Question 9 of 14beginner💡 UnderstandFill in the Blanks1 mark

When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the _____ tense (as in Sentence Set 3).

Correct Answer

past

Exercise: Thinking about Language - Reported Speech | Q: II.4 | (Page 18)
For More Understanding

Explanation

According to the rules of reported speech outlined in the context, when the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the direct speech shifts backwards. Therefore, a verb in the present tense changes to the past tense. This is supported by Sentence Set 3, where the present perfect tense ('haven't been') changes to the past perfect tense ('hadn't been'), demonstrating the general shift from present to past.

Solution Steps

  1. Step 1: Identify the rule for tense changes in reported speech from the provided context.

  2. Step 2: Observe that present tenses in direct speech shift to their corresponding past tenses in reported speech.

  3. Step 3: Fill in the blank with 'past' to complete the rule.

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