Adult ESL/ELL Advanced Quiz: Reported Speech
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Reported SpeechQuestion 1 of 10

During a seminar, Professor Okafor told his graduate students, "You have been making the same analytical errors for weeks, and if you don't correct them now, you won't pass the comprehensive exam."

One of the students later summarized the professor's words to a classmate who missed the seminar. Which of the following best represents the student's accurate use of reported speech?

Professor Okafor told us that we had been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we didn't correct them then, we wouldn't pass the comprehensive exam.
Professor Okafor told us that we have been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we don't correct them now, we won't pass the comprehensive exam.
Professor Okafor said us that we had been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we hadn't corrected them then, we wouldn't have passed the comprehensive exam.
Professor Okafor told us that we had been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we didn't correct them now, we wouldn't pass the comprehensive exam.
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Adult ESL/ELL Advanced Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Advanced Quiz: Reported Speech

Practice Reported Speech in Adult ESL/ELL Advanced with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Reported Speech, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Advanced.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

During a seminar, Professor Okafor told his graduate students, "You have been making the same analytical errors for weeks, and if you don't correct them now, you won't pass the comprehensive exam."

One of the students later summarized the professor's words to a classmate who missed the seminar. Which of the following best represents the student's accurate use of reported speech?

  1. Professor Okafor told us that we had been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we didn't correct them then, we wouldn't pass the comprehensive exam. (correct answer)
  2. Professor Okafor told us that we have been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we don't correct them now, we won't pass the comprehensive exam.
  3. Professor Okafor said us that we had been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we hadn't corrected them then, we wouldn't have passed the comprehensive exam.
  4. Professor Okafor told us that we had been making the same analytical errors for weeks and that if we didn't correct them now, we wouldn't pass the comprehensive exam.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to reported speech, you must apply backshift — shifting verb tenses one step into the past — and replace time/place words like "now" with their reported equivalents (e.g., "then"). This question tests whether you can apply both rules accurately and simultaneously. The professor's original words used present perfect continuous ("have been making"), present simple ("don't correct"), and future simple ("won't pass"), along with the time word "now." In reported speech, these shift to: past perfect continuous ("had been making"), past simple ("didn't correct"), and conditional ("wouldn't pass"). The word "now" becomes "then" because the reporting is happening at a later time, in a different context. Answer A applies all of these transformations correctly, making it the accurate summary. Answer B fails to backshift at all — it keeps "have been making," "don't correct," and "won't pass" in their original tenses, and even keeps "now." This would only be appropriate if the student were quoting word-for-word, not summarizing in reported speech. Answer C uses the correct verb form for the first clause but then incorrectly shifts the conditional clause into the past perfect conditional ("hadn't corrected... wouldn't have passed"), which changes the meaning entirely — implying a completed hypothetical rather than a future warning. Answer D looks almost right but keeps "now" instead of changing it to "then," which is a subtle but real error in reported speech conversion. A useful tip: always check two things in reported speech — verb tenses and time/place words. Exam questions are often designed so that one is right but the other isn't, as in D.

Question 2

A city council meeting was recorded last Tuesday. During the meeting, Councilwoman Rivera said, "We will finalize the budget proposal by next Friday, and every department must submit its reports before the deadline."

A journalist is writing an article the following Monday about what was said at the meeting. Which sentence most accurately reports Councilwoman Rivera's statement in standard reported speech?

  1. Councilwoman Rivera said that they would finalize the budget proposal by the following Friday and that every department had to submit its reports before the deadline. (correct answer)
  2. Councilwoman Rivera said that they will finalize the budget proposal by next Friday and every department must submit its reports before the deadline.
  3. Councilwoman Rivera said that they would finalize the budget proposal by the following Friday and every department will submit its reports before the deadline.
  4. Councilwoman Rivera told that they would finalize the budget proposal by the following Friday and every department had to submit its reports before the deadline.
Explanation: When a question asks you to convert direct speech into reported speech, you need to check three things: verb tense backshifting, modal verb changes, and time expression adjustments — plus the correct reporting verb. In reported speech, when the reporting verb is past tense ("said"), the verbs inside the reported clause shift back one tense. "Will" becomes "would," and "must" becomes "had to." Additionally, time expressions tied to the original moment of speaking must update to reflect the new perspective. "Next Friday" — which made sense when Rivera spoke on Tuesday — becomes "the following Friday" when reported on Monday by a journalist with a different time reference point. Answer A handles all of this correctly: "would finalize" (will → would), "had to submit" (must → had to), and "the following Friday" (next Friday → the following Friday). It also uses "that" to introduce both clauses properly. Answer B fails on multiple levels — it keeps "will" and "must" unchanged, as if copying the direct quote, and it keeps "next Friday" rather than adjusting the time reference. This is the most common trap students fall into. Answer C correctly shifts "will" to "would" and updates the time expression, but it leaves "will submit" in the second clause instead of backshifting it to "would submit," making the verb tenses inconsistent. Answer D uses the phrase "told that," which is grammatically incorrect. "Tell" requires an object before "that" — you say "told us that" or "told reporters that," never "told that." A quick tip: whenever you see reported speech questions, check all three — verbs, modals, and time words — before choosing your answer.

Question 3

A newspaper article published on March 15 quotes a scientist: "Our data currently shows that the glacier has retreated three kilometers since last year, and we are expanding our monitoring efforts here."

A student writing a report one month later wants to summarize the scientist's words.

Which sentence most accurately reports the scientist's statement in the student's report, with all necessary adjustments made?

  1. The scientist reported that their data at that time showed that the glacier had retreated three kilometers since last year and that they were expanding their monitoring efforts there.
  2. The scientist reported that their data currently shows that the glacier has retreated three kilometers since last year and that they are expanding their monitoring efforts here.
  3. The scientist reported that their data at that time had shown that the glacier retreated three kilometers since the previous year and that they had been expanding their monitoring efforts there.
  4. The scientist reported that their data at that time showed that the glacier had retreated three kilometers since the previous year and that they were expanding their monitoring efforts there. (correct answer)
Explanation: When converting direct speech to reported speech, you need to make three types of adjustments: verb backshifting (tenses move one step into the past), pronoun changes, and deictic shifts — meaning words that depend on location and time ("here," "now," "currently," "this") must be updated to reflect the new reporting context. Answer D handles all three categories correctly. "Currently shows" backshifts to "showed," paired with the phrase "at that time" to clarify when the showing was happening. "Has retreated" backshifts to "had retreated," the correct past perfect form. "Since last year" becomes "since the previous year," updating the time reference relative to the new reporting moment. Finally, "here" becomes "there," since the student is no longer at the original location. Every adjustment is accurate, making D the best choice. Answer A is very close but fails on one point: "since last year" remains unchanged. Because the report is written a month later, "last year" now refers to a different year entirely, so it must become "since the previous year" to preserve the original meaning. Answer B makes no adjustments at all — it keeps "currently shows," "has retreated," "last year," and "here," all of which are inappropriate in a report written at a later time and place. This is essentially copying the quote without converting it. Answer C over-backshifts the verbs. "Had shown" and "retreated" are grammatically excessive — there's no reason to push the verbs further back than one step. Over-backshifting distorts the timeline and creates unnatural reported speech. Your study tip: memorize the three-part checklist — tense, pronoun, deictic — and apply it systematically every time you encounter a reported speech question.

Question 4

Read the following exchange between two colleagues:

Maria (on Monday): "I am not going to the conference this year because I haven't finished my research."

On Wednesday, Carlos tells their manager about Maria's decision.

Which sentence best represents Carlos accurately reporting Maria's statement to their manager on Wednesday?

  1. Maria said that she was not going to the conference that year because she hadn't finished her research. (correct answer)
  2. Maria said that she is not going to the conference this year because she hasn't finished her research.
  3. Maria said that she was not going to the conference this year because she hadn't finished her research.
  4. Maria told that she was not going to the conference that year because she didn't finish her research.
Explanation: When reporting someone else's words after time has passed, English uses reported speech, which requires shifting verb tenses back one step (called "backshifting") and changing time expressions to match the new context. This question tests both of those skills together. Maria spoke on Monday using present tense ("I am not going") and present perfect ("I haven't finished"). When Carlos reports this two days later, those verbs must shift back: "am not going" becomes "was not going," and "haven't finished" becomes "hadn't finished." Additionally, because Maria's original words are no longer being spoken in the same moment, the time expression "this year" shifts to "that year" — it now refers to a year from a different time and place. Answer A applies all of these changes correctly, making it the right choice. Answer B fails to backshift the verbs at all — "is not going" and "hasn't finished" remain in their original tenses, which treats Maria's words as if Carlos is quoting them in the same moment she said them, not two days later. Answer C looks close, but it keeps "this year" instead of changing it to "that year." This is a subtle but real error — "this year" belongs to the speaker's current moment, so Carlos using it would suggest he's speaking at the same time Maria did. Answer D uses the correct "that year" but introduces two problems: "told" requires an object ("told her manager"), and "didn't finish" is simple past rather than the correct past perfect "hadn't finished." A useful tip: in reported speech, always check both verbs and time words — questions on this exam frequently make one correct while hiding an error in the other.

Question 5

An ESL student wants to report the following imperative sentence in writing: "Please review all the materials before our meeting," said the department head to the team. Which option correctly transforms this into reported speech?

  1. The department head asked the team that they review all the materials before their meeting.
  2. The department head said the team to review all the materials before their meeting.
  3. The department head told that the team should review all the materials before their meeting.
  4. The department head asked the team to review all the materials before their meeting. (correct answer)
Explanation: When converting imperative sentences (commands or requests) into reported speech, your main task is to identify the correct reporting verb and the grammatical structure that follows it. With imperatives, you're not reporting someone's words directly — you're reporting an action requested, which requires an infinitive construction. The original sentence uses "please," signaling a polite request. In reported speech, polite requests are typically introduced with "ask" + object + infinitive. Option D follows this pattern perfectly: "The department head asked the team to review all the materials before their meeting." The pronoun shifts appropriately ("our" → "their"), and the infinitive "to review" correctly replaces the base imperative. Now let's look at why the other options fail. Option A uses "asked... that they review," which is a subjunctive construction more appropriate for verbs like suggest or recommend — it's grammatically awkward with "asked" in this context and adds an unnecessary "that." Option B uses "said... to review," which is incorrect because "say" cannot take a person as an indirect object followed by an infinitive — you cannot "say someone to do something" in English. This is one of the most common errors ESL learners make. Option C uses "told that the team should," but "tell" requires a direct object before "that" — you must say told the team that, not told that the team. The missing object makes this grammatically broken. A reliable tip: memorize the patterns for reporting verbs. "Tell" and "ask" both need an object (told him, asked her), but only "ask" pairs with the infinitive for requests. Keeping a chart of these verb patterns will save you on this exam.

Question 6

During a job interview last week, the hiring manager said to the applicant, "We have already selected a candidate, but we may still consider you for a future position if one becomes available."

The applicant tells a friend about the interview. Which sentence most accurately summarizes what the hiring manager said using reported speech?

  1. The hiring manager said that they had already selected a candidate but that they might still consider me for a future position if one would become available.
  2. The hiring manager said that they have already selected a candidate but that they may still consider me for a future position if one becomes available.
  3. The hiring manager said that they had already selected a candidate but that they might still consider me for a future position if one became available. (correct answer)
  4. The hiring manager told me that they had already selected a candidate but might still consider me for a future position if one becomes available.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to reported speech, English requires a grammatical shift called backshifting — past tense in the reporting clause ("said") pulls the verbs in the reported clause one step further into the past. This is the core skill being tested here. The original statement uses "have already selected" (present perfect), "may still consider" (present modal), and "becomes" (simple present). In reported speech, these shift to "had already selected" (past perfect), "might still consider" (past modal), and "became" (simple past). Answer C applies all three shifts correctly and is the best choice. Answer A gets most of the backshifting right but uses "would become available" instead of "became available." Conditional time clauses (introduced by "if") backshift to simple past, not to "would" — using "would" in an "if" clause is a classic grammar error you should avoid. Answer B keeps the verbs in their original tenses — "have already selected," "may still consider," and "becomes" — without any backshifting. This is the error of treating reported speech like a direct quote, which incorrectly preserves the speaker's original time frame from the listener's perspective. Answer D shifts "have selected" and "may consider" correctly but then fails to backshift "becomes," leaving it in the present tense. It's a partially correct answer that breaks down at the conditional clause — a common trap that tests whether you apply backshifting consistently throughout the entire sentence. Your study tip: in reported speech, check every verb in the sentence — not just the first one. Apply backshifting uniformly, and remember that "if" clauses shift to simple past, never to "would."

Question 7

A student learning reported speech writes the following sentence: "My supervisor mentioned that the new policy might affected the overtime schedule." Which single revision most accurately corrects this reported speech sentence while preserving its original meaning?

  1. My supervisor mentioned that the new policy might affect the overtime schedule. (correct answer)
  2. My supervisor mentioned that the new policy might have affected the overtime schedule.
  3. My supervisor mentioned that the new policy could affect the overtime schedule.
  4. My supervisor mentioned that the new policy would affect the overtime schedule.
Explanation: When working with reported speech, your job is to focus on two things: the grammar structure of modal verbs and whether the meaning of the original statement is preserved. The original sentence contains a critical error — "might affected" — where a modal verb ("might") is incorrectly followed by a past tense verb ("affected") instead of the base form. Modal verbs like might, could, would, and should must always be followed by the base form of the verb (the infinitive without "to"). So "might affected" is grammatically impossible in English. The fix is simple: change "affected" to "affect," giving you "might affect." This makes A the correct answer — it repairs the grammar error cleanly while keeping the original meaning intact. The supervisor expressed uncertainty about a possible future effect, and "might affect" captures exactly that. B is a meaning-changer, not just a grammar fix. "Might have affected" shifts the sentence into a perfect modal construction, implying the policy already affected the schedule in the past — that's a different idea entirely. C swaps "might" for "could," which subtly shifts the nuance from possibility to ability or general potential — it's not technically wrong in casual speech, but it alters the original modal meaning and doesn't correct what was actually broken. D uses "would," which implies near-certainty rather than possibility, again changing the supervisor's original meaning. A useful rule to memorize: modal + base verb is always the correct pattern. If you see a modal followed by anything other than a base verb, that's your red flag.

Question 8

A student is asked to identify the error in the following reported speech sentence and explain why it is wrong: "He asked me would I be able to attend the workshop the next day." Which analysis is correct?

  1. The error is the time reference: 'the next day' should remain 'tomorrow' because the original question was asked about a future event that may still be in the future at the time of reporting.
  2. The error is tense backshifting: 'would be able' should be 'will be able' because the action had not yet occurred at the time of reporting. The sentence should use the present modal instead.
  3. The error is word order: reported yes/no questions require subject-verb order, not inverted order. The sentence should read: 'He asked me if I would be able to attend the workshop the next day.' (correct answer)
  4. The error is the reporting verb: 'asked' should be replaced with 'questioned,' and the subordinating conjunction 'whether' must be added. The sentence should read: 'He questioned me whether would I be able to attend the workshop the next day.'
Explanation: When converting direct speech questions into reported speech, two key rules always apply: (1) the conjunction "if" or "whether" must introduce yes/no questions, and (2) the word order shifts from inverted (verb-subject) to normal declarative order (subject-verb). The original sentence "He asked me would I be able to attend..." violates both rules by keeping the inverted question word order and omitting the conjunction — making C the correct identification of the error. The corrected sentence, "He asked me if I would be able to attend the workshop the next day," restores natural declarative order ("I would be able") and adds the subordinating conjunction "if." Notice that "would be able" is already the correctly backshifted form of "will be able," and "the next day" is the correctly shifted time expression from "tomorrow" — so those elements are actually fine. Choice A is a trap: time expressions do shift in reported speech ("tomorrow" → "the next day") regardless of whether the event is still in the future. The time reference isn't the error here. Choice B misidentifies the problem as backshifting — "would be able" is already correct; changing it back to "will be able" would actually introduce an error by removing the required backshift. Choice D goes wrong twice: "asked" is a perfectly acceptable reporting verb for questions, and the "corrected" sentence it proposes still keeps the inverted word order ("whether would I"), which is precisely the original mistake. A useful rule of thumb: in reported questions, always ask yourself, "Does this look like a statement or a question?" It should always look like a statement — subject first, then verb, no inversion.

Question 9

Two reported speech versions of the same original statement are given below. A student must determine which one changes the meaning of the original and which one correctly preserves it.

Original: "I didn't take the file from your desk," Marco said.

Version 1: Marco said that he hadn't taken the file from my desk. Version 2: Marco said that he didn't take the file from my desk.

Which statement about these two versions is most accurate?

  1. Version 1 changes the meaning by implying the action was completed before a specific past reference point, while Version 2 preserves the original meaning but is grammatically incorrect because the simple past must always be backshifted in reported speech.
  2. Both versions are grammatically acceptable reported speech, but Version 1 is more precise because the past perfect 'hadn't taken' more accurately backshifts the simple past 'didn't take,' emphasizing that the action preceded the reporting event's past time frame. (correct answer)
  3. Version 2 is correct and Version 1 is wrong because backshifting a simple past to past perfect always distorts the logical meaning of the original statement and should be avoided in reported speech.
  4. Both versions are equally correct and fully interchangeable, because in reported speech the simple past and past perfect carry identical meaning and aspectual value when reporting past denials or negations.
Explanation: When you encounter reported speech questions, your focus should be on two things: grammatical acceptability and precision of meaning. These are not the same thing — a sentence can be grammatically acceptable without being the most accurate representation of the original. In the original, Marco uses simple past ("didn't take") to deny an action. When converting to reported speech, English grammar allows you to backshift the simple past into the past perfect ("hadn't taken"). This backshift signals that Marco's action — or rather, his denial — occurred before the moment of reporting, anchoring it more precisely in the past timeline. Version 1 applies this backshift correctly, making it the more precise and formally preferred choice. Version 2 retains the simple past, which is also widely accepted in everyday English, especially when the context makes the timing clear. So both versions are grammatically acceptable — but Version 1 is more precise. That makes B correct. Answer A is wrong because it claims Version 2 is grammatically incorrect. This is a false rule — simple past can remain unshifted in reported speech, particularly in informal or contemporary usage. Answer C commits the opposite error, claiming that backshifting to past perfect always distorts meaning. In fact, backshifting preserves and even clarifies the temporal relationship — it doesn't change the core denial. Answer D is the trickiest distractor: while both versions are acceptable, they are not identical in aspectual value. The past perfect adds a layer of temporal precision that the simple past lacks. Your study tip: never confuse "grammatically possible" with "most precise." On reported speech questions, past perfect backshifting is usually the preferred form, not a meaning-changer.

Question 10

A manager sent this message to her team on Friday afternoon: "Everyone must complete the compliance training by this Monday, or there will be consequences for the whole department."

The following Wednesday, a team member who was absent Friday summarizes the message to a new hire.

Which reported speech sentence most accurately conveys the manager's original message, with all contextual adjustments made?

  1. The manager said that everyone must complete the compliance training by this Monday or there will be consequences for the whole department.
  2. The manager said that everyone had to complete the compliance training by that Monday or there would be consequences for the whole department. (correct answer)
  3. The manager said that everyone had to complete the compliance training by that Monday or there would have been consequences for the whole department.
  4. The manager said that everyone would have to complete the compliance training by that Monday or there would be consequences for the whole department.
Explanation: When converting direct speech to reported speech, you need to make two types of adjustments: tense backshifting (moving verbs one step into the past) and time/place expression changes (replacing words like "this" and "now" with context-appropriate alternatives). This question tests both. The original message was spoken on Friday. The report happens the following Wednesday — after the Monday deadline has passed. So the reporting verb ("said") anchors us in the past, which means all verbs must backshift, and "this Monday" must become "that Monday" since it refers to a Monday now in the past. Answer B handles both adjustments correctly. "Must" backshifts to "had to," "will be" backshifts to "would be," and "this Monday" becomes "that Monday." Every adjustment is logically and grammatically sound — making B the most accurate reported version. Answer A fails on both counts. It keeps "must," "will be," and "this Monday" unchanged, as if simply quoting the message word-for-word rather than converting it to reported speech. Answer C incorrectly uses "would have been" for the consequence clause. "Would have been" signals a hypothetical past condition (like in a third conditional), but the manager's warning described a straightforward future consequence — not something already determined to have happened or not happened. Answer D changes "must" to "would have to," which is grammatically awkward and unnecessarily complex. "Would have to" implies a conditional arrangement, subtly distorting the manager's direct obligation. A useful rule of thumb: in reported speech, "must" → "had to" and "will" → "would." Keep those backshifts clean and consistent, and always swap time expressions like "this" for "that" when the moment has passed.