Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1She said that she ............... the report by 6 p.m. the previous day.
Wrong!
Use "had finished" because the report was completed before a later time in the past.
2He told me that he ............... when I called him that night.
Wrong!
Use "was working" for an action in progress at a specific time in the past.
3They said that they ............... for over an hour before the bus finally arrived.
Wrong!
Use "had been waiting" to show duration continuing up to another past event.
4She told us that she ............... when we got to the station.
Wrong!
Use "had already left" because the leaving happened before another past action.
5He said that he ............... anything like it until that night.
Wrong!
Use "had never seen" for an experience before a particular moment in the past.
6She said that she ............... in Madrid for three years before she moved to Berlin.
Wrong!
Use "had been living" to emphasize an ongoing situation before another past event.
7He said that he ............... me the documents the next day.
Wrong!
Use "would send" because will usually changes to would after a past reporting verb.
8She said that it ............... all afternoon because the streets were still wet.
Wrong!
Use "had been raining" for an earlier ongoing action with a visible past result.
9The manager announced last week that the new system ............... on Monday.
Wrong!
Use "would start" because a future event is commonly backshifted after a past reporting verb.
10He said that his car ............... down earlier that morning.
Wrong!
Use "had broken" because the breakdown happened before a later past time.
11She told me that she ............... all evening before I called.
Wrong!
Use "had been studying" to show an activity continuing up to another past moment.
12He said that he ............... anything since breakfast.
Wrong!
Use "had not eaten" for a negative situation continuing up to a past reference point.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- She said that she had finished the report by 6 p.m. the previous day.
- He told me that he was working when I called him that night.
- They said that they had been waiting for over an hour before the bus finally arrived.
- She told us that she had already left when we got to the station.
- He said that he had never seen anything like it until that night.
- She said that she had been living in Madrid for three years before she moved to Berlin.
- He said that he would send me the documents the next day.
- She said that it had been raining all afternoon because the streets were still wet.
- The manager announced last week that the new system would start on Monday.
- He said that his car had broken down earlier that morning.
- She told me that she had been studying all evening before I called.
- He said that he had not eaten anything since breakfast.