The shopkeeper told me that if I didn't keep the receipt, he wouldn't give me a refund.
In the indirect speech with the first type conditional sentence, the "If" clause is changed into past simple tense.
The shopkeeper told me that if I didn't keep the receipt, he wouldn't give me a refund.
In the indirect speech with the first type conditional sentence, "will" in the future simple is changed into "would".
Indirect speech
Direct vs indirect speech: direct speech quotes exact words (She said, "I am tired."). Indirect speech reports the meaning (She said she was tired.). The key difference is backshift — tenses move one step into the past when the reporting verb is past tense.
Indirect speech = reported words without quotation marks. Core mechanism: backshift (present→past, past→past perfect, will→would) + pronoun/time shifts.
Diagnostic: is the reporting verb past (said, told)? → backshift required. Is it present (says, tells)? → no shift needed. Exception: universal truths don't shift (He said the Earth is round).
Verb tense
Tense vs aspect: tense locates the action in TIME (past/present/future). Aspect describes its SHAPE — is it completed (perfect), ongoing (progressive), or just a fact (simple)? English combines these independently: was working = past (tense) + progressive (aspect). Confusing tense with aspect is why the 12-form grid feels overwhelming.
Verb tense = 3 time references × 3 aspects = 12 forms. Tense says when; aspect says how the action unfolds relative to that time.
Diagnostic: wrong time? → tense error. Right time but wrong "shape" (e.g., I work here for ten years instead of I've worked)? → aspect error.
B2 | Upper Intermediate
B2 vs C1: B2 means effective communication on complex topics with some effort. C1 means effortless fluency with precise register control. If you can argue a point but still reach for words and make structural slips under pressure, you're B2.
B2 is the upper-intermediate CEFR level: mixed conditionals, complex passives, reported speech with backshift, participle clauses, and sustained written argument.
Diagnostic: does your writing read as "competent non-native" or "could be native"? The former → B2. The latter → C1.
Hard
Hard vs Medium: Medium tests one rule with realistic distractors. Hard tests interacting rules, edge cases, or context-dependent answers where multiple options seem correct until you think deeply. If you're scoring 80%+ on Medium, try Hard to find your real gaps.
The Hard tag filters for B2+ challenges with layered difficulty: rule interactions, subtle distractors, and contexts that demand genuine grammatical reasoning.
Diagnostic: if Hard questions feel impossible, drop to Medium and master the individual rules first. Hard assumes you already know each rule — it tests whether you can apply them together.