Advanced reported speech. 45 questions on complex reporting verb patterns, mixed backshift, and formal academic reporting.
What this test covers
- Complex Reporting Verb Patterns
- Backshift in Extended Discourse
- Academic & Journalistic Reporting Style
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1Original: 'You stole my camera,' he said to her. How is this best reported?
Answer: A. He accused her of stealing his camera.
The reporting verb 'accuse' follows a specific transitive pattern: [verb + object + of + gerund]. The structures 'accused her to steal' and 'accused her for stealing' are incorrect prepositional frames. While 'accused that' is occasionally found in archaic legal contexts, it is not used in standard modern English. Using the correct preposition 'of' followed by the -ing form (gerund) is the required formal construction.
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Q2Original: 'Well done on getting the promotion,' she said to him. How is this best reported?
Answer: B. She congratulated him on getting the promotion.
The verb 'congratulate' takes a direct object followed by the preposition 'on' and a gerund (an -ing noun form). While 'congratulated him for' is often heard in informal speech, 'congratulated him on' is the standard formal collocation. Options using a 'that-clause' or a 'to-infinitive' do not follow the verb's required grammatical pattern.
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Q3Original: 'I am so sorry I arrived late,' he said. How is this best reported?
Answer: A. He apologised for arriving late.
The verb 'apologise' requires the preposition 'for' followed by a gerund or a perfect gerund ('for having arrived') to explain the reason for the apology. 'Apologised to arrive' incorrectly uses an infinitive, which usually expresses purpose; 'apologised on arriving' describes the timing of the apology rather than its cause.
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Q4Original: 'I will definitely pay for the meal,' she said. How is this best reported?
Answer: D. She insisted on paying for the meal.
The verb 'insist' typically uses the prepositional frame 'on + gerund'. While 'insisted that she would pay' (with backshifted tense) would be a correct alternative, 'insisted that she will pay' is incorrect because it fails to backshift the modal 'will' to 'would'. 'Insisted to pay' and 'insisted for paying' are common errors as 'insist' does not license an infinitive or the preposition 'for'.
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Q5Original: 'Don't forget to lock the door,' he said to me. How is this best reported?
Answer: A. He reminded me to lock the door.
As a reporting verb of command or exhortation, 'remind' follows the [verb + object + to-infinitive] pattern. 'Reminded me locking' is incorrect because 'remind' does not take a gerund complement when prompting a future action. 'Reminded me that I lock' uses the present tense, which fails to backshift and does not convey the directive nature of the original statement.
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Q6Original: 'You should try the seafood,' the waiter said. How is this best reported?
Answer: B. Both 'recommended trying' and 'recommended that we try' are correct.
'Recommend' allows for two main structures: a gerund ('recommended trying') or a 'that-clause' with the base verb ('recommended that we try') or 'should' ('recommended that we should try'). 'Recommended to try' is ungrammatical; the verb 'recommend' cannot be followed directly by a to-infinitive without a personal object, and even then, the gerund or that-clause is preferred in formal English.
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Q7Original: 'It is your fault the project failed,' she said to him. How is this best reported?
Answer: C. She blamed him for the project failing.
The verb 'blame' follows the pattern [blame + object + for + noun/gerund]. In 'blamed him for the project failing,' the noun 'the project' acts as the logical subject of the gerund 'failing.' 'Blamed him of' is an error confused with 'accused him of,' and 'blamed that' is not a standard reporting structure.
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Q8Original: 'If you don't listen, I will resign,' he said. How is this best reported?
Answer: C. Both 'threatened to resign' and 'threatened that he would resign' are correct.
The verb 'threaten' can take either a to-infinitive ('threatened to resign') or a 'that-clause' ('threatened that he would resign'). Both accurately capture the intention of the speaker. 'Threatened resigning' using a gerund is not a standard pattern for this verb. In the 'that-clause', the modal 'will' must be backshifted to 'would'.
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Q9Original: 'I am the best tennis player here,' she said. How is this best reported?
Answer: D. She boasted of being the best tennis player there.
The reporting verb 'boast' typically takes 'of' or 'about' followed by a gerund. 'Boasted of being' is a sophisticated formal construction. 'Boasted to be' is ungrammatical as the verb does not take an infinitive. 'Boasted that she is' fails to backshift the verb 'is' to 'was', which is usually required when the reporting verb 'said' or 'boasted' is in the past.
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Q10Original: 'You really ought to see a doctor,' he said to her. How is this best reported?
Answer: B. He advised her to see a doctor.
'Advise' as a reporting verb follows the pattern [verb + object + to-infinitive]. 'Advised her seeing' is incorrect because the gerund pattern for 'advise' is only used without a personal object ('He advised seeing a doctor'). 'Advised that she sees' is incorrect because it uses the indicative present instead of the required base verb ('see') or the backshifted 'should see'.
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Q11Original: 'I didn't take the documents,' he said. How is this best reported?
Answer: D. He denied taking the documents.
'Deny' is a verb that links directly to another verb (a verb that can be followed by another verb) that takes a gerund complement ('denied taking') or a that-clause ('denied that he had taken'). 'Denied to take' is a common learner error; 'deny' cannot be followed by an infinitive. 'Denied that he takes' incorrectly uses the present tense, failing to backshift from the original past 'didn't take'.
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Q12Original: 'I think you should apply for the job,' she said to him. How is this best reported?
Answer: C. She encouraged him to apply for the job.
The verb 'encourage' follows the pattern [verb + object + to-infinitive]. The options 'encouraged him that' and 'encouraged him applying' do not follow standard English subcategorization. 'Encouraged him for applying' would imply she was praising him for a past action rather than urging him to take a future one.
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Q13Original: 'Don't go near the water,' the guard said. How is this best reported?
Answer: C. The guard warned us against going near the water.
'Warn' can be followed by [object + against + gerund] or [object + not + to-infinitive]. 'Warned us against going' is a precise and formal reporting structure. 'Warned us for going' would imply a penalty for a completed past action. 'Warned us that we don't go' fails to backshift the present tense 'don't' to the past 'didn't' or 'shouldn't'.
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Q14Original: 'Why don't we meet at noon?' he said. How is this best reported?
Answer: D. Both 'suggested that we meet' and 'suggested meeting' are correct.
The verb 'suggest' never takes a to-infinitive; therefore, 'suggested to meet' is incorrect. It accepts either a gerund ('suggested meeting') or a 'that-clause'. In formal English, the 'that-clause' uses the base verb ('meet') or 'should meet'. Both 'suggested that we meet' and 'suggested meeting' are grammatically correct options.
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Q15Original: 'Yes, I lied about my qualifications,' he said. How is this best reported?
Answer: A. He admitted to having lied about his qualifications.
The verb 'admit' can be followed by the preposition 'to' and a gerund. The perfect gerund 'having lied' emphasizes that the lying occurred before the admission. 'Admitted of' is a lexical error, and 'admitted to have lied' is incorrect because the 'to' in 'admit to' is a preposition, which must be followed by an -ing form, not a base verb.
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Q16He asked, 'Where did you put the files?' Report this.
Answer: A. He asked where I had put the files.
In reported questions, we apply backshift (the past simple 'did you put' becomes the past perfect 'had put') and revert to statement word order (Subject + Verb). Using the auxiliary 'did' or 'had' before the subject in an indirect question is a word-order error.
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Q17She said, 'I am leaving tomorrow.' Report this.
Answer: B. She said she was leaving the next day.
Reporting this requires two changes: backshifting the present continuous 'am leaving' to the past continuous 'was leaving', and shifting the temporal time reference 'tomorrow' to 'the next day' or 'the following day' to reflect the reporter's point of view in time.
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Q18Choose the correct version of this sentence: The manager asked me [what was my salary] at my previous job.
Answer: A. The manager asked me what my salary was at my previous job.
This is a word-order error in an indirect question. Unlike direct questions, indirect questions must use statement word order (Subject + Verb). 'What was my salary' (Verb + Subject) must be changed to 'what my salary was' (Subject + Verb) to be grammatically correct.
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Q19He said, 'I have been working here for years.' Report this.
Answer: B. He said he had been working there for years.
To report this accurately, the Present Perfect Continuous ('have been working') backshifts to the Past Perfect Continuous ('had been working'). Additionally, the word 'here' must shift to 'there' to reflect the distance from the speaker's current location.
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Q20She asked, 'Can you help me?' Report this.
Answer: B. She asked if I could help her.
Reporting a 'yes/no' question requires the word 'if' or 'whether'. The modal 'can' must also be backshifted to 'could' to maintain the sequence of tenses. 'Asked could I' is incorrect because it retains the inverted question word order instead of the required statement order.
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Q21They said, 'We will be arriving late.' Report this.
Answer: D. They said they would be arriving late.
The future continuous 'will be arriving' backshifts to the conditional continuous 'would be arriving'. 'Will be arrive' is ungrammatical as it lacks the -ing form, and 'had been arriving' incorrectly changes the aspect from a future prediction to a past continuous state.
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Q22Identify the error in the following: 'She asked if did I want to join the committee.'
Answer: C. if did I want
Indirect questions do not use the auxiliary 'do/does/did' for question formation. The correct structure requires removing 'did' and changing the verb to its past form: 'She asked if I wanted...'. Retaining the auxiliary 'did' is a common error in reported speech.
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Q23He said, 'I saw the incident yesterday.' Report this.
Answer: B. He said he had seen the incident the day before.
The Past Simple ('saw') backshifts to the Past Perfect ('had seen') to indicate it happened before the time of reporting. Furthermore, 'yesterday' must shift to 'the day before' or 'the previous day' to maintain accuracy from the reporter's perspective.
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Q24She asked, 'Which train should I take?' Report this.
Answer: D. She asked which train she should take.
Indirect questions must follow declarative (statement) word order: [Subject + Verb]. 'Which train she should take' correctly places the subject 'she' before the modal 'should'. Inverting them ('should she') is only appropriate in direct questions.
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Q25He said, 'I might go to the party.' Report this.
Answer: A. He said he might go to the party.
The modal 'might' does not backshift further in reported speech; it remains 'might'. Unlike 'may', which backshifts to 'might', 'might' is already at the furthest past point for modals. 'Might have gone' would change the meaning to a past hypothetical situation, which was not in the original statement.
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Q26She said, 'If I had time, I would help.' Report this.
Answer: D. She said if she had time, she would help.
The second conditional (hypothetical present) usually remains unchanged in reported speech. Backshifting 'had' to 'had had' would transform a present hypothetical into a past hypothetical (third conditional), which changes the original meaning. Therefore, 'if she had time, she would help' is the correct reported form.
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Q27He asked, 'Whose keys are these?' Report this.
Answer: B. He asked whose keys those were.
This reported question requires declarative word order: [Subject 'those' + Verb 'were']. Additionally, backshift must be applied ('are' becomes 'were') and the word 'these' must be shifted to 'those'.
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Q28She said, 'I must leave now.' Report this.
Answer: B. She said she had to leave then.
In reported speech, 'must' expressing obligation is standardly backshifted to 'had to'. The temporal adverb 'now' must also be shifted to 'then' or 'at that time' to reflect the change in time between the original statement and the report.
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Q29Identify the error in the following: 'The interviewer asked why did I choose this career path.'
Answer: A. why did I choose
Indirect questions require declarative word order: [Wh-word + Subject + Verb]. The auxiliary 'did' should be removed, and the verb 'choose' should be backshifted to the past perfect 'had chosen' or past simple 'chose'. Retaining 'did' is a word-order error.
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Q30He said, 'I have already finished.' Report this.
Answer: B. He said he had already finished.
The Present Perfect ('have finished') backshifts to the Past Perfect ('had finished') when the reporting verb ('said') is in the past. 'Has already finished' is only used if the reporting verb is in the present or the situation is extremely recent and still relevant.
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Q31The report states, 'Inflation is rising rapidly.' Report this.
Answer: D. The report states that inflation is rising rapidly.
When the reporting verb is in the present tense ('states'), no backshift is required in the reported clause. This is a common feature of academic and journalistic writing used to indicate that the information remains current and factually valid at the time of reporting.
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Q32The author argues, 'These findings are conclusive.' Report this.
Answer: A. The author argues that these findings are conclusive.
Using a present tense reporting verb ('argues') signals that the author's claim is still active and relevant. In this case, the verb in the 'that-clause' ('are') remains in the present tense. Backshifting only occurs when the reporting verb is in the past tense.
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Q33The study shows, 'The participants were more productive.' Report this.
Answer: B. The study shows that the participants were more productive.
With a present reporting verb ('shows'), the original tense is typically preserved. Since the original statement ('were') referred to a past result of the study, 'were' is maintained. Changing to 'had been' is unnecessary and shifts the focus further into the past than required.
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Q34Researchers claim, 'The vaccine is safe.' Report this.
Answer: D. Researchers claim that the vaccine is safe.
A present tense reporting verb ('claim') indicates that the statement is still upheld by the researchers. No backshift is required, so the present simple 'is' is retained to reflect a current and ongoing scientific assertion.
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Q35The article states, 'The event took place in 1995.' Report this.
Answer: A. The article states that the event took place in 1995.
In formal reporting with a present tense reporting verb ('states'), the original past tense ('took place') is kept. Backshifting to the past perfect ('had taken place') is optional and often less common in academic registers where the focus is on the current validity of the record.
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Q36The professor explains, 'The system failed due to a bug.' Report this.
Answer: C. The professor explains how the system failed.
Because the reporting verb 'explains' is in the present tense, the original tense of the explanation ('failed') is preserved. The sentence correctly uses declarative word order following the interrogative 'how'.
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Q37The textbook notes, 'Water boils at 100 degrees.' Report this.
Answer: D. The textbook notes that water boils at 100 degrees.
When reporting universal truths or scientific facts with a present reporting verb ('notes'), the present simple is retained. This reflects the timeless nature of the fact, as water boiling at 100 degrees is a constant physical property.
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Q38The study suggests, 'Employees prefer flexible hours.' Report this.
Answer: B. The study suggests that employees prefer flexible hours.
The use of the present tense reporting verb 'suggests' means no backshift is needed in the reported clause. The present simple 'prefer' indicates an ongoing general preference identified by the study's findings.
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Q39The report questions, 'Why are the costs so high?' Report this.
Answer: D. The report questions why the costs are so high.
With the reporting verb 'questions' in the present tense, no backshift is applied. The indirect question must use declarative word order: [Wh-word + Subject + Verb], making 'why the costs are' the grammatically correct choice.
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Q40The scientist argues, 'The data supports the hypothesis.' Report this.
Answer: B. The scientist argues that the data supports the hypothesis.
In academic writing, present tense reporting verbs ('argues') are used to discuss current scientific theories. Since the reporting verb is present, the verb in the 'that-clause' ('supports') does not undergo backshift.
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Q41The paper states, 'Economic growth will slow down.' Report this.
Answer: D. The paper states that economic growth will slow down.
With the reporting verb 'states' in the present tense, the modal 'will' is preserved. Backshifting to 'would' only occurs if the reporting verb itself were in a past tense ('the paper stated...').
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Q42The journalist asks, 'Can the government solve the crisis?' Report this.
Answer: A. The journalist asks whether the government can solve the crisis.
In an indirect question with a present reporting verb ('asks'), we use 'whether' or 'if' and maintain the modal 'can'. The clause must follow declarative word order: [Subject 'the government' + Modal 'can' + Verb 'solve'].
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Q43The manual states, 'The machine requires regular maintenance.' Report this.
Answer: D. The manual states that the machine requires regular maintenance.
The present tense reporting verb 'states' ensures the original present tense 'requires' is maintained. This is because the maintenance requirement is an ongoing, current fact described by the manual.
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Q44The editorial claims, 'Our city is becoming too crowded.' Report this.
Answer: A. The editorial claims that our city is becoming too crowded.
The reporting verb 'claims' is in the present tense, reflecting a current editorial stance. Therefore, the present continuous 'is becoming' is preserved in the reported clause to indicate an ongoing process.
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Q45The report details, 'What were the results of the survey?' Report this.
Answer: B. The report details what the results of the survey were.
Reporting a past tense statement ('were') using a present reporting verb ('details') preserves the original tense. The reported clause must follow declarative word order: the entire subject phrase ('the results of the survey') must come before the verb ('were'), giving: 'what the results of the survey were'.
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