Reported Speech Quiz

Understanding Reported Speech in English

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is an essential grammatical concept for English learners. It involves reporting what someone else has said without using their exact words. Mastering this skill helps improve both written and verbal communication, making your English sound more natural and sophisticated.

Let’s explore the fundamentals of reported speech and test your knowledge with practical quizzes and examples.

Basic Rules of Reported Speech

When converting direct speech to reported speech, several key changes typically occur:

Tense Changes

One of the most important aspects of reported speech is the “backshift” of tenses:
– Present simple → Past simple
– Present continuous → Past continuous
– Present perfect → Past perfect
– Past simple → Past perfect
– Will → Would
– Can → Could
– Must → Had to

Pronoun Changes

Pronouns often change to maintain the correct perspective:
– First person (I, we) typically changes to match the subject or object
– Second person (you) changes depending on who is being addressed
– Third person (he, she, they) usually remains the same

Time and Place References

Time and place expressions often change:
– Today → That day
– Tomorrow → The next day/the following day
– Yesterday → The day before/the previous day
– Here → There
– This → That
– These → Those

Reported Speech Quiz Examples

Let’s examine some common examples that frequently appear in reported speech quizzes.

Tom Said

Direct speech: Tom said, “I want to visit my friends this weekend.”
Reported speech: Tom said (that) he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.

What changed?
– Pronoun: “I” → “he”
– Tense: “want” → “wanted”
– Time reference: “this weekend” → “that weekend”

Jerry Said

Direct speech: Jerry said, “I’m studying English a lot at the moment.”
Reported speech: Jerry said (that) he was studying English a lot at that moment.

What changed?
– Pronoun: “I” → “he”
– Tense: “am studying” → “was studying”
– Time reference: “at the moment” → “at that moment”

They Said

Direct speech: They said, “We’ve lived here for a long time.”
Reported speech: They said (that) they had lived there for a long time.

What changed?
– Pronoun: “we” → “they”
– Tense: “have lived” → “had lived”
– Place reference: “here” → “there”

Common Challenges in Reported Speech

Many English learners struggle with specific aspects of reported speech. Here are some tricky areas to watch for:

Questions in Reported Speech

When reporting questions, the word order changes to that of a statement, and we often use “if” or “whether” for yes/no questions:

Direct: He asked, “Do you speak French?”
Reported: He asked if I spoke French.

Direct: She asked, “Where do you live?”
Reported: She asked where I lived.

Commands and Requests

For commands and requests, we typically use an infinitive structure:

Direct: The teacher said, “Open your books.”
Reported: The teacher told us to open our books.

Direct: She said, “Please help me.”
Reported: She asked me to help her.

Comprehensive Reported Speech Quiz

Test your understanding with this comprehensive quiz. Try to convert these direct speech sentences into reported speech before checking the answers.

Direct Speech	Reported Speech
He said, “I am feeling sick today.”	He said (that) he was feeling sick that day.
She said, “I will call you tomorrow.”	She said (that) she would call me the next day.
They asked, “Have you finished the project?”	They asked if I had finished the project.
The doctor said, “Take this medicine twice daily.”	The doctor told me to take that medicine twice daily.
John said, “I can swim across this river.”	John said (that) he could swim across that river.
The children said, “We are playing in the garden.”	The children said (that) they were playing in the garden.
She asked, “Where did you put my keys?”	She asked where I had put her keys.
He said, “I have never been to Paris.”	He said (that) he had never been to Paris.

Special Cases in Reported Speech

While the basic rules cover most situations, there are several special cases worth noting:

No Backshift Required

The tense doesn’t always change, particularly when:
– Reporting something immediately after it was said
– Reporting a general truth or fact that is still true
– Using present or future reporting verbs (says, will say)

Example: He says, “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
Reported: He says (that) the Earth revolves around the Sun. (No change needed)

Modal Verbs in Reported Speech

Modal verbs follow specific patterns:
– Can → Could
– May → Might
– Will → Would
– Shall → Should
– Must → Had to / Must (for obligations that still exist)

Practice Reported Speech Quiz

Try this multiple-choice quiz to test your knowledge of reported speech transformations.

Quiz Questions

1. Direct: “I am working on a new project.”
What is the correct reported form?
a) He said he is working on a new project.
b) He said he was working on a new project.
c) He said he had been working on a new project.

2. Direct: “We have completed the task.”
What is the correct reported form?
a) They said they have completed the task.
b) They said they had completed the task.
c) They said they completed the task.

3. Direct: “Can you help me?”
What is the correct reported form?
a) She asked if I can help her.
b) She asked if I could help her.
c) She asked if I helped her.

4. Direct: “I will meet you tomorrow.”
What is the correct reported form?
a) He said he will meet me tomorrow.
b) He said he would meet me tomorrow.
c) He said he would meet me the next day.

Quiz Answers

1. b) He said he was working on a new project.
2. b) They said they had completed the task.
3. b) She asked if I could help her.
4. c) He said he would meet me the next day.

Common Mistakes in Reported Speech

Even advanced English learners make mistakes with reported speech. Here are some common errors to avoid:

Forgetting to Change Time References

Incorrect: She said she will come tomorrow.
Correct: She said she would come the next day.

Incorrect Question Word Order

Incorrect: He asked where did I go.
Correct: He asked where I went.

Mixing Tenses Incorrectly

Incorrect: She said she has finished her homework.
Correct: She said she had finished her homework.

Practical Applications of Reported Speech

Understanding reported speech is valuable in many real-life situations:

Academic Writing

When citing sources or referring to what others have said in research papers, essays, or reports.

Journalism and News Reporting

Journalists frequently use reported speech to convey what public figures have said without quoting them directly.

Workplace Communication

Reporting what was discussed in meetings or conveying messages from colleagues.

Final Thoughts on Mastering Reported Speech

Reported speech may seem challenging at first, but with regular practice, it becomes second nature. The key is to understand the core principles of tense shifts, pronoun changes, and time/place reference adjustments.

Regular practice with quizzes and exercises helps reinforce these patterns until they become automatic. Focus particularly on areas where you make consistent mistakes, and gradually you’ll develop confidence in using reported speech correctly in both written and spoken English.

Remember that while there are rules, English is also flexible—native speakers sometimes bend these rules in casual conversation. However, mastering the standard forms first provides a solid foundation for more advanced language use.