Exercises:

Exercise 1 (Easy): Choose the correct reported verb

Choose the correct backshifted verb for the reported speech.

Exercises:

REPORTED SPEECH: STATEMENTS

Tense backshift, said vs told, pronoun and time expression changes

Basic Structure

said/told(that)reported clause

She said she was tired.

He told me he would be late.

SAY: no object

subjectsaid(that) + clause

She said she was tired. ✓

She said me that… ✗

TELL: needs object

subjecttoldobject(that) + clause

He told me he was late. ✓

He told that… ✗

!TENSE BACKSHIFT: ONE STEP BACK IN TIME

Direct speech	Reported speech
Present Simple: I work	Past Simple: she worked
Present Continuous: I am going	Past Continuous: she was going
Present Perfect: I have done	Past Perfect: she had done
Past Simple: I went	Past Perfect: she had gone
will	would
can	could
must	had to

!TIME EXPRESSION CHANGES

Direct	Reported
now	then
today	that day
tomorrow	the next day / the following day
yesterday	the day before
here	there
this	that

Key Reporting Verbs

saidtoldexplainedadmittedpromisedclaimedaddedmentioned

Common Mistakes

❌

She said me that she was tired.

✅

She told me that she was tired.

❌

He told that he would be late.

✅

He said that he would be late.

Key tip: The word that is optional in reported speech: “She said she was tired” and “She said that she was tired” are both correct. In spoken English, that is usually dropped.

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Reported Speech: Statements

Exercise 1 (Easy): Choose the correct reported verb

REPORTED SPEECH: STATEMENTS

Reported Speech: Statements

Exercise 1 (Easy): Choose the correct reported verb

REPORTED SPEECH: STATEMENTS