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Read the aspiring astronaut's diary and help spread the gossip. Select ALL the sentences that correctly report his dramatic declaration to his friends.
Original quote: "I would travel to Mars, but I am terrified of aliens."
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.