WAEC 2024 English Language · Question 51

He said that they … painting the house by then.

Question

From the words or group of words lettered A-D, choose the word or group of words that best completes each of the following sentences. He said that they ______ painting the house by then.

A.will have finished
B.would have finished
C.will finish
D.would finish

Answer: B. would have finished

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question

The sentence is in reported speech: "He said that they __ painting the house by then." The reporting verb "said" is in the past tense, and "by then" points to a future time relative to that past moment. The blank needs a form that fits both.

Explain the concept

Direct speech: "We will have finished painting the house by then" (future perfect).
When the reporting verb is in the past (said), "will" shifts to "would" (backshift).
So "will have finished" becomes "would have finished" (future perfect in the past).
"By then" signals completion before a certain time, which fits the perfect form ("have finished").

Step by step

Reporting verb "said" is in the past, so "will" must change to "would". This eliminates A and C.
"By then" indicates an action completed before a point in time, which needs the perfect aspect: "would have finished".
D, "would finish", lacks the perfect aspect, so it does not express completion by a given time.

Answer: B. would have finished

Complete sentence: He said that they would have finished painting the house by then.

Tip: When you see "by then" or "by + time" in a sentence with a past reporting verb, think "would have + past participle". In direct speech it is "will have + past participle", and the backshift changes "will" to "would".

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