Reported Speech: Tense Choice and Backshifting
When we report what someone else said, the verb tense usually shifts one step back into the past. For example, the direct quote "I am hungry" becomes "He said he was hungry." However, this rule changes depending on the context. If the reporting verb is in the present tense ("He says he is hungry") or if the statement is a general scientific truth ("She said the earth revolves around the sun"), the original tense often remains exactly the same.
This challenge tests your ability to navigate these tricky reporting rules. You will practice applying standard tense and modal backshifts after past reporting verbs, recognizing exceptions for present-tense reporting verbs and general truths, and fixing tricky word order in indirect questions (e.g., knowing to write He asked where the restroom was, not where was the restroom).
You will work through 12 questions featuring dramatic roommates, office gossip, and confused time travelers in a varied mix of single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Help the frustrated roommate complete their dramatic text message.
When I confronted him about the missing chocolate cake, he insisted that he ___ it. However, the frosting on his nose told a different story!
The correct answer is hadn't eaten.
The reporting verb "insisted" is in the past tense. The original statement ("I didn't eat it") was in the past simple. In formal reported speech, a past simple action that happened before the reporting verb is backshifted to the past perfect ("hadn't eaten").
The correct answers are I saw myself, I had ever been, and I was eating.
When we report questions (indirect questions), two major changes happen:
- Word Order: We stop using question word order (verb-subject) and switch to normal affirmative statement word order (subject-verb). We also drop auxiliary verbs like do/did.
- Backshifting: Because the reporting verbs (asked, wanted to know, yelled) are in the past tense, the verbs inside the questions shift back one tense (present simple $\rightarrow$ past simple, present perfect $\rightarrow$ past perfect, present continuous $\rightarrow$ past continuous).
Help the gossip columnist finish her latest scoop by dragging the correct verbs into the blanks. Pay close attention to the reporting verbs!
The pop star's agent says that she is moving to Paris next week and confirms that she has already packed her bags.
The pop star's agent says that she is moving to Paris next week and confirms that she has already packed her bags.
This is a tricky exception! When the reporting verbs are in the present tense ("says", "confirms"), we do not backshift the tenses of the original quote. The original quotes ("I am moving" and "I have already packed") keep their original tenses because the reporting is happening in the present and the information is still currently true.
The correct answers are would, had to have, and the following day.
When reporting speech in the past (using verbs like insisted or declared), we usually "backshift" the tenses and modals:
- will backshifts to would.
- must (for obligation) backshifts to had to. (Note: must have had is used for past deductions, not past obligations!)
- Time expressions also shift to reflect the new perspective. Tomorrow becomes the following day or the next day.
Complete the office gossip's email by choosing the correct verb phrase.
Did you hear? The boss has just announced that she ___ the company next month to start a llama farm!
The correct answer is is leaving.
When the reporting verb is in a present tense or present perfect tense (like "has announced"), we do not backshift the verbs in the reported speech. Because her departure is a future arrangement, the present continuous "is leaving" remains unchanged!
Complete the HR report about a dramatic office meeting by dragging the correct verbs into the blanks.
The angry manager shouted that he had been working there for ten years and declared that he would not resign under any circumstances.
The angry manager shouted that he had been working there for ten years and declared that he would not resign under any circumstances.
When the reporting verb is in the past tense ("shouted", "declared"), we typically backshift the tenses in the reported clause.
"I have been working" (Present Perfect Continuous) becomes "had been working" (Past Perfect Continuous).
"I will not resign" (Future with will) becomes "would not resign" (Conditional with would).
The correct answers are The suspect claimed that he had eaten the entire pepperoni pizza by himself and The suspect claimed that he ate the entire pepperoni pizza by himself.
When reporting an event that was spoken in the past simple ("ate"), you can backshift it to the past perfect ("had eaten") to clearly show that the action happened before the reporting verb ("claimed").
However, it is also perfectly correct to keep the verb in the past simple ("ate") in reported speech, as long as the chronological sequence of events is clear from the context.
"Has eaten" (present perfect) and "eats" (present simple) do not follow the sequence of tenses for a past reporting verb.
Select the grammatically correct phrase to complete the tour guide's anecdote.
A tourist came up to me yesterday looking completely lost and asked me ___.
The correct answer is where the nearest restroom was.
In reported questions, we use statement word order (Subject + Verb), so "was the nearest restroom" becomes "the nearest restroom was". Additionally, because the reporting verb ("asked") is in the past tense, we backshift the verb "is" to "was".
The correct answers are He said he would travel to Mars, but he was terrified of aliens and He said he would travel to Mars, but he is terrified of aliens.
This question tests two advanced reporting rules at once!
First, the modal verb "would" does not change (backshift) in reported speech.
Second, the present tense "am" can either be backshifted to the past tense ("was") to match the reporting verb, OR it can remain in the present tense ("is") because his fear of aliens is a state that is still true at the time of reporting.
The correct answers are had been sleeping, was, and will provide.
The tense of the reporting verb dictates whether we backshift:
- claimed is in the past, so the past continuous action (was sleeping) backshifts to the past perfect continuous (had been sleeping).
- insists is in the present, so we do not backshift. The fact that he was out of the country remains in the simple past (was).
- promises is also in the present, so the future intention remains in the future tense (will provide).
The correct answers are Professor Higgins said that octopuses have three hearts and Professor Higgins said that octopuses had three hearts.
When reporting a general truth or a scientific fact, "backshifting" (changing the present tense to the past tense) is optional.
You can keep the present tense ("have") because the fact is still true today. However, standard sequence-of-tenses rules also allow you to backshift to the past tense ("had") to match the past reporting verb ("said").
"Had had" is incorrect because past perfect implies they no longer have three hearts. "Says... had" is incorrect because a present-tense reporting verb ("says") cannot be followed by a backshifted past tense if the original statement was in the present.
Complete the journalist's article about a very confused time traveler by dragging the correct phrases into the text.
The eccentric scientist explained that he had been trying to visit the dinosaurs when his engine failed, and muttered that he had to fix the machine before Tuesday.
The eccentric scientist explained that he had been trying to visit the dinosaurs when his engine failed, and muttered that he had to fix the machine before Tuesday.
"I was trying" (Past Continuous) backshifts to "had been trying" (Past Perfect Continuous) when reported in the past ("explained").
When "must" is used to express obligation ("I must fix it"), it changes to "had to" in reported speech. "Must have fixed" is incorrect because it expresses a past deduction (e.g., "someone must have fixed it"), not an obligation.
Adverb
- ✅ She sings beautifully — ❌ She sings beautiful
- ✅ He drives carefully — ❌ He drives careful
- ✅ They arrived late — ✅ a late train (same form, both roles)
- ✅ She works hard — ❌ She works hardly (different meaning!)
The -ly words are adverbs — they modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, telling you how, when, where, or to what degree.
Pattern: most adjectives become adverbs by adding -ly, but watch the exceptions — fast, hard, late, well — that keep the same shape or change meaning entirely.
Clause
- I missed the bus. — ✅ independent clause (stands alone)
- Because I overslept. — ❌ fragment (dependent clause, can't stand alone)
- Because I overslept, I missed the bus. — ✅ dependent + independent = complete sentence
- I missed the bus, and I was late. — ✅ two independent clauses joined by and
A clause is a unit built around a verb with a subject. Independent = can stand alone. Dependent = needs an independent clause to complete it.
Test: does the group of words have a subject + verb AND can it be a sentence on its own? Yes → independent clause. Has a subject + verb but feels incomplete → dependent clause.
Complex sentence
- ✅ Because I overslept, I missed the bus. — dependent clause (reason) + independent
- ✅ The man who called is my uncle. — relative clause inside the sentence
- ✅ If it rains, we'll stay inside. — conditional dependent + independent
- ❌ Because I overslept. — fragment (dependent clause alone)
A complex sentence pairs an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses linked by subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if, when) or relative pronouns (who, which, that).
Pattern: independent clause = the main point. Dependent clause = the background, reason, or condition. Move the dependent clause around for emphasis.
Future tense
- ✅ I*'ll** help you.* — spontaneous decision (will)
- ✅ I*'m going to** study medicine.* — planned intention
- ✅ I*'m meeting** Sam at six.* — fixed arrangement (present continuous)
- ✅ The train leaves at 8. — scheduled event (present simple)
English has no single future tense — it uses will, be going to, present continuous, and present simple for different shades of future meaning. The choice signals whether you're predicting, planning, arranging, or stating a schedule.
Pattern: spontaneous → will. Planned → going to. Arranged → present continuous. Timetabled → present simple.
Indirect speech
- Direct: "I am tired." → Indirect: She said she was tired. (present → past)
- Direct: "I will come." → Indirect: He said he would come. (will → would)
- Direct: "I have finished." → Indirect: She said she had finished. (present perfect → past perfect)
- today → that day; here → there; tomorrow → the next day
Indirect speech reports someone's words without quotation marks. The mechanism: backshift tenses one step into the past, shift pronouns, and adjust time/place expressions.
Rule: if the reporting verb is past (said, told, asked), shift the reported tense back one step. If the reporting verb is present (says), no shift needed.
Modal verb
- ✅ She can swim. — ❌ She can to swim. (modal + bare infinitive, no to)
- ✅ You must leave now. — strong obligation
- ✅ It might rain. — possibility (~50%)
- ✅ He should apologise. — advice/recommendation
Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) are auxiliaries expressing ability, permission, possibility, obligation, or speculation. Always + bare infinitive. Never inflected (she can, not she cans).
Rule: modals never take to after them, never add -s for third person, and can't combine directly (must can ❌ — use must be able to).
Negation
- ✅ I don't see anything. — ❌ I don't see nothing. (double negative in standard English)
- ✅ She never goes out. — never already negates (no doesn't needed)
- ✅ He doesn't like coffee. — do-support for negation
- ✅ Nobody came. — negative subject (no auxiliary needed)
Negation uses not after an auxiliary/modal, or do-support when there's no auxiliary. One negative per clause in standard English — never, nobody, nothing already negate without adding not.
Rule: one negative element per clause. I don't see anything or I see nothing — never both together in standard English.
Past tense
- I walked home. — simple past (completed action)
- I was walking when it rained. — past progressive (in progress)
- I had already left when she arrived. — past perfect (earlier past)
- I had been waiting for an hour. — past perfect progressive (duration up to a past point)
Four past tense forms: simple past (done), past progressive (was happening), past perfect (had already happened), past perfect progressive (had been happening). Each encodes different timing relative to other past events.
Pattern: simple past = the story's main timeline. Past progressive = background action. Past perfect = flashback to something even earlier.
Present tense
- I work here. — simple present (habit/permanent)
- I am working now. — present progressive (happening right now)
- I have lived here for 10 years. — present perfect (started past, still true)
- I have been waiting for an hour. — present perfect progressive (duration up to now)
Four present tense forms: simple (habits/facts), progressive (now/temporary), perfect (past → present relevance), perfect progressive (ongoing duration). Each encodes a different relationship between the action and the present moment.
Trap: "I am living here for 10 years" ❌ — started in the past + still true = present PERFECT (have lived/have been living), not progressive.
Questions
- ✅ Do you like coffee? — do-support (no existing auxiliary)
- ✅ Can she swim? — inversion (auxiliary before subject)
- ✅ Where does he live? — wh-question
- ✅ You're coming, aren't you? — tag question
Questions require inversion (auxiliary before subject) or do-support (add do/does/did). Types: yes/no (Do you…?), wh- (What/Where/When…?), negative (Don't you…?), tag (…isn't it?).
Rule: find the auxiliary. Move it before the subject. No auxiliary? Add do/does/did. Never use just intonation in written English (You like coffee? is not standard).
Sentence
- She left. — simple (one independent clause)
- She left, and he stayed. — compound (two independents)
- She left because she was tired. — complex (independent + dependent)
- She left because she was tired, and he stayed. — compound-complex
A sentence = one or more clauses forming a complete thought, ending with terminal punctuation. Four types based on clause structure: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex.
Minimum requirement: at least one independent clause with a subject + finite verb. Without that → fragment.
Verb
- walk → walk / walks / walked / walked / walking (5 forms, regular)
- go → go / goes / went / gone / going (5 forms, irregular)
- be → am/is/are/was/were/be/being/been (8 forms)
- can → can / could (modal: only 2 forms, no -s, no -ing)
A verb is the one word class every English sentence requires. Carries tense (when), aspect (duration), mood (attitude), and voice (active/passive). Regular verbs add -ed; ~200 irregular verbs have unpredictable past forms.
Key insight: fix your verbs and most grammar problems disappear. Wrong tense, wrong agreement, wrong form — verb errors account for the majority of grammatical mistakes.
Verb tense
| Simple | Progressive | Perfect | Perfect Progressive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past | worked | was working | had worked | had been working |
| Present | work(s) | am working | have worked | have been working |
| Future | will work | will be working | will have worked | will have been working |
Verb tense = time (past/present/future) × aspect (simple/progressive/perfect) = 12 forms. Each slot has a specific job — not just "when" but "how the action relates to its time frame."
Key insight: most learners don't need all 12 at once. Simple covers 80% of communication. Add perfect and progressive as needed.
Perfect tense
- ✅ I have lived here for ten years. — present perfect (started past, still true)
- ❌ I live here for ten years. — wrong (simple present can't bridge past→now)
- ✅ She had finished before I arrived. — past perfect (earlier past)
- ✅ They will have left by noon. — future perfect (completed before future point)
The perfect = have + past participle. Connects an action to a reference point in time. Present perfect bridges past→now. Past perfect marks "earlier past." Future perfect marks "done before a future deadline."
Rule: if the action started in the past and is still relevant now → present perfect (have done). If two past events and you need the earlier one → past perfect (had done).
Progressive tense
- ✅ I am working in London. — temporary, happening now
- ✅ I work in London. — permanent/habitual (simple)
- ❌ I am knowing the answer. — stative verb, can't be progressive
- ✅ She was reading when I arrived. — past progressive (in progress at that moment)
The progressive = be + -ing. Marks actions as ongoing, temporary, or in-progress at a reference time. NOT used with stative verbs (know, believe, own, want, like) unless meaning shifts.
Rule: is the action temporary/in-progress right now? → progressive. Is it a permanent fact, habit, or schedule? → simple. Is it a stative verb? → almost never progressive.
Word order
- ✅ She (S) eats (V) cake (O). — standard SVO
- ❌ Cake eats she. — SOV (not English)
- ✅ a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife — adjective order (opinion→size→age→shape→colour→origin→material→purpose)
- ✅ Never have I seen… — inversion after negative adverb
English word order = SVO (subject-verb-object) as default. Adjectives follow a fixed sequence (opinion→size→age→shape→colour→origin→material). Adverb placement varies by type. Deviations signal questions, emphasis, or literary style.
Rule: when in doubt, default to SVO. English position = meaning. Move a word and you change the grammar or the emphasis.
B2 | Upper Intermediate
- ✅ If I had studied harder, I would have passed. — third conditional
- ✅ The report is being reviewed by the committee. — passive progressive
- ✅ Having finished the exam, she left. — participle clause
- ✅ He denied having taken the money. — complex verb pattern
These are B2 patterns — the CEFR upper-intermediate level. At B2 you handle mixed conditionals, all passive forms, participle clauses, and can argue a point clearly. This is the level most universities and employers require.
Marker: if you can write a structured essay and debate an abstract topic, you're B2.
Hard
- Had she not intervened, the situation would have escalated. — inverted conditional
- All distractors are grammatically plausible in other contexts
- Multiple rules interact (e.g., tense + aspect + modality)
- Context determines the answer — no single "rule" is enough
Hard marks upper-intermediate to advanced challenges: B2+, interacting rules, edge cases, plausible distractors, and contexts where pattern-matching fails.
Use "Hard" when Easy/Medium feel trivial and you want to test whether you actually understand a rule versus just recognising surface patterns.