Reported Statements Exercises PDFSet 5: No Backshift & Special Cases
20 questions·15 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1."The sun rises in the east." The geography teacher told us that the sun ___ in the east.
a) had risenb) risesc) has risend) was rising
2."Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius." She said that water ___ at zero degrees Celsius.
a) freezesb) will freezec) had frozend) was freezing
3."Whales are mammals, not fish." The marine biologist explained that whales ___ mammals, not fish.
a) have beenb) had beenc) ared) would be
4."Light travels faster than sound." My physics teacher said that light ___ faster than sound.
a) had travelledb) was travellingc) will traveld) travels
5."I live in Paris." (She still lives in Paris now.) She said she ___ in Paris.
a) had livedb) livesc) was livingd) would live
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.rises
2.freezes
3.are
4.travels
5.lives
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."rises"(b)
This is a general truth that is always true. When reporting permanent facts, we do not need to backshift the tense. 'Rises' (present simple) is the correct answer because the fact remains unchanged.
2."freezes"(a)
This is a scientific fact. Water still freezes at 0°C, so backshift is not needed. 'Freezes' (present simple) is the correct answer for reporting permanent scientific facts.
3."are"(c)
This is a permanent biological fact. Whales are still mammals, so 'are' (present simple) is the correct answer for reporting unchanging scientific facts.
4."travels"(d)
This is a scientific law that remains permanently true. No backshift is needed for general truths. 'Travels' (present simple) is the correct answer to reflect this unchanging fact.
5."lives"(b)
Because the statement is still true at the time of reporting (she still lives in Paris), we keep the present tense. 'Lives' is the correct answer to show the situation has not changed. 'Had lived' suggests she no longer lives there, 'was living' suggests temporary residence, and 'would live' is a future conditional.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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