English exercises / B2 / Sentence structureBackshift the tense, move the pronouns, drop the quotation marks.
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Reported speech
When the reporting verb is in the past, the reported tense moves one step back: present becomes past, past becomes past perfect, will becomes would. Pronouns and time words shift with it: tomorrow becomes the next day. If what was said is still true, backshift is optional.
Read the full explanationReported speech: worked examples
Five from the set, with the answer filled in and the rule that decides it.
- 01
She said, "I am tired." → She said she was tired.
After a past reporting verb the present simple goes back one step.
- 02
Tom said, "I feel ill." → Tom said he felt ill.
The speaker's I becomes he or she when someone else reports it.
- 03
Anna said, "My parents are on holiday." → Anna said her parents were on holiday.
Possessives move with the pronouns: my becomes her here.
- 04
Nadia said, "I am working from home today." → Nadia said she was working from home that day.
Present continuous becomes past continuous; today becomes that day.
- 05
She said, "I don't have time now." → She said she didn't have time then.
now becomes then once the moment of speaking has passed.