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Question

Difficulty: EasyDirect and Indirect (Reported) Speech

Complete the sentence below by supplying the correct reported speech form of the verb.

Answer:Direct speech: "I am writing an essay," said Musa.
Indirect speech: Musa said that he 【was writing】 an essay.

Answer

was writing
When changing direct speech to indirect speech with a past-tense reporting verb ('said'), present continuous verbs shift back into the past continuous tense. Therefore, 'am writing' becomes 'was writing'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the verb tense used in the direct speech clause.
The direct speech verb 'am writing' is in the Present Continuous tense.
Determining the original tense is necessary to apply the appropriate backshift rule when transforming to indirect speech.
2
Apply the backshift rule for reported speech with a past tense reporting verb ('said').
Present Continuous ('am writing') backshifts to Past Continuous ('was writing').
When the main reporting verb is in the past tense ('said'), verbs in direct speech shift back to their corresponding past tense form.

Key Concept

Tense Backshift in Reported Speech
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech

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