Fixing Time Place Errors Quiz

1. What does it mean to fix errors in time and place changes in reported speech?

Making sure words like today, tomorrow, and here are changed so they fit the new time and place.

Removing all time and place words from the sentence.

Changing every verb to the past tense.

Using only future time words in reported speech.

We correct time and place words so they match the reporter’s point of view instead of the original speaker’s.

Explanation

We correct time and place words so they match the reporter’s point of view instead of the original speaker’s.

2. Which sentence correctly fixes the time word in reported speech? Direct: "I will call you tomorrow," he said.

He said that he would call me tomorrow.

He said that he would call me the next day.

He said that he will call me the next day.

He said that he would call me the day before.

Tomorrow usually changes to the next day (or the following day) in reported speech.

Explanation

Tomorrow usually changes to the next day (or the following day) in reported speech.

3. Which reported sentence has an incorrect time word change?

She said that she would finish it the next day.

He said that he had met them the day before.

They said that they would arrive the day before.

She said that they were leaving then.

In C, the day before does not match a future meaning and should be the next day if the direct speech used tomorrow.

Explanation

In C, the day before does not match a future meaning and should be the next day if the direct speech used tomorrow.

4. Direct: "I am busy now," she said. Reported: She said that she was busy then. This is a correct change.

True

False

Now usually becomes then in reported speech.

Explanation

Now usually becomes then in reported speech.

5. In reported speech, changing tomorrow to the day before is usually correct.

True

False

Tomorrow normally becomes the next day or the following day, not the day before.

Explanation

Tomorrow normally becomes the next day or the following day, not the day before.

6. Which reported sentences use time or place words incorrectly?

Direct: "We met yesterday," she said. Reported: She said that they had met the day before.

Direct: "I will see you tomorrow," he said. Reported: He said that he would see me the day before.

Direct: "I am staying here," she said. Reported: She said that she was staying there.

Direct: "We arrived last night," they said. Reported: They said that they had arrived the night before.

Direct: "I will finish it today," she said. Reported: She said that she would finish it that day.

In B, tomorrow should become the next day, not the day before.

Explanation

In B, tomorrow should become the next day, not the day before.

7. Which reported sentences use time and place words correctly?

He said that he was working there that night.

She said that she had met them the day before.

They said that they would leave the next day.

She said that she was staying here that night.

He said that that shop was expensive.

A, B, C, and E use standard changes such as here→there, tonight→that night, yesterday→the day before, and tomorrow→the next day.

Explanation

A, B, C, and E use standard changes such as here→there, tonight→that night, yesterday→the day before, and tomorrow→the next day.

Submit

9. Direct: "I finished it yesterday," she said. Reported: She said that she had finished it __________.

Yesterday usually becomes the day before or the previous day in reported speech.

Explanation

Yesterday usually becomes the day before or the previous day in reported speech.

Submit

10. Direct: "I work here," he said. Reported: He said that he worked __________.

Here often becomes there when someone else reports the sentence from another place.

Explanation

Here often becomes there when someone else reports the sentence from another place.

Submit

11. Direct: "I will meet you here tomorrow," she said. Which reported sentence fixes both time and place correctly?

She said that she would meet me here tomorrow.

She said that she would meet me there the next day.

She said that she will meet me there the next day.

She said that she would meet me there the day before.

Here changes to there and tomorrow changes to the next day in reported speech.

Explanation

Here changes to there and tomorrow changes to the next day in reported speech.

12. Direct: "We arrived two days ago," they said. Incorrect: They said that they had arrived two days ago. Which is the best correction?

They said that they had arrived two days before.

They said that they had arrived the next day.

They said that they arrived two days before.

They said that they would arrive two days before.

Ago usually becomes before in reported speech, and the past perfect had arrived fits the reported meaning.

Explanation

Ago usually becomes before in reported speech, and the past perfect had arrived fits the reported meaning.

13. Direct: "We watched the game last night," he said. Reported: He said that they had watched the game the night before. This is correct.

True

False

Last night usually becomes the night before in reported speech.

Explanation

Last night usually becomes the night before in reported speech.

14. Direct: "I am staying here," she said. Reported: She said that she was staying then. This is a correct place change.

True

False

Here should change to there, not then, because it is a place word, not a time word.

Explanation

Here should change to there, not then, because it is a place word, not a time word.

15. Sentence with an error: He said that he would come here tomorrow. Which corrections fix the time and place words?

He said that he would come there the next day.

He said that he would come there tomorrow.

He said that he would come here the next day.

He said that he would come there that day.

He said that he would come there the day before.

A correctly changes here to there and tomorrow to the next day.

Explanation

A correctly changes here to there and tomorrow to the next day.

16. Which time word changes are correct in reported speech?

Now → then

Today → that day

Tomorrow → the next day

Yesterday → the day after

Last week → the previous week

Yesterday should change to the day before or the previous day, not the day after.

Explanation

Yesterday should change to the day before or the previous day, not the day after.

Submit

17. Direct: "We met last week," she said. Reported: She said that they had met __________.

Last week usually becomes the previous week or the week before in reported speech.

Explanation

Last week usually becomes the previous week or the week before in reported speech.

Submit

18. Direct: "I will study tonight," he said. Reported: He said that he would study __________.

Tonight usually becomes that night in reported speech.

Explanation

Tonight usually becomes that night in reported speech.

Submit

19. Why is it important to fix errors in time and place changes in reported speech?

So the sentence becomes longer and more complex.

So the reader knows exactly when and where the reported action happened.

So we can avoid using pronouns.

So all verbs can be changed to the present tense.

Correct time and place words make the meaning of the reported sentence clear and accurate.

Explanation

Correct time and place words make the meaning of the reported sentence clear and accurate.

20. When editing for time and place errors in reported speech, what should you do first?

Delete all time and place words.

Change every time word to the past.

Underline time and place words like today, tomorrow, here, and this, and check if they need standard reported-speech changes.

Replace all place words with there.

Finding and checking each time and place word helps you correct any wrong shifts.

Explanation

Finding and checking each time and place word helps you correct any wrong shifts.

Error Correction: Fixing Errors in Time and Place Changes Quiz