Intermediate reported speech. 45 questions on reporting questions, advanced reporting verbs, and full pronoun/time changes.
What this test covers
- Reporting Yes/No and Wh-Questions
- Advanced Reporting Verbs
- Full Pronoun & Time Expression Changes
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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Q1She asked, 'Where are you going?' The reported version is: She asked where ___.
Answer: B. you were going
In reported questions, we use statement word order (subject before verb) and backshift the tense. The present continuous 'are going' shifts to the past continuous 'were going'.
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Q2He asked, 'Do you like pizza?' The reported version is: He asked if ___.
Answer: B. I liked pizza
Yes/no questions are reported using 'if' or 'whether' with statement word order. The present simple 'like' backshifts to the past simple 'liked'. We do not use the helping verb 'do' or 'did' in the reported statement.
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Q3Identify the correct reported question: 'What time does the train leave?'
Answer: C. He asked what time the train left.
When reporting a question, we drop the helping verb 'does' and change the main verb to the past simple ('left'). We also use statement word order: 'the train left'.
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Q4They asked, 'Can you help us?' The reported version is: They asked if I ___ help them.
Answer: A. could
The helping verb 'can' backshifts to 'could' in reported speech. Additionally, the pronoun 'us' changes to 'them' to reflect the reporter's perspective.
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Q5Choose the correct sentence: She asked me ___.
Answer: C. what I was doing
Reported questions follow statement word order (subject + verb) rather than question word order. Therefore, 'what I was doing' is correct, while 'what was I doing' is not.
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Q6He asked, 'Have you finished your homework?' The reported version is: He asked whether I ___ finished my homework.
Answer: D. had
The present perfect 'have finished' backshifts to the past perfect 'had finished' in reported speech. We use 'whether' or 'if' to report a yes/no question.
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Q7She asked, 'Why are you crying?' The reported version is: She asked why ___.
Answer: C. I was crying
This reported question requires statement word order ('I was') and a tense backshift from present continuous ('are crying') to past continuous ('was crying').
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Q8Choose the correct indirect question: 'Who is he?'
Answer: B. I don't know who he is.
Embedded questions (questions inside a statement like 'I don't know...') use statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order. 'who he is' is correct; 'who is he' ('I don't know who is he.') incorrectly retains question word order.
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Q9He asked, 'Will you be there?' The reported version is: He asked if I ___ be there.
Answer: D. would
The future modal 'will' backshifts to 'would' in reported speech. We use 'if' because the original was a yes/no question.
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Q10Identify the error: 'He asked me where did I buy that shirt.'
Answer: B. did I buy
In reported questions, we use statement word order and remove the helping verb 'did'. The correct sentence would be 'He asked me where I bought that shirt.'
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Q11She asked, 'Is the meeting cancelled?' The reported version is: She asked if the meeting ___.
Answer: C. was cancelled
The present simple passive 'is cancelled' backshifts to the past simple passive 'was cancelled'. We use 'if' to link the reported yes/no question.
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Q12Choose the correct reported question: 'Which book do you want?'
Answer: D. He asked which book I wanted.
We use statement word order and backshift the tense. The present simple 'want' becomes the past simple 'wanted', and the helping verb 'do' is removed.
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Q13He asked, 'How much does it cost?' The reported version is: He asked how much it ___.
Answer: B. cost
The present simple 'costs' backshifts to the past simple. Since the past tense of 'cost' is also 'cost', the correct reported form is 'how much it cost'.
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Q14She asked, 'Are you coming?' The reported version is: She asked whether I ___ coming.
Answer: D. was
The present continuous 'are coming' backshifts to the past continuous. Since the subject is 'I', we use 'was coming'.
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Q15Choose the correctly reported sentence: 'Whose bag is this?'
Answer: D. He asked whose bag that was.
This involves three changes: statement word order ('that' before the verb), backshifting 'is' to 'was', and changing 'this' to 'that'.
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Q16The doctor ___ me to rest for a week.
Answer: A. advised
The verb 'advise' follows the pattern: verb + object + to + base verb. 'Suggested' cannot be used with this object + infinitive structure.
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Q17He ___ taking the money, despite the evidence.
Answer: C. denied
The reporting verb 'denied' is followed by the verb ending in -ing. 'Refused', 'promised', and 'agreed' all require a to + base verb.
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Q18She ___ to call me as soon as she arrived.
Answer: C. promised
The verb 'promised' is followed by a to + base verb. 'Denied', 'admitted', and 'suggested' are followed by a verb ending in -ing or a 'that' clause.
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Q19They ___ to meet us at the station.
Answer: B. agreed
The verb 'agreed' takes a to + base verb. 'Suggested' takes the -ing form, and 'insisted' usually takes 'on + -ing'.
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Q20He ___ that he had never seen her before.
Answer: B. claimed
The verb 'claimed' is followed by a 'that' clause. 'Told' is incorrect here because it requires a person as an object (e.g., 'He told me that...').
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Q21She ___ us not to touch the equipment.
Answer: D. warned
The verb 'warn' uses the pattern: verb + object + (not) + to + base verb. 'Suggested' and 'denied' do not use this structure.
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Q22He ___ leaving early, but we decided to stay.
Answer: C. suggested
The verb 'suggest' is followed by a verb ending in -ing. 'Promised' and 'refused' both require a to + base verb ('to leave').
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Q23She ___ to sign the contract.
Answer: B. refused
The verb 'refused' is followed by a to + base verb. 'Suggested' and 'admitted' would require a verb ending in -ing ('signing').
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Q24He ___ stealing the documents.
Answer: D. admitted
The verb 'admitted' is followed by a verb ending in -ing. 'Agreed', 'refused', and 'promised' require a to + base verb.
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Q25She ___ that we should leave immediately.
Answer: D. suggested
The verb 'suggest' can be followed by a 'that' clause, often using 'should' or a base verb. 'Refused' and 'denied' do not use this 'should' construction.
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Q26Identify the incorrect structure: 'He suggested ___.'
Answer: A. to go
In English, the verb 'suggest' is never followed by a to + base verb ('to go'). It takes a verb ending in -ing ('going') or a 'that' clause.
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Q27Choose the correct sentence: 'She advised ___.'
Answer: C. me not to go
The reporting verb 'advise' follows the pattern: verb + object + to + base verb. To make it negative, we put 'not' before 'to'.
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Q28Identify the correct structure: 'He denied ___.'
Answer: D. stealing it
The verb 'deny' is followed by the verb ending in -ing. Using 'to steal' is a common mistake for intermediate learners.
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Q29Which is correct? 'She promised ___.'
Answer: D. to help us
The verb 'promise' is followed by a to + base verb. It does not use the object + to + base verb pattern ('us to help') like 'advise' or 'tell' does.
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Q30Choose the correct sentence: 'He claimed ___.'
Answer: A. to have finished
The verb 'claim' can be followed by a to + base verb. To show that the action happened in the past, we use the perfect infinitive 'to have finished'.
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Q31She said, 'I will see you tomorrow.' The reported version is: She said she would see me ___.
Answer: D. the next day
When reporting speech, the time expression 'tomorrow' changes to 'the next day' or 'the following day'.
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Q32He said, 'I bought this car yesterday.' The reported version is: He said he had bought ___ car the day before.
Answer: C. that
In reported speech, demonstratives like 'this' shift to 'that' (singular) and 'these' shift to 'those' (plural).
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Q33She said, 'I finished this work an hour ago.' The reported version is: She said she had finished the work an hour ___.
Answer: D. before
The word 'ago' changes to 'before' in reported speech to indicate time relative to the past moment of speaking.
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Q34He said, 'I am busy tonight.' The reported version is: He said he was busy ___.
Answer: D. that night
The time expression 'tonight' changes to 'that night' when reporting speech in the past.
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Q35She said, 'I will see these people next week.' The reported version is: She said she would see ___ people the following week.
Answer: C. those
The demonstrative 'these' changes to 'those' in reported speech to show distance from the speaker's current time and place.
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Q36He said, 'I am leaving now.' The reported version is: He said he was leaving ___.
Answer: D. then
In reported speech, 'now' is usually replaced by 'then' or 'at that time' to reflect that the action was happening at that specific past moment.
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Q37She said, 'I saw him here.' The reported version is: She said she had seen him ___.
Answer: B. there
Adverbs of place often change in reported speech: 'here' shifts to 'there'.
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Q38He said, 'I visited London last year.' The reported version is: He said he had visited London ___.
Answer: C. the year before
Time expressions using 'last' (like 'last year') change to 'the ... before' or 'the previous ...' in reported speech.
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Q39She said, 'I am happy today.' The reported version is: She said she was happy ___.
Answer: D. that day
The time expression 'today' changes to 'that day' in reported speech.
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Q40Choose the correct sentence: 'He said he ___.'
Answer: B. was tired
When the reporting verb ('said') is in the past, the verb in the reported clause must backshift. 'Is' becomes 'was'.
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Q41She said, 'I haven't seen them.' The reported version is: She said she ___ seen them.
Answer: B. hadn't
The present perfect 'haven't seen' backshifts to the past perfect 'hadn't seen'.
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Q42Identify the incorrect pronoun change: 'He said, "I like my job."'
Answer: B. He said he liked my job.
When reporting speech, pronouns must change to match the speaker. 'I' becomes 'he', and 'my job' becomes 'his job'. 'He said he liked my job' incorrectly suggests he liked the listener's job.
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Q43He said, 'I will be there.' The reported version is: He said he ___ be there.
Answer: C. would
The future modal 'will' backshifts to 'would' in reported speech.
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Q44She said, 'It might rain.' The reported version is: She said it ___ rain.
Answer: D. might
The helping verb 'might' does not change in reported speech because it is already considered a 'remote' or past form.
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Q45Choose the correctly backshifted sentence: 'I must leave.'
Answer: B. He said he had to leave.
The modal 'must' used for obligation backshifts to 'had to' in reported speech.
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