worked all morning, Tom said.Worked would backshift to had worked, a simple past perfect without the continuous idea.
• D) I will work all morning, Tom said.Will work would backshift to would work, a future form, not a perfect continuous.

Respuesta correcta: C) He said he would meet me there the next day.

• A) He said he will meet me here tomorrow.Will, here and tomorrow all stay in the original viewpoint.
• B) He said he would meet me here tomorrow.Would is right but here and tomorrow are not adjusted for the report.
• C) He said he would meet me there the next day.Would, there and the next day are all correct shifts of will, here and tomorrow.
• D) He said he would meet me there yesterday.Would is right but yesterday reverses the meaning of tomorrow.

Respuesta correcta: D) Laura told me she did not know where her brother was.

• A) Laura told me she does not know where her brother is.Does not know and is keep both verbs in the present, so no backshift happens.
• B) Laura told me she did not know where her brother is.Did not know is right, but the verb is in the second clause must also backshift to was.
• C) Laura told me she does not know where her brother was.Does not know is wrong for the report even though was is correct in the second clause.
• D) Laura told me she did not know where her brother was.Both clauses backshift and the possessive changes: did not know and was, with her for my.