Reported Speech - Free grammar worksheets - ESLfriend.com - Free Printable

Let's solve this Grammar Quiz on Reported Speech: Present Simple, step by step.

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✔ Key Rules for Reported Speech (Present Simple → Past Simple):

When converting direct speech to reported speech:
- Tenses usually shift back (present → past, past → past perfect, etc.)
- Pronouns and time/place expressions change accordingly.
- Question words like *what, where, when* stay the same.
- Yes/No questions become indirect questions with if/whether.
- Wh-questions are introduced with the question word.
- Imperatives become to-infinitive or not to-infinitive.

But note: This quiz focuses on reported speech using present simple, so we’ll use past tense forms in reporting.

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Now, let’s go through each question:

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1. > "What time is it?"

Roberto ... me what time it was.
a) ask
b) asks
c) asked

✔ Answer: c) asked
> We report a question with asked (past tense).
> "Roberto asked me what time it was."

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2. > "I have a new job."

Samantha said she ... a new job.
a) had
b) have
c) has

✔ Answer: a) had
> Present → Past: “have” becomes “had” in reported speech.
> Samantha said she had a new job.

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3. > "I'm a student"

Sam said he ....
a) was a student
b) a student
c) does a student

✔ Answer: a) was a student
> “I am” → “he was” in reported speech.
> Sam said he was a student.

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4. > "Do you work at night?"

Maria asked ... at night.
a) if she works
b) if I worked
c) does she work

✔ Answer: b) if I worked
> Yes/no question → "if" + subject + past verb.
> Maria asked if I worked at night.

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5. > "I don't like Monday mornings."

Stewart said he ... Monday mornings.
a) doesn't like
b) didn't like
c) didn't liked

✔ Answer: b) didn't like
> Negation: “don’t like” → “didn’t like” (past negative).
> Stewart said he didn't like Monday mornings.

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6. > "The kids are outside."

My wife said that the kids ... outside.
a) if they were
b) were
c) is

✔ Answer: b) were
> “Are” → “were” (past tense for reported speech).
> My wife said the kids were outside.

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7. > "Is he our teacher?"

My classmate asked me ... teacher.
a) if he was our
b) he is a
c) is he a

✔ Answer: a) if he was our
> Yes/no question → "if" + subject + past verb.
> My classmate asked me if he was our teacher.

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8. > "It's ten o'clock."

Emma said that ... ten o'clock.
a) it was
b) the time
c) was it

✔ Answer: a) it was
> “It is” → “it was” in reported speech.
> Emma said that it was ten o'clock.

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9. > "Alaska is very cold."

Our teacher said Alaska ... cold.
a) if it was very
b) was very
c) very

✔ Answer: b) was very
> “is” → “was”, “very” stays.
> Our teacher said Alaska was very cold.

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10. > "What's the capital of Bolivia?"

John asked me ....
a) if the capital of Bolivia was
b) what the capital of Bolivia is
c) what the capital of Bolivia was

✔ Answer: c) what the capital of Bolivia was
> Wh-question → keep “what”, but change tense: “is” → “was”.
> John asked me what the capital of Bolivia was.

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11. > "Do you know the answer?"

Cindy asked me if ... the answer.
a) I knew
b) she knew
c) she knows

✔ Answer: a) I knew
> Indirect question: “Do you know?” → “if I knew”
> Cindy asked me if I knew the answer.

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12. > "I can speak three languages."

Thomas said he ... three languages.
a) can spoke
b) could spoke
c) could speak

✔ Answer: c) could speak
> “Can” → “could” (past modal), “speak” remains base form.
> Thomas said he could speak three languages.

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13. > "Does Jim have a truck?"

Kelly asked ... a truck.
a) Jim if he has a truck
b) me if Jim had a truck
c) what does Jim have

✔ Answer: b) me if Jim had a truck
> Question about someone else → “me” as object, then “if Jim had a truck” (past tense).
> Kelly asked me if Jim had a truck.

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14. > "Are we late?"

Anna ... late.
a) asked we are
b) said we were
c) asked if we were

✔ Answer: c) asked if we were
> Yes/no question → “asked if” + subject + past tense.
> Anna asked if we were late.

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15. > "How are you?"

Ms. Jones ....
a) asked if how I am
b) said how was I
c) asked how I was

✔ Answer: c) asked how I was
> Wh-question → “how” + subject + past verb.
> Ms. Jones asked how I was.

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16. > "Mercury is a small planet."

She said Mercury ... a small planet.
a) was
b) is
c) if it was

✔ Answer: a) was
> “is” → “was” in reported speech.
> She said Mercury was a small planet.

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✔ Final Answers:

| Q# | Answer |
|----|--------|
| 1 | c) asked |
| 2 | a) had |
| 3 | a) was a student |
| 4 | b) if I worked |
| 5 | b) didn't like |
| 6 | b) were |
| 7 | a) if he was our |
| 8 | a) it was |
| 9 | b) was very |
|10 | c) what the capital of Bolivia was |
|11 | a) I knew |
|12 | c) could speak |
|13 | b) me if Jim had a truck |
|14 | c) asked if we were |
|15 | c) asked how I was |
|16 | a) was |

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🎯 Score:

You got 16/16 = Excellent! ✔

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🔍 Summary Tips:

- Always change tenses when reporting (present → past).
- Use if/whether for yes/no questions.
- Use wh-words for wh-questions.
- Keep question word order (subject + verb) in reported speech.
- Watch out for modal verbs: *can* → *could*, *will* → *would*, etc.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or explanations in another language!