English grammar quiz
Quiz: reported speech
She said she is tired or she was tired? Said me or told me? Check tense changes and reported questions: 12 questions with every answer explained.
- 12 questions
- Level B1–B2
- Every answer explained
- No sign-up
Quiz: Reported speech
Choose the right option — you’ll instantly see if you got it and why. Your score comes after the last question.
Question 1.
“I’m tired,” she said. → She said she (blank) tired.
Choose the right option
Said is past, so the tense moves one step back: Present Simple (am) → Past Simple (was).
Question 2.
“I’ll call you,” he said. → He said he (blank) me.
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After said, will becomes would.
Question 3.
“We have finished,” they said. → They said they (blank).
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The Present Perfect becomes the Past Perfect: have finished → had finished.
Question 4.
She (blank) me that she was busy.
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Told is followed directly by a person (told me). Said isn’t: it’s said that… or said to me.
Question 5.
“I can swim,” Tom said. → Tom said he (blank) swim.
Choose the right option
After said, can becomes could.
Question 6.
“Where do you live?” → She asked me where (blank).
Choose the right option
Reported questions use statement word order (subject + verb) and no do / did: where I lived.
Question 7.
“Are you ready?” → He asked (blank) we were ready.
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A yes/no question is reported with if or whether.
Question 8.
“Please close the door.” → She asked me (blank) the door.
Choose the right option
Reported requests: asked + person + to + verb.
Question 9.
“Don’t be late!” → The teacher told us (blank) late.
Choose the right option
Reported negative commands: told + person + not to + verb.
Question 10.
“I saw him yesterday.” → She said she had seen him (blank).
Choose the right option
Time words shift too: yesterday → the day before (the previous day).
Question 11.
“I have to leave early.” → He said he (blank) leave early.
Choose the right option
Have to works like a normal present verb, so after said it becomes had to.
Question 12.
She says she (blank) from Lviv.
Choose the right option
Says is present, so there is no backshift: she is from Lviv.
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Take the level testReported speech: the rule
After said / told, move the tense one step back and change words of time and place.
Tense changes
Present → past, past and present perfect → past perfect, will → would, can → could.
He said he was working.
“I’m working.”
She said she would help.
“I’ll help.”
Questions
Statement word order, no do / did and no question mark.
She asked where I lived.
“Where do you live?”
He asked if I liked jazz.
“Do you like jazz?”
Requests and commands
asked / told + person + to; negative: not to.
She asked me to wait.
“Please wait.”
He told us not to worry.
“Don’t worry.”
Typical mistakes
Things learners of English often say. On the left — what to avoid, on the right — the correct version.
Not this:
She said me that she was tired.This: She told me that she was tired.
With a person: told me.
Not this:
He said that he is busy.This: He said that he was busy.
After said, backshift.
Not this:
She asked where did I live.This: She asked where I lived.
Statement order, no did.
Not this:
She told me don’t worry.This: She told me not to worry.
Negative commands: not to.
FAQ
Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.
Do I always have to change the tense?
No: after says (present) there’s no backshift, and if the statement is still true, backshift is optional. In exams it is safer to backshift.
Said or told?
Told needs a person: told me, told Anna. Said has no person (said that…) or uses to (said to me).
What level is this quiz?
B1–B2. Tables of tense and time-word changes are in our English grammar reference.
More grammar quizzes
- A1
There is / there are
There is or there are: singular, plural, questions and the past.
- A1–A2
Present Simple vs Present Continuous
I work or I’m working: habits and facts vs what’s happening right now.
- A1–B1
Articles a, an, the
A, an, the or no article: from a / an to countries, rivers and mountains.
- A1–A2
Much, many, a lot of
Much or many, a few or a little: countable and uncountable nouns.
- A1–A2
Prepositions in, on, at
In May, on Monday, at 5 o’clock: prepositions of time and place.
- A1–A2
Comparatives and superlatives
Bigger, the biggest, more interesting: rules and exceptions.
- A1–A2
Question forms
Do / does / did, word order, subject questions and question tags.
- A2–B1
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
I have seen or I saw: experience and results vs the finished past.
- A2–B1
Will vs going to
A decision now or an earlier plan: the future with will and going to.
- A2–B2
Modal verbs
Can, must, should, might: obligation, advice, possibility, deduction.
- A2–B1
Present tenses
All four: Present Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous in one quiz.
- A2–B2
Past tenses
Past Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous: what happened, what was going on, what came first.
- A2–B2
Future tenses
Will, going to, Present Continuous, Future Continuous and Future Perfect: how to talk about the future.
- A2–B2
Passive voice
Be + past participle in every tense: is made, was built, has been sold.
- B1–B2
Gerund or infinitive
Enjoy doing, want to do, stop doing or stop to do.
- B1–B2
Conditionals
Zero, first, second, third and mixed: if I have, if I had, if I had had.
- B1–B2
I wish and if only
I wish I knew, I wish I had known, I wish you would stop.
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