when will you finish your homework dad asked me

What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

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Olivia Drake

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said.

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Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker’s exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions.

1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually “said.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, “I am going to the store,” becomes “He said that he was going to the store.”

2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually “asked.” The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, “What time is it?” becomes “She asked what time it was.”

It’s important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples:

• Direct speech: “I will call you later.”Reported speech: He said that he would call me later.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.
• Direct speech: “I love pizza.”Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly.

Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include:

News reports:  Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference.

Business and professional communication:  In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer.

Conversational English:  In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, “She told me that she was running late.”

Narration:  In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the store now,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then.

In this example, the pronoun “I” is changed to “she” and the adverb “now” is changed to “then.”

2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “I will meet you at the park tomorrow,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day.

In this example, the present tense “will” is changed to the past tense “would.”

3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “ask,” or “inquire” depending on the context of the speech. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework.

In this example, the reporting verb “asked” is changed to “said” and “did” is changed to “had.”

Overall, when making reported speech, it’s important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker’s message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I love chocolate.” Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate.

Direct speech: “You should study harder.” Reported speech: He advised me to study harder.

Direct speech: “She is reading a book.” Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book.

2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night.

Direct speech: “He is here.” Reported speech: She said he was there.

Note that the adverb “now” usually changes to “then” or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context.

It’s important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech:

Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I like pizza.” Reported speech: She said she liked pizza.

Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I am studying for my exam.” Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam.

Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I have finished my work.” Reported speech: She said she had finished her work.

Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I visited my grandparents last weekend.” Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend.

Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I will help you with your project.” Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project.

Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: “I can speak French.” Reported speech: She said she could speak French.

Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker’s perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech.

In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as “I heard that” or “It seems that” without using a reporting verb. For example:

Direct speech: “I’m going to the cinema tonight.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she’s going to the cinema tonight.

However, it’s important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it’s generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible.

Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example:

Direct speech: “I think we should invest in renewable energy.” Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy.

Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “What time is the meeting?” Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was.

Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech.

2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “ordered” or “told” followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here’s an example:

Direct speech: “Clean your room!” Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room.

Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech.

In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples:

Direct speech: “Will you go to the party with me?”Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: “Please bring me a glass of water.”Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water.

Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as “asked” or “wondered” followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech:

Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include “asked,” “inquired,” “wondered,” and “wanted to know.”

Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker.

Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use “if” or “whether” to introduce the reported question.

Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word.

Here are some examples of reported questions:

Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?”Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: “Where are you going?”Reported speech: She wondered where I was going.

Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, “I am going to the store,” in reported speech you would say, “He/she said that he/she was going to the store.”

The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

• Direct speech: “I am hungry,” she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry.
• Direct speech: “Can you pass the salt, please?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt.
• Direct speech: “I will meet you at the cinema,” he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema.
• Direct speech: “I have been working on this project for hours,” she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours.
• Direct speech: “What time does the train leave?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left.
• Direct speech: “I love playing the piano,” she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano.
• Direct speech: “I am going to the grocery store,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store.
• Direct speech: “Did you finish your homework?” the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework.
• Direct speech: “I want to go to the beach,” she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach.
• Direct speech: “Do you need help with that?” he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that.
• Direct speech: “I can’t come to the party,” he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn’t come to the party.
• Direct speech: “Please don’t leave me,” she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her.
• Direct speech: “I have never been to London before,” he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before.
• Direct speech: “Where did you put my phone?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone.
• Direct speech: “I’m sorry for being late,” he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late.
• Direct speech: “I need some help with this math problem,” she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem.
• Direct speech: “I am going to study abroad next year,” he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year.
• Direct speech: “Can you give me a ride to the airport?” she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport.
• Direct speech: “I don’t know how to fix this,” he said. Reported speech: He said he didn’t know how to fix it.
• Direct speech: “I hate it when it rains,” she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

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Reported speech worksheet

Sentences are given in direct speech. Change them into indirect speech.

1. The teacher said to the boys, ‘Have you done your homework?’

2. The little girl asked the man, ‘Will you help me?’

3. Janaki said, ‘I have been reading this book.’

4. Mother said to the daughter, ‘Go and change your dress.’

5. Susie said, ‘I had read this book before I gave it to you.’

6. Mike said, ‘I will bring my piano.’

7. The officer told the clerk, ‘Bring me that file.’

8. Jane asked, ‘Have you read that book?’

9. Malathi asked, ‘Where is your watch?’

10. Sophia said, ‘I watched this movie last week.’

11. Mother asked, ‘What is the matter?’

12. Shyam said, ‘I can solve this problem.’

1. The teacher asked the boys if they had done their homework.

2. The little girl asked the man if he would help her.

3. Janaki said that she had been reading that book.

4. Mother told the daughter to go and change her dresses.

5. Susie said that she had read that book before she gave it to me.

6. Mike said that he would bring his piano.

7. The officer told the clerk to bring him that file.

8. Jane asked if I had read that book.

9. Malathi asked where my watch was.

10. Sophia said that she had watched that movie the previous week.

11. Mother asked what the matter was.

12. Shyam said that he could solve that problem .

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100 Reported Speech Examples: How To Change Direct Speech Into Indirect Speech

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a way of communicating what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. For example, if your friend said, “ I am going to the store ,” in reported speech, you might convey this as, “ My friend said he was going to the store. ” Reported speech is common in both spoken and written language, especially in storytelling, news reporting, and everyday conversations.

Reported Speech: Changing Pronouns

Pronouns are usually changed to match the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, “I” in direct speech may become “he” or “she” in reported speech, depending on the context. Here are some example sentences:

Reported Speech: Reporting Verbs

Reported speech: tense shifts.

When converting direct speech into reported speech, the verb tense is often shifted back one step in time. This is known as the “backshift” of tenses. It’s essential to adjust the tense to reflect the time elapsed between the original speech and the reporting. Here are some examples to illustrate how different tenses in direct speech are transformed in reported speech:

Reported Speech: Changing Time and Place References

Reported speech: question format.

When converting questions from direct speech into reported speech, the format changes significantly. Unlike statements, questions require rephrasing into a statement format and often involve the use of introductory verbs like ‘asked’ or ‘inquired’. Here are some examples to demonstrate how questions in direct speech are converted into statements in reported speech:

Reported Speech: Omitting Quotation Marks

Reported speech quiz.

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Reported Speech Statements Exercise

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Are you finished or have you finished or Did you finished?

• Thread starter Amber_1010
• Start date Aug 31, 2012

Senior Member

• Aug 31, 2012

When a mum wanna know if her kid's homework is done or not so that they can go out. Should she say(British English) 1. Did you finish your homework? 2. Have you finished you homwork? 3. Are you finished with your homework? I'll chose the second one..... << second question deleted >> Thank you.  

In AE these would all be idiomatic and equally acceptable. But note: When a mum wanna wants to know if her kid's homework is done or not so that they can go out. Should she say(British English) 1. Did you finish your homework? 2. Have you finished you r hom e work? 3. Are you finished with your homework? I'll chose the second one..... << response to second question deleted >> Thank you  

Keith Bradford

In BE: 1. Did you finish your homework at some time in the past, e.g. Did you finish your homework yesterday? 2. Have you finished your homework now. This is the correct answer. 3. Are you finished with your homework = Do you want to continue it or have you done enough for the moment?  

Amber_1010 said: When a mum wanna wants to* know if her kid's homework is done or not so that they can go out. Should she say(British English) 1. Did you finish your homework? 2. Have you finished you r hom e work? 3. Are you finished with your homework? Click to expand...

How Much Homework Is Too Much? How Can Parents Push Back?

12-step plan for smarter, happier, healthier, young children in a too-busy world.

Posted September 16, 2016

Confidence , intelligence , creativity , and happy productivity depend on ample time for unstructured play and imagination . This is true throughout childhood , but especially critical in the early years, until about the age of seven.

The National Education Association and the National Parent-Teacher Association both recommend that children be asked to do no more than 10 minutes a day of homework in Grade One, then move up incrementally from there, with second graders doing a maximum of twenty minutes a day, third graders thirty minutes, and so on. For younger ones (Kindergarten and below) just lasting through a structured day of school or daycare is demanding enough.

In too many schools, the ten-minute rule is being broken, not by a little, but by a lot. Too many children are showing signs of stress , and too many parents are finding precious family time eaten away by homework demands.

Recently, I heard from a mother of a four-year-old. She said that one week into Junior Kindergarten (for four-year-olds), her little boy had already been assigned five different kinds of homework. She had no problem with the weekly reading session. “That’s good for all kids,” she said. But she wondered whether it was okay that her son’s teacher had also told him to (1) prepare for a show-and-tell presentation, (2) participate in a daily home program of reading games, (3) have a conversation at home every day about what he’d read at school that day, and (4) learn and memorize the background to his name. I told the mom that that sounded like way too much.

In addition to using the ten-minute rule as a guideline (clearly violated in this case), how do you decide if your young child is getting too much homework?

• Enough time for play? Just getting to school on time, spending all day there, knowing and following all the rules, then getting back home again, is a lot of structure and demand for a young child. Adding homework to the mix can leave insufficient time and energy for important developmental demands like running, playing outside, chatting, dreaming , imagining, and inventing.
• Signs of Stress? Look for changes in appetite , sleep, temperament, interest, patience, neediness, emotional responsivity. If there are signs your little one is feeling worried, think about homework demands. They may be causing the problem, or adding to the burden.
• Family time? When homework interferes with pleasurable family activities, it’s almost certainly time to push back.

It’s important to your child’s education that you support the teacher, but if your child’s time is being scheduled by adults and gobbled up by electronic devices, if they don’t have enough time for imagination, exploration, and collaborative invention, it’s your job to push back. How do you do that?

• Balance . Before pushing back against homework, look at the other activities in your child’s life. Electronic devices and extracurricular enrichments—lessons, sports, and other scheduled activities—can provide great learning experiences, but are most beneficial in moderation.
• Talk to other parents. Talk to parents of some of your child’s classmates. Find out what they think about the homework situation. Talk also to parents of children in other classrooms, other schools, with other teachers. See what their experience is.
• Meet with the teacher. Listen and learn. Make an appointment. If other parents agree with you, ask one or two of them to attend the meeting with you (okaying that with the teacher ahead of time). Use the first meeting as an opportunity to find out the teacher’s perspective. Let the teacher know your concerns, calmly and respectfully. Quite often, this is all it takes to make the changes you need.
• Resist passively . Don’t insist your child do any homework you think unnecessary or excessive. If your child is worried about not completing assignments, explain your concerns in child-friendly terms (you want to make sure they have all the time they need for playing, relaxing, and spending time with the family) and let them know you’ve spoken to the teacher about it, and will sort it out if needed.
• Wait and watch. Give the teacher a week or two to change their practice. If they lighten up sufficiently on the homework, then your advocacy work is over for now.
• Regroup. If the troubling situation persists, get together with like-minded parents to define simple goals and a reasonable timeline. If you have trouble finding allies, proceed to the next step.
• Gather your evidence . Over the past few years, a lot of research has accumulated on the benefits of the ten-minute rule, and the evils of homework for little kids. I’ve included links below to some of the evidence, and you can find lots more by googling ‘Homework.’
• Prepare carefully. Put your ideas in writing, as briefly and simply as possible. Whether you’ve found allies at your school or not, discuss your ideas with others. Make sure your requests are specific, practical, and clear.
• Set another meeting with the teacher. Ask the teacher to include the principal this time. As before, go into the meeting respectfully and calmly, in a small group if possible. Communicate your concerns, and ask for the changes you want. Provide some supporting documentation (see #7 above, about gathering evidence).
• Take it to the top. If you meet with resistance at the school level, and if you think the situation calls for it (if there’s a damaging amount of homework, and children’s health and happiness are at stake) take it up a notch, to the board of education, the school’s governing board, the school trustee, as high as you need to go to get the necessary action.
• Blog, write, or talk to the media about your generic concerns. You’ll be an expert now on the impact of homework on little kids. Your story might help others. If you choose to do this, do your best to protect your child from any adverse effects. That almost certainly means avoiding naming names—teacher, school, etc.
• Talk to the media about your specific concerns. This is a last resort, and not one I’d recommend unless the circumstances are egregious. Before taking something like this public, make sure you have a back-up plan—another school where your child can go and not be punished for their parent’s noisy advocacy.

Effective advocacy is built on patient, thoughtful respect for all the players. It can take a long time (or not), but it's worth doing. I’ve seen many examples of one parent’s concerns for a child’s welfare leading to changes in practice, and eventually, to changes in policy.

Homework isn’t always a problem. Some little kids love it, as long as the demands are reasonable. But in other cases, homework interferes with more important activities like playing, daydreaming, sleeping , and spending time with family and friends. When that happens, parents should think about acting for healthy change in their child’s life.

1. Homework for Young Children

• “Research Spotlight on Homework,” by the National Education Association
• “ Hints to Help Reduce Homework Stress ,” by Cathy Vatterot
• “ Too Much Homework Stifling Your Kids? Let Them Just Say No ,” by Leah McLaren
• “ Is Homework Bad for Kids? ” by Anna Maria Tremonti
• “ Too Much Homework? Study Shows Elementary Kids Get 3 Times More than They Should ,” by Jordan Muto
• “ These Kids Now Have a Life with No Homework ,” by James Vaznis and Nicole Fleming
• “ Homework Could Have an Effect on Kids’ Health. Should We Ban It? ” by Gerald LeTendre
• “ Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids ,” by Denise Pope, Maureen Brown, and Sarah Miles

2. Parents Advocating for Change

• “ The Role of Educational Advocacy ” by Karen L. Schiltz
• “ Parent Advocacy: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ,” by Annie Kidder
• “ 10 Ways to Be an Effective Advocate for Your Child ,” by Geri Coleman-Tucker
• “ Advocacy in Action: How to Change the World for Your Child ,” by Dona Matthews and Joanne Foster

3. Children’s Development: What Matters Most in Early Childhood?

• Beyond Intelligence: Secrets for Raising Happily Productive Kids by Dona Matthews and Joanne Foster
• “ Protect Your Child’s Playtime: It’s More Important than Homework, Lessons, and Organized Sports ,” by Dona Matthews
• “ Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills ,” by Alix Spiegel
• “ Six Ways to Protect Our Child’s Playtime ,” by Andrea Nair
• “ Stressed Out in America: 5 Reasons to Let Your Kids Play ,” by Katie Hurley
• “ How Nature Makes Kids Calmer, Healthier, Smarter ,” by Laura Markham

Dona Matthews, Ph.D. , is a developmental psychologist and the author of four books about children, adolescents and education.

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What is the difference between Tell me when you have finished your homework. and Tell me when you finish your homework. ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

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They are both equivalent. In the first one, there could potentially be a slight delay between finishing the homework and telling someone about it. In the second one, the person wants to know as soon as you have finished the homework.

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Thank you very much for your detailed explanation‼️ Your kindness is really incredible‼️ ありがとうございました。From🚅Tokyo🗻Japan.

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How to Finish Your Homework

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 281,447 times.

While studying can differ for different age groups, many of the things that get in the way are the same. Whether it's your environment or time management skills, it easy for things to discourage you from finishing your homework. With a little organization and help, your homework can become approachable.

Managing Your Time

• For instance, try setting aside a time you know you can work well such as an hour or 2 before dinner, or if you're a night owl, after dinner.

• Work in hour blocks, with 50 minutes spent studying and 10 minutes spent taking a break.
• It can also be helpful to move around when you are taking your break, especially if you are working at a screen. Go for a walk outside to get your blood circulating and enjoy some fresh air.
• You might also want to eat a healthy snack on your break to improve your focus. Avoid junk food and choose something like a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, veggies, or a small portion of cottage cheese.

• Identify which assignments are worth the most points for each class. Most likely these will take the longest to complete. [5] X Research source
• Consider how long you have to do each project, and if possible, see when the assignment is introduced. Oftentimes, primary and secondary school classes do not have syllabi, so it might be harder to plan out an entire term, but if you are in college, you will most likely have a syllabus with at least a partial course schedule. Knowing how long you have to complete an assignment will help you prioritize which assignments to do first. You can also ask the teacher how long you have to complete an assignment. [6] X Research source

• Use highlighters or stickers to mark which assignments are most important.
• If you're using an online or mobile schedule, create alerts or notifications for the projects and any time-sensitive steps for those projects.

• Don't let a big project overshadow the smaller assignments you need to complete!

• Assignment outlines can help you visualize the necessary tasks to get the assignment done.

Creating a Productive Work Environment

• A desk or table would be a better location than a couch or a bed.

• Turn your phone off or on silent (not vibrate). It might be best to put the phone out of sight, or in another room while you work, as the temptation to text or get on social media can be as much of a distraction as actually using social media.
• Use an app that blocks social media. There are plenty of applications out there that can help block social media and other distracting sites (such as shopping or gaming sites). [10] X Trustworthy Source Pew Research Center Nonpartisan thinktank conducting research and providing information on public opinion, demographic trends, and social trends Go to source

• Use a white noise app to block out noise.
• Use earplugs or noise-blocking earmuffs. [12] X Research source
• Work in a quiet place, such as a library or a home office, if you have one.
• Avoid listening to music while studying. Studies have shown that although listening to music while studying lowers overall performance, this does not affect everyone equally. [13] X Research source However listening to music before studying has been shown to improve performance on cognitive tasks. [14] X Research source

Using Your Resources

• If you're too afraid to ask a teacher during class, see if you can stay behind to ask your questions.

• First, contact your school to see if there are any after-school tutoring programs. While not all primary and secondary schools offer tutoring, a vast majority of universities do. If your school does not offer tutoring, they may know of other resources for you to contact.
• Then, contact your library to see if they offer any tutoring. [18] X Research source
• In some areas, there may also be free community tutoring programs. Contact your local community center for more information.
• There are plenty of private tutors out there as well, but they can be costly (ranging from $20 to $100 an hour). [19] X Research source You can find tutors online through a number of websites, such as Craigslist or Angie's list.

• If you need to work at a library after school, ask your parents or search the web to find your local library.

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

• Don't feel too stressed or you'll be doing less work than you actually can. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 3
• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 3
• Maintain a healthy diet. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 3

• Recommended time doing homework varies by age. The National PTA recommends about 10 minutes per grade level per night (30 minutes a night for the third grade). Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 0
• Some people may need additional help in order to focus on their homework and finish it. If you are struggling in school, ask your parents or teachers about what resources may be available, and seek out professional help or ask your parents to do so, if necessary. Thanks Helpful 29 Not Helpful 9
• If you are under the age of thirteen, you may need to obtain your parents’ permission before downloading any computer applications. Thanks Helpful 30 Not Helpful 13

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/power-habit-charles-duhigg
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks/
• ↑ https://www.wma.us/about/titan-blog/post/~board/titan-blog/post/how-to-prioritize-school-assignments-and-homework
• ↑ https://jhsap.org/self_help_resources/school-life_balance//
• ↑ https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/studying-for-and-taking-exams/guidelines-for-creating-a-study-schedule/
• ↑ https://success.oregonstate.edu/learning/concentration
• ↑ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html/
• ↑ https://absn.northeastern.edu/blog/8-things-to-keep-in-your-at-home-study-space/
• ↑ https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/171/
• ↑ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.1731
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/talk-to-parents.html
• ↑ https://rdw.rowan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2412&context=etd
• ↑ https://blogs.chapman.edu/scst/2016/02/09/what-tutoring-is-and-what-tutoring-is-not/
• ↑ https://undergrad.stanford.edu/tutoring-support
• ↑ https://www.ideaedu.org/idea-notes-on-instruction/encouraged-students-to-use-multiple-resources-e-g-internet-library-holdings-outside-experts-to-improve-understanding/

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English Notes

English notes latest questions, my mother said to me, “did you finish your homework” change into indirect speech.

Indirect Speech: My mother asked me whether I had finished my homework.

Explanation: When the reporting verb is in the past (said) and the direct speech is in the past indefinite tense, then the indirect (reported) speech will change into the past perfect tense.

Past Indefinite Tense > Past Perfect Tense.

And if the sentence is interrogative, we use the reporting verbs – asked, enquired, etc.

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The New York Times

The learning network | how much do your parents help with your homework.

How Much Do Your Parents Help With Your Homework?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

• See all Student Opinion »

What’s the homework situation in your family? How much do your parents help with your homework? And in what ways?

Room for Debate recently asked whether parents should help their children with their homework or whether they end up doing more harm than good.

Experts weighed in with varying opinions.

Erika A. Patall, an assistant professor of educational psychology, writes:

When it comes to helping with homework, education and psychology research suggests that it all depends on how parents become involved. What is essential is that parents focus on supporting students’ motivation. Parent help can backfire when it involves providing instruction on homework content. In contrast, parents will support their kids’ school success when they communicate clear expectations and help students develop a homework routine. Students who have a clearly defined routine around homework — a set time, a set place and a set way to complete homework — are more likely to believe they can overcome challenges while doing homework, take more responsibility for learning, and ultimately do better in school. Homework is an especially good opportunity for parents to help young kids develop self-regulatory skills, by modeling study strategies and helping students set goals and make plans for completing homework. Parents should also give kids autonomy. When kids struggle with homework, parents sometimes have an instinct to take control by using commands, incentives, threats, surveillance, or just doing the work themselves. These tactics may work in the short term, but won’t benefit kids in the long run.

Martha Brockenbrough, a former high school teacher and the author of books for young readers, writes:

My daughters are 10 and 14. Once upon a time, I did everything for them. Then they learned and took over. This is a core principle of parenthood for me: If my kids can do it themselves, I don’t do it for them. My daughters sometimes wear questionable outfits and pack questionable lunches. Likewise, they’ve handed in homework that’s less than perfect. And this might look like incompetence, but when I see it, I see learning in progress. The principle seems to work equally well for all kinds of kids. One of my girls has learning disabilities and is in a private school that specializes in such things. The other is working two years ahead academically in a public school. Both have learned they prefer better grades and fewer corrections on their homework, so both do it carefully and on time.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us …

— How much do your parents help with your homework? What kind of help do they provide?

— Do they help you develop a homework routine? Do they help motivate you and provide assistance when you ask?

— Do they ever use commands, incentives, threats or surveillance? Do they ever do the work themselves?

— Has the way your parents have supported you with homework changed as you have gotten older? Did they handle homework differently when you were in elementary school, for example?

— Does homework ever cause conflict in your family? How so?

— Are you happy with the way your parents support you with your homework? Or do you wish they would handle it differently? Why?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

– How much do your parents help with your homework? What kind of help do they provide?

Very little, and usually only when I asked. Unfortunately, despite both my parents being graduated, they had a tendency to do my work for me, especially in mathematics, and be rather impatient when I did not understand how they had done it.

– Do they help you develop a homework routine? Do they help motivate you and provide assistance when you ask?

They didn’t help; Until I entered 5th grade, when I was 11, I stayed the entire day at school, barely seeing my parents. The school caretakers, after the normal classes, helped us do homework. After my 5th grade, I had the morning for classes and then returned home. But, see, my father developed a thyroid condition in that year and had to be medicated heavily, which kept him asleep for most of the day, while my mother worked from 7am to 11pm. Both unable to reinforce any schedule, plus in that same year my school had financial problems which rebounded in teachers not passing homework and the whole administration was failing.

– Do they ever use commands, incentives, threats or surveillance? Do they ever do the work themselves?

They used to, and it left me frustrated because although the work was done, I didn’t understand a thing. Humanities were easier, because I could understand by reading a bit more, but mathematics and related– such as physics– I had to ask multiple times. My father had a doctorate in physics, but I hesitated to ask him for help as he usually explained something that went way over my head, and my mother had the tendency to take the notebook from my hands to do it herself, and not understand how I couldn’t grasp it.

– Has the way your parents have supported you with homework changed as you have gotten older? Did they handle homework differently when you were in elementary school, for example?

I don’t think so, as I stopped asking them. I find studying alone better, but it leaves a lot of gaps, especially in math.

– Does homework ever cause conflict in your family? How so?

It did, as it affected my grades. From that 5th grade (my 11 years) onwards, I couldn’t concentrate or didn’t have enough discipline to sit at home and make my homework. I also had problems remembering I had homework, as I couldn’t pay much attention in class. Usually, reaching the end of a bimester or trimester, where there were parent reunions and distribution of grades, my mother returned completely pissed, and it would be a few nightmarish hours of her screaming at me.

– Are you happy with the way your parents support you with your homework? Or do you wish they would handle it differently? Why?

I developed depression and suicidal tendencies in my teens. Today I’m 24, and still battle depression and a lack of discipline. I certainly wish it had been handled differently.

They help when they know I’m having trouble with a certain subject, and when they do they are patient about it. Yes, they have used commands and incentives, and I have gotten grounded, and I used to resent them for that. Now, though, I know that they have only ever wanted what’s best for me, including my education.

My parents rarely help me with my homework. When they do it’s usually because I am stuck on a problem and ask them to help me. Even then sometimes they can not help me because they don’t know how to do it either. When I was younger, my parents would keep a closer eye on the homework situation, and do a lot more to help me. Now it’s my responsibility to get my homework done and handed in on time. Which is good because it helps me get ready for college when they won’t be there to watch over me.

As a student in high school, my parents don’t help me out with my homework. They did help me a lot in elementary school but as time went on, they did not help me because the material was getting a lot harder. In elementary school, they helped me find what 2+2 was but as time went on they didn’t know how to find x if y=x2+9x-12. They helped me dramatically when the material was a lot easier. Once the material became harder, it was harder for them to teach me. At a certain point I couldn’t really ask them to help me because I didn’t want them to feel bad. I knew they tried their hardest to help me but once the material became harder, I had to learn how to teach myself the material. I knew that time would come. I had to start teaching myself once eighth grade came along. The material was getting tougher for the teacher to teach us let alone my parents to teach me. I know my parents tried to help me comprehend the material but they couldn’t do it any more once I went into middle school. They led me to the right direction in elementary school. They taught me a lot of things in elementary school that I carried out in middle school and high school. In eighth grade, they tried teaching me but they were doing it the wrong way. They would try to help me on my homework but once I got into class, all my answers were wrong. They tried helping me but it didn’t work out for my benefit. At a certain point, I had to say that I already did all my homework so they couldn’t try to help me out. I actually did work but not for long. They started asking questions. I always had my homework “finished” before I even got home. They started looking through my homework and found out I was still doing it wrong. I didn’t want to lie to them any more so I wanted to tell them the truth. I told them that they couldn’t help me and I didn’t understand the material. They told me that I should have told them a while ago. They called a tutor for me so I can actually understand what was going on during class. I did get caught lying but looking back at it, I am happy I did because it led me into getting a tutor that actually knew how to teach. My parents tried helping me with my homework but it didn’t really help me.

At sixteen years old my parents rarely help with my homework but when I was younger my parents would help more often. During elementary school, they would help me the most and then a little during middle school but not much. During elementary school when I would have trouble with a math problem they would help me solve it by going through the steps on how to solve the problem. If I was doing English homework and I did not understand what a question was asking my parents would explain what it meant using different words then the question used. These days with the common core curriculum it is going to get harder for parents to help kids with their homework because it is a different way of learning then what they are used to. When I was younger my parents would always encourage me to start my homework as soon as I got home. Ever since then, whenever I get home I always try and start my homework right away and get all of it done. This routine gets hard when sports start because I am not able to get my homework done right after school, because of practice, but whenever practice is over I try and get it done as soon as possible. My parents provide me with motivation to do my homework and also provide assistance when I need help. My parents rarely ever use commands, incentives, threats or surveillance and never do the work themselves. As I have gotten older, the support from my parents dealing with homework has been the same or maybe even increased. They have also encouraged my to do all of my homework, giving it one hundred percent and doing it the best that I can. Homework not only helps with reenforcing what you learned during the day but it can also improve your grade. During elementary school my parents would definitely help with my homework more then they do now because I was younger still needing help with many things. Now they still help me when I need help but they won’t do the problem for me, they will just explain what a question is asking or put a question in different words so it makes more sense for me. Homework rarely ever causes conflict in my family, but if it were to cause conflict it would be because of stress. Sometimes when people have a lot of homework or they are stuck on a problem they don’t know how to do they can have stress which may lead to conflict. I am happy with the way my family supports me with my homework, because they started encouraging homework at a young age which has helped me throughout the years. I always get all my homework done and complete it to the best of my ability.

Doing homework is can be super tough and a big hassle when it’s piled on more and more from each class period. I find it easier to do my homework on my own, but if I ask my parents to help me with something (not math) like proof reading an essay or simple asking them about a phrase or word I can’t remember. I don’t ask for help if it’s not to necessary, but whenever I do, they are always willing to help me get the answer.

i wish they would let me try a little more by myself

1.I usually get very little to no help on my homework from my parents and when they do help me wether or not their help is effective depends on the kind of work. 2. My parents will for the most part help me if I ask them they do not help me develop a routine but I have made myself one. 3. My parents don’t often do anything unless I ask them for help. 4. I had handled thing different than I did now in second and third grade when I started to need help from my parents about when to do my homework my parents for the most part support my changes in how I do home work. 5. Homework does not for the most part cause conflict in my family 6. I am happy with how my parents are handling my homework because it allows me to work independently

1). My parents help me a bit. Not too much though they don’t do it for me. If I don’t understand something they explain and I Usually get it after a few times. They provide me examples.

2). I don’t really have a homework routine. When I ask for help they do help but with a limit I do think that if the teachers are giving the work most kids should know it and not need help.

3). They don’t Usually command or watch me. If I am not doing it and they catch than I loose some autonomy.

4). They have changed there style of helping me with homework. I get more freedom but if I am messing around they get stricter which I find helps me.

5). Homework does cause conflict in my home. When my parents get mad about homework I get upset and turns into a fight.

6). I am happy with the way they handle homework. It helps me and It is sometimes annoying but in the long run it helps me a lot and I think it will help me.

1. My parents help me on my homework sometimes, but when they do they don’t do the work for me they help me figure it out for I can do it for myself.

2. My parents don’t motivate me to do it they just expect me to get it done becasie it’s my responsibility, they will usally help me when I ask them for my help.

3. They never command me or anything because it’s my responsibility and if I decide to not do it I get the punishment from my teachers.

4. My parents handle the homework the same as they did in elementary school, they helped me with my work but they didn’t do the work for me and they expected me to get it done or to know when I have to do it.

5. Homework never causes conflicts in my family because it’s my job to get it done and to self advocate if I don’t understand the homework, or if left it at school. My parents never yelled at me and told me to do my homework.

6. I am happy the way my parents support me with my homework I think nothing could get any better they help me when I need it and they are not looking over my shoulder when I’m doing it they leave it to me.

1.My parents don,t help me that much but they help me if I don,t understand a certain thing on my homework.

2.My Mom has had me develop a homework routine when I get home from school and my Mom is a great motivator to me a lot and she will provide assitence when I ask

3.Of course sometimes my Mom will get annoyed when I’m slow and not really concentrating and will tell to focus back in and hurry up and get it done.

4.My Mom has helped me practically the same way with homework since the 1st grade except I’m more Independant with homework now that I’m older.

5.Homework without a doubt will cause conflicts at home because me and my two sisters both have super busy schedules filled with activities during weeknights

6. I am happy with the way my parents help me with my handle homework,there very nice and patient about it.

Jaylin H 11/17/14 Writing

How ofter do your parents help you?

My parents rarely help me with my homework, if i need any help, which is not a lot, my parents would help me. My parents provide like teaching me how to do this then I got it on my own.

No my parents do not help me with a work routine I usually do my homework at my time when I want too. Yes they do help me and motivate me or provide assistance when I need help anytime.

Yes sometimes they use commands when I’m frustrated and they say come on get your homework done so you wont be so frustrated. Or sometimes they would threaten me if I don’t get my homework done i’m going to have to sit in my room for the rest of the night. If my parents are kind of confused or forget the work that I do they would have to do some of the work themselves.

When I was in kindergarden my dad used to help me every single day with my work and he would tell me to do my homework at this time every single day. So as I gotten older my dad has helped me less and less because he thinks I got this on my own. When I was In elementary school my parents helped me differently because they knew i had trouble in school everyday.

No my homework is not a conflict in my family we are usually calm about it.

Yes i’m happy about how my parents support me because they don’t really give me help because they give me more freedom and i could do this on my own and i’m just happy that they can give me more space while doing my homework.

My parents usually do not help with my homework at all. When my parents help they have almost always learned it a different way and can not help me. When they do it ends up being very confusing and does not work. If I need help I can just go into school early the next day and ask the teacher.

My parents like me to start my homework as soon as I get home. Sometimes that doesn’t happen, it depends on if I have a sport and when it is. For instance, if I have a sport in 20 minutes I’m not going to start my homework, but if I have one in 2 hours I will.

My parents have never really used any treats or surveillance that they are serious about, but if they did I don’t think they would work.

When I was in elementary school my parents used to help me a little. We released it just confused me more so sometimes I would ask my sister to help. Now I just ask my teachers for help in the beginning of the day.

Homework never really causes conflict, I can just finish it by myself and nobody has to get involved.

I’m happy my parents are not involved with my homework if I they where I think it would just be frustrating and confuse me. I’m also happy that the teachers are open to help in my school, or else I don’t know what I would do when it came to homework.

1Q)How much do your parents help with your homework? What kind of help do they provide? 1A) If I’m really struggling my parents will help me by explaining it in way I would understand and show me how to solve it and let me watch them do it than after they would make me do it and once I eventually get it they will leave me to try to finish on my own.

2Q)Do they help you develop a homework routine? Do they help motivate you and provide assistance when you ask? 2A) I don’t really have a homework routine because my scuduale changes everyday, but to help me get it done at a reasonable time each day they will give me reminders to get to work and start it

3Q)Do they ever use commands, incentives, threats or surveillance? Do they ever do the work themselves? 3A) If I’m procrastinating and getting off track my mom will always be there around me to get me back on track and even sometimes threat me to get it done or she won’t let me go to sports practice later on if I don’t complete my homework.

4Q)Has the way your parents have supported you with homework changed as you have gotten older? Did they handle homework differently when you were in elementary school, for example? 4A) Yes because when I was in elementary school they would help me a lot more and always be by my side while doing it an doing it with me. Now it’s more my job and on me to be getting it done and doing it alone.

5Q)Does homework ever cause conflict in your family? How so? 5A) Yes because if we all need help at the same time my parents can’t help all of us at the same time and I get home really late from practice and that causes a lot of homework conflicts in everyone.

6Q) Are you happy with the way your parents support you with your homework? Or do you wish they would handle it differently? Why? 6A) Yes I am because If I need help they will help me and make sure I get it.

If I am having a lot of trouble with my homework my mom or dad will give me an example to guide me with the rest of the work but they mostly want me to be independent. I never really had a problem making a H.W. routine or being motivated because I know it is just life you need to do homework. Because of this they have never had to threaten me and certainly never did my H.W for me. Even in my elementry school years my parents have always had the same values about working hard and being independent with my H.W. Unfortunatly, my sister is a huge precrasinater and is always on her phone and there has been huge conflicts when it is nine thirty at night and she has only gotten one page done. I am very happy with the way my parents have handled homework because it has shaped my good homework habits I have today.

Jason H 11/17/14 Literature/Writing A/P How Much Do Your Parents Help With Your Homework?

My parents only help me with my homework when I’m really stuck on a a problem or when I’m trouble understanding a question. Other then that my parents don’t help me with my homework. My parents do not help me develop a homework routine. It is automatic for me to come home and start my homework. Yes, my parents help motivate me and provide assistant when I ask. I ask for assistant when I don’t understand a question. No, my parents don’t ever use commands, incentives, threats or surveillance. No, they don’t ever do the work themselves. They would give me examples but not do the work. The way my parents have supported me with my homework has changed as I gotten older. It has changed as I gotten older because when I was much younger I would need a lot of help figuring the questions on my homework and now since I have gotten older I don’t need as much help with my homework. Yes, my parents handled homework differently when I was in elementary for example, my mom would sometimes sit next to me incase I would need help. After fourth and fifth grade my parents haven’t been sitting next to me just incase I would need help. I have been doing my homework on my own. No, homework doesn’t cause a conflict in my family. yes, I am happy the way my parents support me with my homework. I am happy with the way they support me because they don’t ask me if I got all my homework done. They know that I am responsible enough to get my homework done.

My parents help me a lot to finish my homework. They don’t really finish the entire homework for me .The only thing what they do for me whenever I find any problem to finish my homework and they only do that specific part for me and I don’t think that they should help me to finish the entire homework. They help me to develop a homework routine. Yes, they motivate me and provide assistance when I ask. They do use commands and incentives but not the other options. They don’t ever do the work themselves for me. No the way didn’t changed when I got older .yes they changed the way they liked to handle homework differently when i was in elementary school. No homework don’t really cause any conflict in my family because my parents are really cooperative to each other and in my case they are really responsible .Yes, I am happy with my parents support and in my opinion I think sometime they help me to finish the homework in Sunday night for the Monday school and it makes me thinking throughout the weekend but I wish if they would helped me Friday night in place of Sunday night for Monday school.at the end I would like say that I am really happy to have such an helpful parents.

For me my parents help me to do nothing with my homework, because they always tell me that is your homework. When I was some confused for homework they often give me prompt. No they don’t help me develop a homework routine. Yes when I ask them, they motivate me and provide assistance me. They never use threats and surveillance for me. I think do they ever do the work themselves, so they don’t do for me. Yes they supported me with homework changed as me have gotten older. When I was in elementary school, my parents handle math and Languages homework. Yes, does the homework ever cause conflict in my family, because for one question we have different opinion so does homework ever cause in my family. Yes I am happy with the way my parents support me with my homework, because if they don’t support me do homework, I think I will lose many happy things.

I strongly believe that parents should help their child with their homework, they can give them clue or tray to explain in an easier way to go through it, so they can do it themselves. I agree that Parents should not do the homework for their children because they’re not helping them to learn, I believe that kids in young age like six or seven, parents should teach them how to do it, so that can benefit kids in the long run. at the end When they grow, or become adult they will be capable to do any homework in school or college without their parents do it for them.

I think that when parents help their children, everything is going to be ok. Parent’s help all the time is necessary because when parents support their children the children get more motivation. Sometimes is not easy to get parent’s help because usually parents are working. If we want that our children do better in school we have to help them do their homework. Sometime when parents say something good to student we get motivation because we think that we aren’t alone in our run to college. I’m a student and sometimes is very difficult to tell my father that I need some help because sometimes he is very tired. Usually he says that I can do what I want, when he says that I feel so comfortable because I think that he is next to me. When parents give advice to their children and support them student do better in schools, colleges, and in different ways of our life.

As a mother, I love to be involved in with my son’s homework, he is kindergarten, so he needs it. I encourage him to it and he does it before he watches his favorite show on TV. Initially he didn’t like to do it, today he has fun doing it, I noticed that he had gained confidence because I usually post some of his work on the door of the refrigerator. I think he likes it. I noticed that he has gained confidence because he talks with the family about it, I hope, he will do it with less supervision. I think it is very important to help children with homework and teach them to love it

When I was in elementary school my father helped me to do my homework. My father helped me to learn English and mathematics. But my mother was always busy with household works because our family was joint family. We lived in a big house with many other cousins and uncles family. That’s why my father always helped me in my study. He gave me a homework routine. He also gave vocabulary list. He always gave warning to finish homework. What I progress in my life because of my father. He always wants that I and my siblings become a successful person. Without his inspiration I did not come here. My father is an angry person that’s why I finished my homework every day. When I was in high school he didn’t support the way he liked to do in my elementary school. I handled my homework alone. In my family home work does not create conflict. Yes, I am happy with my parents support.

I am mother, I have 3 kids, they are 17, 4, and 7 years old. I think that the parents have a lot of responsibility with the children. we need to help to kids when they don’t understand or when they need our collaboration because they feel better when we help to them. Is different to do than to help. They need more responsibilities in their homework, but when are kids, sometimes they don’t concentrate in homework. When they have any homework but they need my help of course, I help and give them necessary resource for develop their homework . I am very happy with my children because we are a set, we are united. For this reason we can help betwen ourselves. We have good supporting in our home because my oldest daughter help his brother with homework. In my home we try to buy different books or we have a web page with instruments necessaries for to do exercise in topics when they need help.

How much do your parents help with your homework? What kind of help do they provide? My parents helped me a lot, when I was child. Sometime when I couldn’t do some assignments like math, or other things, they were there to help me. Even now they help me although they do not know English they help me in Spanish. In my opinion when the parents help the children to do their homework everything is going to be better. Sometime the parents do not pay attention about their children, sometime when children need some help and their parents do not help them, the children will have some problems

How much do your parents help with your homework? What kind of help do they provide? My parents helped me a lot, when I was child. Sometime when I couldn’t do some assignments like math, or other things, they were there to help me. Even now they help me although they do not know English they help me in Spanish. In my opinion when the parents help the children to do their homework everything is going to be better. Sometime the parents do not pay attention about their children, sometime when children need some help and their parents do not help them, the children will have some problems.

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How to answer“Did you finish your homework?”

Consider a scenario in which my friend, Jack, did NOT finish his homework. If I ask him the question “did you finish your homework?”, what is the correct way for Jack to answer this question? More specifically, can it be answered objectively with a Yes/No?

I feel like my friends would just say “no” as in “no, I didn’t finish”

But I feel like the correct answer should be “yes” as in “yes, you’re correct, I didn’t finish”

I know the easiest way to avoid this vagueness is to just add the “___, I didn’t finish” but I feel like most people don’t elaborate like that.

The Best Comebacks When Asked If You’ve Done Your Homework

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November 22, 2023

We’ve all been there. It’s the end of the day and your parent or teacher asks the question: “Did you finish your homework?” You freeze up, scrambling for a response. Maybe you actually did forget to do it amidst the chaos of after-school activities and hanging out with friends. Or maybe you just don’t feel like doing homework right now. Either way, you need a solid comeback, stat!

As an author focused on lifestyle topics for teens and young adults, I often get questions from readers about dealing with the dreaded homework inquiry. So I decided to put together this definitive guide on funny, clever, and even sassy responses you can use when asked this ubiquitous question. Keep reading for some amazing ideas you can try out next time, separated by theme for easy reference.

Funny Excuses About Forgetting Homework

We all forget things sometimes. Play these excuses for laughs or just to buy yourself a bit more time.

• “I sent it to the printer but the paper tray was empty!”
• “It’s still in my locker from yesterday. Oops!”
• “My dog ate it, I swear! He must have grabbed it off my desk when I wasn’t looking.”
• “Funny story…I grabbed all my books but left my completed homework on my bed. My bad!”
• “I finished it! I just…can’t actually find it right now. Minor technical difficulty!”
• “It was in my backpack earlier, but I think the homework goblins took it when I wasn’t looking!”

Snarky, Sassy Responses

Feeling bold? Try one of these snarky comebacks. Use sparingly and proceed with caution!

• “I plead the fifth.”
• “Do you think I would be smart enough to get into Harvard without doing my homework?”
• “Well, I would have finished it if someone hadn’t talked my ear off about their weekend for 20 minutes.”
• “The dog ate my homework and my ability to care.”
• “Funny that you assume I had time to do homework in between my many extracurriculars, social obligations, and micronaps.”
• “I guess you’ll just have to ground me from doing more homework, huh?”

Totally Honest Answers

If you just want to tell it like it is, these super honest responses could work. Pair it with an apology for best results!

• “I just didn’t feel like doing it. My bad.”
• “I kept putting it off last night and ran out of time. I know that was irresponsible.”
• “I forgot it was due today! I’m sorry, I should have written down the due date.”
• “I was so exhausted after soccer practice that I fell asleep doing it. I didn’t mean to not finish it.”
• “You’re right, I got distracted hanging out with friends and didn’t make homework a priority like I should have.”
• “I really have no good excuse. I procrastinated and didn’t manage my time properly. I’ll do better next time.”

Cheeky Punchlines

If you’re feeling punchy, try out one of these unexpected yet funny kickers. Make sure to keep it lighthearted!

• “Did YOU finish MY homework?”
• “I plead the fifth…grade!”
• “Does ‘no’ count as finishing it?”
• “Well, I wrote my name at the top. So technically I started it!”
• “Define ‘finish.’ Like half? A third???”
• “Fun fact: ‘No’ contains 75% of the letters needed to spell ‘finished!'”

Using Humor to Deflect

Rather than lying about your homework habits, injecting some harmless humor into your response is often the best route. Humor humanizes the situation and makes it harder for the other person to stay upset. After all, who can keep scolding someone after they make a joke so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh?

Even just an exaggerated “Uhhhhhh” or “Funny story…” can be enough to crack a smile before you launch into your excuse or apology. And dropping in a playful punchline at the end leaves the conversation on a lighter note.

So don’t be afraid to test out a funny response next time you’re asked the homework question! As long as you keep it respectful and lighthearted, using humor and a cheeky comeback could get you out of a tough spot.

Also Read: Funny Responses to “Do you like ice cream?”

When Is It Okay to Joke About Not Doing Homework?

However, there are some caveats around using humor when asked if you finished your homework. You do need to consider factors like:

• The situation
• Who is asking
• Your relationship with them
• Their sense of humor

It’s generally fine to joke around with friends about homework woes. But how do you know when it’s okay to give a funny response versus when you should be more straightforward?

Here are a few key things to think about first.

Consider the Asker’s Position

• Friends/classmates: Totally fine to joke around! Use humor freely.
• Teachers: Proceed with caution, gauge their sense of humor first. Apologize too.
• Parents: Usually okay to use light humor, especially if you have an easygoing relationship. But don’t be too glib.
• Bosses/mentors: Avoid making jokes and excuses. Take responsibility for not finishing work and apologize.

Gauge the Mood of the Interaction

• Casual chat: Humor is almost always welcome!
• Tense situation: Read the room first. Jokes could make things worse if the other person is angry/frustrated.
• Time crunch: If the asker needs that homework right now, skip the comedy and be direct.

Consider How Often You Use Humor/Excuses

• Rarely forget homework: A joke here and there is no big deal.
• Frequently don’t do homework: Making excuses often instead of taking responsibility looks irresponsible. Dial back the humor.

So in summary—read the situation first, and only pull out the funny homework responses occasionally when appropriate!

Clever Homework Humor You Haven’t Heard Before

Part of landing a solid homework joke is finding unexpected and clever humor. After all, classic excuses like “my dog ate it” get old fast.

To help you get creative, here are some humor techniques to try that add a unique twist:

Exaggerations and Hyperbole

Exaggerate an excuse to ridiculous proportions for silly humor:

“I was kidnapped by homework ninjas before I could finish it!”

Unexpected ‘Facts’

Sound super convincing by stating fake facts and statistics:

“Actually, scientists say 50% of homework gets spontaneously destroyed by homework gremlins. I’m just the unlucky victim this week!”

Candy Theme

Compare homework woes to candy/dessert fails for delicious humor:

“Trying to finish last night was like trying to eat a whole carton of ice cream in one sitting. I hit a wall pretty fast!”

Cheesy wordplay always leaves ’em laughing:

“I penciled it in to do it tonight. But don’t worry, you can essay-ly give me another chance!”

Over-the-top Methods

Explain ridiculously complex plans to remember homework that inevitably failed:

“I tied string around all 10 fingers to remind me about tonight’s assignment, hired a backup friend to text me hourly, AND posted sticky note alerts everywhere. But somehow, I still managed to not finish it!”

IT Troubleshooting

Blame tech using silly IT lingo for an academic spin:

“Well, I tried to open my homework file, but it looks like there was a RAM overload that led to an CPU failure. I think my hard drive crashed? Ugh technology!”

Homework Horror Movie

Set the “tragic” scene by framing homework time like a scary movie:

“I was almost done with question 10 when I sliced my finger open on the paper! Then a giant swarm of math bees flew in through my bedroom window. Eventually I just had to surrender and make a run for it—barely escaping with my life. Man, what a night!”

Also Read: Witty Comebacks for “Is it Raining Today?”

When in Doubt, Apologize Sincerely

At the end of the day, even if you have a clever excuse or witty comeback primed and ready to go, there are still times when you should ditch the jokes completely.

If you legitimately forgot or chose not to make homework a priority, then apologies, accountability, and honesty are better than humor.

Here are some key times when you’re better off apologizing sincerely:

• You use excuses about missing/forgotten homework frequently
• It’s clear the asker is truly frustrated or disappointed
• Your grade is suffering because you consistently don’t do homework
• You’re dealing with someone like a teacher, parent, or boss (instead of a friend)

When you do apologize, make sure you:

• Sincerely say “I’m sorry”
• Admit you should have done things differently
• Recognize how your actions impact others
• Commit to fixing the behavior

Owning up shows maturity, responsibility, and that you genuinely feel remorse.

Then later on, once things have cooled down, you can gently reopen the dialogue about struggles with homework. Is it too challenging, are you overloaded with commitments, or are you just really not a homework person? Communicating about root causes will go a lot better if you take time to sincerely apologize first.

I hope this guide gave you plenty of funny, clever, and creative excuses to try next time someone asks if you finished your latest homework assignment!

Use humor and snark occasionally when appropriate, but make sure you’re also balancing it out by fessing up with sincerity and accountability when needed.

Let me know in the comments below what your favorite homework excuse is! I could use some new material for next time I “forget” an assignment (whoops).

Related posts:

• Witty Responses to “Will you marry me?”
• 20+ Funny Answers to “What’s Your Superpower?”
• 49+ Funny Responses to “How Was School?”
• Best Responses to ‘May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor’

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Mrs & The Misc is a passion project from life coach and mom Sarah Koch. With a background in psychology and years of empowering personal growth, Sarah shares bite-sized wisdom and practical tools for fostering healthy relationships, achieving goals, elevating well-being, and living with intention.

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Help! My Dad’s Girlfriend Wants Me to Apologize for What I Said About Her Kid. She Can Keep Dreaming.

The author answers your questions..

Over the next few months, we’re helping you round out your summer reading lists by asking some of our favorite authors to step in as Prudie for the day and give you advice. This is part of our  Guest Prudie  series.

Today’s columnist is bestselling author Julia Phillips, whose book  Disappearing Earth was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. Her latest novel, Bear , hit the shelves this week.

We asked Phillips to weigh in on disastrous housewarming parties, a fashion faux pas, and being the friend who listens:

Dear Prudence,

I just bought my first place and proudly hosted a get-together to celebrate. My father decided to spring his new girlfriend and her 12-year-old kid on me at the party. I was too busy trying to host and make sure there was enough food to be more than annoyed at this. My house isn’t exactly child-friendly and I have a lot of breakable stuff plus two elderly cats.

They were chilling on the landing to the second floor when the kid asked if he could pet them. I told him they were not very friendly to strangers and to leave them alone. The little brat decided to ignore me and chase the cats into my bedroom, then he locked the door and tried to drag my cats from under my bed. Instead, my cats scratched him up and he ended up knocking down my bedside lamp and breaking it.

It was that noise that alerted me. I got upstairs and pounded on the door. The kid was crying and I was pissed. I went to the mother and asked if they would kindly leave. She got defensive and tried to blame my cats and said her son was just a “kid.” I said that if he were 3, I would understand, but given that he was 12 and apparently can’t follow simple directions or have the common sense not to wander into a stranger’s bedroom and lock the door to harass my pets—it was time for both of them to go. It was almost a scene but my father had enough sense to hustle them both out.

Now the girlfriend wants an official apology and I told my father that will happen when she pays for the lamp her kid broke. This entire scenario is just stupid from start to finish. Other than just avoiding my father (because he has always been glued to the hip of his many girlfriends ever since my mom died), what are my options here?

Dear Annoyed,

This sucks. The surprise new girlfriend, the uninvited guests, the 12-year-old cat chaser, the almost-scene…What a stressful way to mark the happy occasion of buying your first place. I feel for you, Annoyed, I really, really do.

The important relationship you need to negotiate here is with your father. Your options in this scenario are:

Tell him you are still upset about how things went at the party and would like to take a break from seeing each other for a while.

Tell him you are still upset and would like to see him one one-on-one, without his girlfriend or her kid, going forward.

Tell him you will see him either not at all or only one-on-one until you receive a lamp payment from his girlfriend. (This, to me, is a bad-faith proposal. She’s not going to pay you for this lamp. And do you really want her payment, anyway, so you can think of her every time you turn your bedside light on?)

Tell him that you are willing to put the party behind you, proceed without either apology or lamp payment, and see him with his girlfriend and her kid, if they’re willing to do the same.

Tell him that you will apologize to his girlfriend and her kid, even though you don’t believe you’re in the wrong, because you are OK with falling on your sword in order to stay connected to all three of them.

Do any of these seem possible to you?

There’s one more possibility I can suggest, but it goes beyond this particular housewarming party, to the roots of the rage. I’m a big fan of therapy as a way to dig into what’s going on deep inside us. And I read, in your letter, a deep ache. You write about the party, the girlfriend, the kid, the cats, the door, the lamp, but your annoyance—no, your anger, your immense anger—is at your father. Your father who has been glued to the hip of his many girlfriends ever since your mom died. Your father who keeps letting you down. That anger is bigger than two sweet cats or a bedside lamp, and it’s causing you to spiral, making you call strangers’ kids “little brats” and ruining your celebrations. It doesn’t have to be this way. You are living right now in the absence of your parents’ care, but you can care for yourself. You can, with help, work through your years of frustration and sadness. You do not have to keep carrying this pain.

Pick Up a Copy of Phillips’ Latest

By Julia Phillips.

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Dear Prudence, 

I’ve recently started going out with a guy who, while extremely sweet, has no idea of how to dress himself. He goes to the same chain every couple of years and just gets 10 of everything he needs—jeans, chinos, shorts, long socks, sports socks, t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, button-up shirts—all in black. He does not wear underpants ever and, no matter how cold it is, will never wear a sweater or jacket. He keeps all of these treasures in two baskets labeled “clean” and “dirty.”

I really like him and admire his relentless focus on simplicity, but people do comment and it’s a shame that he doesn’t always look his best. How do I gently nudge him to get more adventurous about his fashion sense? He’s a bit like this with everything in his life, cutting away complications so he can focus on the things he likes, so I am a little scared that he may come to see me as a “time sink” if I start pushing him to do things he considers to be a complete waste of time and energy (he’s definitely “on the spectrum” and is adorable and adventurous).

—Too Sexy for His Shirts

Dear Too Sexy,

The idea of jeans without underpants always gets me—those stiff seams! But you and I will have to live with our discomfort, because the answer to your question is, unfortunately, “you don’t.” You are not going to get this person to change his fashion sense, in the same way that he, if he tried to encourage you to buy 10 of everything you need at the same chain and keep it in labeled baskets, would not succeed. You’re two different people, with your own ways of seeing the world; despite how much you really like each other, two different people you shall stay.

Now that I’ve refused to give you a satisfying answer, I’ll go one step further. (Aren’t you glad you wrote?) Intimacy exposes our insecurities. You’re still getting to know him, and you’re a little scared, you say. I get that. The solution you propose here is for him to dress more adventurously, but would that really reach the root of what you’re worried about?

This situation—not just how he keeps his clothes, but the whole thing, how he’ll see you, how other people see you, what happens when you go out with someone new—is out of your control. And that breeds anxiety. Doubts about your own value. Fears of what’s to come. Unfortunately, those won’t go away by convincing someone else to wear red. Instead, you’ll have to keep reflecting on what is making you so uneasy here. Is it that you don’t trust his judgment? Or that you’re embarrassed by him? Is it that, standing next to him, you see yourself in a worse light? Or is it just the routine tension of entering a new partnership?

My mother-in-law once gave me this fabulous advice about long-term relationships: Whatever annoys you about your partner will get 10 times worse in 10 years and 50 times worse in 50 years, so think now about what you can live with and what you can’t. When you imagine being with this guy down the road, and he’s in the same chinos and sports socks, and people are commenting, how does that sit with you? Is it a life you’re willing to lead?

How to Get Advice From Prudie

Submit your questions anonymously here . (Questions may be edited for publication.) Join the live chat every Monday at noon (and submit your comments)  here .

My best friend “Laura” is currently deployed abroad but we are very close and talk constantly. When I visited her, she introduced me (36-year-old gay man) to her junior colleague, “Ken” (30-year-old gay man). Ken and I hit it off, talked every day for six months, and made plans to go out when he came to my city. Laura heard this from both of us and constantly encouraged it. Ken visited, we went out with his friends, and…it didn’t go well. Ken chatted up a stranger on the street, got his number, and invited him to join the group later that night. I left when the guy showed up and afterward, I told Ken how disrespected I felt. He refused to take any responsibility, said he could get attention from interested guys, and ignored me for a week because I was “mad at him.” I was hurt and felt like I’d wasted time and emotional energy.

My problem is with Laura. When I told her what happened, she brushed off my being hurt, said Ken had a history of being “self-centered,” and kept talking about changing how I approached dating and self-esteem. I was floored. She encouraged me to talk to Ken because it was a “miscommunication.” She claimed she is “neutral,” but every interaction is fraught—I think the “right guy” at the “wrong time” is the wrong guy for me, I think she should’ve warned me about Ken being “self-centered,” and I don’t think I need to examine myself because Ken was childish! I told her I couldn’t discuss him anymore and tried to enforce that boundary. But I feel like a trust has been broken. I’m concerned about how to talk with her while she’s abroad. What do I say? Do I write an email because phone calls haven’t worked? Can this friendship be saved? Help!

—Far From Friend and Far From Over It

Dear Far From Friend,

Oof, oof, oof. It just feels terrible to be in this fraught place: connecting with someone who lets you down and struggling to communicate with a friend.

At this point, you’ve expressed yourself to Laura and she’s responded. You wish she’d warned you off of Ken; she, I imagine, is caught between competing loyalties. I hear in your letter a desire to get through to her, to make her understand just how hurt you are and bring her over to your side. Perhaps you’re thinking that her allegiance should be to a friend over a colleague, or that it’s obvious Ken was in the wrong. But it sounds like the situation isn’t, to Laura, that straightforward. It’s very possible that you did already make your position on this ill-fated relationship with Ken crystal-clear to her, and she just doesn’t agree with your views.

I don’t see how telling her again how you feel, in an email rather than a call, will repair the friendship. Rather than reach out to her to rehash things, take a breath, take a step back, think it over. OK, you don’t want to examine yourself when it comes to Ken, fine. Can you instead examine yourself when it comes to Laura? Are you capable of continuing to talk with her even if the two of you never see eye to eye on how this one tough week went down? Can you accept the idea that she views you differently than you view yourself? I’m genuinely asking you the same question you put to me, because the way you yourself think and act will determine the answer: Can this friendship be saved?

I’m a person (37 F) friends go to for advice, support, or to talk things out. I think I do OK because they keep coming back. It makes me happy to help the people I care about. But I need to talk through things, too. I don’t mean therapy issues. More, “I’ve had a terrible day at work,” or, “I’m feeling lonely.” It’s not all the time, but when I need to talk, there are no listening ears. Friends say, “I’m so sorry,” and change the subject. Initially, I got sad, but more recently, I’ve tried, “I could use someone to talk to about this a little more,” and they say, “Sorry, I just don’t know what to say.”

I get that not everyone’s good at talking. But it’s everyone. I don’t know if the problem’s with me. Do I expect too much? Am I needier than I realize? This lack of reciprocity is causing resentment that I don’t want. I either need to figure out how to get support, or how to live without it.

—Too Good at Talking

Dear Too Good at Talking,

God, I’m so sorry. Well, now that that’s done, on to what happened to me today…

No, truly, I am so, so sorry that this is the dynamic. How heartbreaking. To give your friends this patient care, and then get nothing back! No wonder you feel lonely. It’s not asking too much to have a friend who listens, who doesn’t change the subject, who responds to what you’re telling them instead of deflecting. You are that friend to people, and other people ought to be that friend to you.

You asked if the problem here is with you. It might be! (Though I don’t see it in your letter.) But, listen, everyone’s a problem sometimes, all of us can struggle with expectations or expressing our needs, and that doesn’t mean people should routinely dismiss us when we ask them to listen. I’m therefore more inclined to think the problem is in these friendships, which do not sound particularly deep or connected. The way you describe them sounds more like community service—you’re happy to help people, they keep coming back for more—than friendship. And that concerns me. Absolutely do volunteer, just don’t do it under the guise of supposed-to-be-reciprocal friendships. If these relationships feel fundamentally unfair to you, please let them go.

The people who have been coming to you for support will find someone else to talk things out with. In the meantime, you are on a mission to find a better friendship. Go out to events, join groups and clubs, make small talk in the grocery store. Volunteer! You’re good at it! Surround yourself with other people, and look, in those crowds, for even a single person who eases your loneliness. I promise they are out there.

Finally, I know you said that what you want to vent about doesn’t have the gravity of “therapy issues,” but…are you in therapy? If not, may I recommend it? A therapist would be such a meaningful support here, not for sharing about your terrible day at work (though that’d be fun, too!) but for chewing through a question like, “Do I expect too much?” That’s a real and profound dilemma, and it deserves more room than you’ll ever get from an advice columnist. You deserve that caring, attentive, expansive space to speak into. You deserve to get what you need.

A few months ago, my high school best friend came to visit my city and stayed with me for a long weekend. It was great to see her and to catch up for a few days. The problem is that when she visited, we posted pictures on social media of her stay, and a mutual friend from school, “Angie,” now wants to come to visit. I still chat regularly with Angie on social media, but I really do not want her to visit. She is very high-maintenance in a helpless sort of way, where she has very specific ideas of what she wants to do and will cry if people don’t agree to them (i.e. a group votes to go to a different restaurant than what she wants, or she has to get an Uber instead of someone driving her home). Angie is now reaching out and saying, “I want to visit sometime in the next year, what weekends are good for you? Open your calendar app and let’s pick one.” I’ve tried dodging the conversation, but now apparently she’s crying to other people and telling them that I “must like [best friend] better than me.” My husband has said we should just tell a lie to get her to back off (like say our landlord has started forbidding guests), but I feel like that’s just going to bite us if someone calls us out. What should we do?

—Glad I Don’t Still Live In My Hometown

Dear Glad I Don’t,

“Hey Angie, sorry I haven’t gotten back to you sooner on this! [Best friend’s] visit was a big lift for us so we’re going to hold off on having more houseguests for the foreseeable.” If you’re up for it, you can add that you’d be happy to help her find a different place to stay and to hang out with her while she’s in town, but if you’re not, just use the script above and handle her reaction as it comes. And if, when you have another guest in the future, Angie circles back to this conversation, you can either re-up the same excuse or tell her the truth: that your friendship just isn’t close enough these days to be sleeping over at each other’s homes.

When Delia Cai Was Guest Prudie

“Kelly” and “Lily” and I have been a trio of friends for years and lived in the same town until Kelly moved about a year ago. Leading up to her move, I felt somewhat sad, but honestly mostly relieved she was out of my day-to-day life. I love her very much as a friend, but I’m happier that she’s a “catch up once a month on the phone” kind of a friend now and not a two-three times a week hang. Lily and I still see each other often and are closer than ever. Kelly recently came into town, and it was so nice for the three of us to get together! We got a bit carried away and decided we all absolutely had to take a trip to Portugal together this winter…