Reported Speech Questions Commands

Respuesta correcta: A) She asked if I spoke Spanish.

• A) She asked if I spoke Spanish.Correct. Reported yes or no questions use if and backshift the verb, so speak becomes spoke.
• B) She asked if I speak Spanish.The verb is not backshifted: in reported speech the present speak must become the past spoke.
• C) She asked did I speak Spanish.The auxiliary did is kept, but reported questions drop do, does and did completely.
• D) She asked if did I speak Spanish.If already marks the reported question, so the auxiliary did cannot also introduce it.

Respuesta correcta: B) He asked where she worked.

• A) He asked where did she work.In reported questions the auxiliary did must be removed, not placed before the subject.
• B) He asked where she worked.Correct. The wh-word keeps its place, the auxiliary does is dropped and work becomes worked.
• C) He asked where does she work.The present does is not backshifted and also keeps the wrong auxiliary.
• D) He asked where she works.The verb stays in the present, but reported speech needs the past worked.

Respuesta correcta: C) The teacher told us to close the window.

• A) The teacher told us close the window.The verb close needs to before it, because told is followed by object and to-infinitive.
• B) The teacher said us to close the window.The verb say cannot take a person as its object; use told us.
• C) The teacher told us to close the window.Correct. Reported commands use tell plus an object and a to-infinitive.
• D) The teacher asked us close the window.Asked us close lacks to, and asked usually reports a request rather than an order.

Respuesta correcta: D) She told him not to touch the wires.

• A) She told him to not touch the wires.Splitting the infinitive as to not touch is less standard than not to touch.
• B) She said him not to touch the wires.The verb say cannot take the object him; the correct reporting verb is told.
• C) She told him do not touch the wires.The direct form do not cannot survive inside a reported command.
• D) She told him not to touch the wires.Correct. A negative command uses not before the to-infinitive: not to touch.

Respuesta correcta: A) He asked why I was late.

• A) He asked why I was late.Correct. The subject comes before the verb and are is backshifted to was.
• B) He asked why was I late.The inversion was I is the direct question order, not the reported order.
• C) He asked why I were late.The pronoun I takes was, never were, in the past tense.
• D) He asked why am I late.The present am is not backshifted and keeps the direct question word order.

Respuesta correcta: B) She asked whether I needed help.

• A) She asked whether did I need help.The auxiliary did must be dropped in a reported question with whether.
• B) She asked whether I needed help.Correct. Whether introduces the reported question and need is backshifted to needed.
• C) She asked whether I need help.The present need is not backshifted; the reported form is needed.
• D) She asked whether do I need help.The present do is kept and inverts the subject, which reported speech forbids.

Respuesta correcta: C) He asked me to sit down.

• A) He asked me sit down.The verb sit needs to before it after asked me.
• B) He said me to sit down.The verb say cannot take me as an object; the reporting verb is asked.
• C) He asked me to sit down.Correct. A reported request uses ask plus object plus to-infinitive.
• D) He asked to me sit down.The preposition to cannot come before me in this structure.

Respuesta correcta: D) She asked if I could help her.

• A) She asked if I can help her.The present can is not backshifted; the reported modal is could.
• B) She asked if could I help her.The modal could cannot invert with I in a reported if-clause.
• C) She asked if I can help me.The pronoun me is not changed to the third person her.
• D) She asked if I could help her.Correct. Can is backshifted to could and the first person me changes to her.

Respuesta correcta: A) He told me not to be late.

• A) He told me not to be late.Correct. The negative command becomes not to be, with not before the infinitive.
• B) He told me to do not be late.The direct words do not cannot stay inside the reported infinitive.
• C) He said me not to be late.The verb said cannot take me as its object; use told me.
• D) He told me do not be late.The base command do not be cannot follow told without the to-infinitive.

Respuesta correcta: B) She asked where they lived.

• A) She asked where did they live.The auxiliary did keeps the direct question order, which reported speech removes.
• B) She asked where they lived.Correct. The auxiliary do is dropped and live is backshifted to lived.
• C) She asked where do they live.The present do is kept and the verb is not backshifted.
• D) She asked where they live.The verb stays present, but the reported form needs the past lived.

Respuesta correcta: C) He asked what time the train left.

• A) He asked what time did the train leave.The auxiliary did creates a direct question order that reported speech does not allow.
• B) He asked what time does the train leave.The present does is kept instead of being dropped and backshifted.
• C) He asked what time the train left.Correct. The auxiliary does is dropped and leave is backshifted to left.
• D) He asked what time the train leaves.The verb leaves stays present, but the reported form is the past left.

Respuesta correcta: D) She asked if I had finished my homework.

• A) She asked if have I finished my homework.The auxiliary have cannot invert with I in a reported if-clause.
• B) She asked if I have finished my homework.The present perfect is not backshifted to the past perfect.
• C) She asked if had I finished my homework.The auxiliary had cannot invert with the subject in a reported clause.
• D) She asked if I had finished my homework.Correct. The present perfect have finished is backshifted to had finished.

Respuesta correcta: A) He asked if I would come to the party.

• A) He asked if I would come to the party.Correct. Will is backshifted to would and the subject keeps its place after if.
• B) He asked if I will come to the party.The present will is not backshifted; the reported modal is would.
• C) He asked if would I come to the party.The modal would cannot invert with I in a reported if-clause.
• D) He asked if I come to the party.The base verb come has lost the future meaning that would carries.

Respuesta correcta: B) The teacher told the class to open their books and read page ten.

• A) The teacher told the class open their books and read page ten.The first verb open needs to before it after told the class.
• B) The teacher told the class to open their books and read page ten.Correct. Both verbs share one to-infinitive: to open and read.
• C) The teacher said the class to open their books and read page ten.The verb said cannot take the class as its object; use told.
• D) The teacher told the class to opening their books and read page ten.The infinitive is to open, not to opening, because no gerund is used here.

Respuesta correcta: C) She asked why I hadn't called her.

• A) She asked why didn't I call her.The auxiliary didn't keeps the direct question inversion, which reported speech removes.
• B) She asked why I didn't called her.The auxiliary didn't already marks the past, so call must stay in the base form.
• C) She asked why I hadn't called her.Correct. The past simple negative is backshifted to the past perfect hadn't called.
• D) She asked why hadn't I called her.The auxiliary hadn't cannot invert with I inside a reported clause.

Respuesta correcta: D) They told the child not to open the door for strangers.

• A) They told the child to not open the door for strangers.The split form to not open is less standard than the usual not to open.
• B) They said the child not to open the door for strangers.The verb said cannot take the child as its object; the reporting verb is told.
• C) They told the child do not open the door for strangers.The direct imperative do not open cannot stay inside a reported command.
• D) They told the child not to open the door for strangers.Correct. The negative infinitive is not to open, placed after the object.

Respuesta correcta: A) He asked if I knew where she was.

• A) He asked if I knew where she was.Correct. The main verb know backshifts to knew and the embedded clause keeps she was.
• B) He asked if I knew where was she.The embedded clause where she is keeps statement order, so was she is wrong.
• C) He asked did I know where she was.The auxiliary did must be dropped after the reporting verb asked.
• D) He asked if did I know where she was.If and the auxiliary did cannot both introduce the same reported question.

Respuesta correcta: B) She told me to tell her what I wanted.

• A) She told me tell her what I wanted.The verb tell needs to before it after told me.
• B) She told me to tell her what I wanted.Correct. The command uses to tell and the embedded verb want is backshifted to wanted.
• C) She said me to tell her what I wanted.The verb said cannot take me as an object; use told me.
• D) She told me to tell her what I want.The embedded present want is not backshifted to the past wanted.

Respuesta correcta: C) He asked whether they sold tickets there.

• A) He asked whether did they sell tickets there.The auxiliary did is kept and inverts the subject, which reported speech forbids.
• B) He asked whether they sell tickets here.The present sell and the place here are both left unchanged.
• C) He asked whether they sold tickets there.Correct. Whether replaces the question, sell backshifts to sold and here becomes there.
• D) He asked whether do they sell tickets here.The auxiliary do is kept and here is not changed to there.

Respuesta correcta: D) He told her to give him the keys.

• A) He told her give him the keys.The verb give needs to before it after told her.
• B) He said her to give him the keys.The verb said cannot take her as its object; use told her.
• C) He told her to give me the keys.The pronoun me is not changed to the third person him in reported speech.
• D) He told her to give him the keys.Correct. The imperative becomes to give and the first person me changes to him.