Scientists still have no answer to _____ there is life on other planets.
It _____ obvious that we _____ a big problem with our old car one day.
She _____ to us _____ there was nothing to worry about, but actually there was so much.
I asked Lorena what Mike _____ about when I went into his room, but she told me that she _____ no idea.
I know the film starts at 9 pm, but I am not sure _____ it is today or tomorrow.
Keith: Shall we throw a party for Jane next Saturday ?
Bill told Lara that Keith _____ for Jane the following Saturday.
The police wanted to know _____ had murdered the businessman and _____.
No one _____ me _____ we were going to pay such a lot of extra money for the package tour.
We knew that it was true, but Russell _____ that he _____ from the company.
Alice told me that no one at the customs had _____ her _____ she had anything to declare and that she found it quite strange.
Martha _____ to break up with him if Jack didn't stop smoking.
Miriam _____ me that she _____ how to dance the waltz from her grandmother.
Jason finally _____ to copying the homework from the Internet.
Could you _____ her _____ the reports with her when she comes to the meeting?
Ahmet _____ when he will be able to get rid of the plaster on his leg.
I am busy today and might forget it. Can you please _____ me to do the shopping before I come home?
I asked _____ he said to her, but she _____ to talk to me.
That tooth of yours looks awful. I _____ making an appointment at the dentist's as soon as possible.
His parents _____ Luke of getting into a fight with his younger brother, but he _____ having done anything to hide.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
End |
Download PDF version of this test.
We welcome your comments, questions, corrections, reporting typos and additional information relating to this content.
Reported speech is used when we want to convey what someone else has said to us or to another person. It involves paraphrasing or summarising what has been said , often changing verb tenses , pronouns and other elements to suit the context of the report.
Tense | Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|---|
Present Simple | She sings in the choir. | He said (that) she sings in the choir. |
Present Continuous | They are playing football. | She mentioned (that) they were playing football. |
Past Simple | I visited Paris last summer. | She told me (that) she visited Paris last summer. |
Past Continuous | I was cooking dinner. | He said (that) he had been cooking dinner. |
Present Perfect | We have finished the project. | They said (that) they had finished the project. |
Past Perfect* | I had already eaten when you called. | She explained (that) she had already eaten when I called. |
Will | I will call you later. | She promised (that) she would call me later. |
Would* | I would help if I could. | He said (that) he would help if he could. |
Can | She can speak French fluently. | He mentioned (that) she could speak French fluently. |
Could* | I could run fast when I was young. | She recalled (that) she could run fast when she was young. |
Shall | Shall we meet tomorrow? | They asked (whether) we should meet the next day. |
Should* | You should visit the museum. | She suggested (that) I should visit the museum. |
Might* | It might rain later. | He mentioned (that) it might rain later. |
Must | I must finish my homework. | She reminded me (that) I must finish my homework. |
*doesn’t change
The formula for reported speech involves transforming direct speech into an indirect form while maintaining the meaning of the original statement. In general, the formula includes:
Here’s a simplified formula:
Reporting Verb + Indirect Object + Conjunction + Reported Clause
For example:
Reporting Verbs: We use verbs like ‘say’ or ‘tell’ to introduce reported speech. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tense of the reported speech generally remains the same.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“I enjoy playing tennis.” | She said (that) she enjoys playing tennis. |
“We plan to visit Paris.” | They told us (that) they plan to visit Paris. |
“He loves listening to music.” | She said (that) he loves listening to music. |
“She bakes delicious cakes.” | He told me (that) she bakes delicious cakes. |
“They watch movies every weekend.” | She said (that) they watch movies every weekend. |
If the reporting verb is in the past tense , the tense of the reported speech often shifts back in time.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech (Reporting verb in past tense) |
---|---|
“I eat breakfast at 8 AM.” | She said (that) she ate breakfast at 8 AM. |
“We are going to the beach.” | They told me (that) they were going to the beach. |
“He speaks Spanish fluently.” | She said (that) he spoke Spanish fluently. |
“She cooks delicious meals.” | He mentioned (that) she cooked delicious meals. |
“They play soccer every weekend.” | She said (that) they played soccer every weekend. |
Tense Changes: Tense changes are common in reported speech. For example, present simple may change to past simple, present continuous to past continuous, etc. However, some verbs like ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘might’, ‘must’, and ‘ought to’ generally don’t change.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“I like chocolate.” | She said (that) she liked chocolate. |
“We are watching TV.” | They told me (that) they were watching TV. |
“He is studying for the exam.” | She mentioned (that) he was studying for the exam. |
“She has finished her work.” | He said (that) she had finished her work. |
“They will arrive soon.” | She mentioned (that) they would arrive soon. |
“You can swim very well.” | He said (that) I could swim very well. |
“She might be late.” | He mentioned (that) she might be late. |
“I must finish this by tonight.” | She said (that) she must finish that by tonight. |
“You should call your parents.” | They told me (that) I should call my parents. |
“He would help if he could.” | She said (that) he would help if he could. |
Reported Questions: When reporting questions, we often change them into statements while preserving the meaning. Question words are retained, and the tense of the verbs may change.
Direct Question | Reported Statement (Preserving Meaning) |
---|---|
“Where do you live?” | She asked me where I lived. |
“What are you doing?” | They wanted to know what I was doing. |
“Who was that fantastic man?” | He asked me who that fantastic man had been. |
“Did you turn off the coffee pot?” | She asked if I had turned off the coffee pot. |
“Is supper ready?” | They wanted to know if supper was ready. |
“Will you be at the party?” | She asked me if I would be at the party. |
“Should I tell her the news?” | He wondered whether he should tell her the news. |
“Where will you stay?” | She inquired if I had decided where I would stay. |
Reported Requests and Orders: Requests and orders are reported similarly to statements. Reported requests often use ‘asked me to’ + infinitive, while reported orders use ‘told me to’ + infinitive.
Direct Request/Order | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“Please help me.” | She asked me to help her. |
“Please don’t smoke.” | He asked me not to smoke. |
“Could you bring my book tonight?” | She asked me to bring her book that night. |
“Could you pass the milk, please?” | He asked me to pass the milk. |
“Would you mind coming early tomorrow?” | She asked me to come early the next day. |
“Please don’t be late.” | He told me not to be late. |
“Go to bed!” | She told the child to go to bed. |
“Don’t worry!” | He told her not to worry. |
“Be on time!” | He told me to be on time. |
“Don’t smoke!” | He told us not to smoke. |
Time Expressions: Time expressions may need to change depending on when the reported speech occurred in relation to the reporting moment. For instance, ‘today’ may become ‘that day’ or ‘yesterday’, ‘yesterday’ might become ‘the day before’, and so forth.
Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
---|---|
“I finished my homework.” | She said she had finished her homework. |
“We are going shopping.” | He told me they were going shopping. |
“She will call you later.” | They mentioned she would call me later. |
“I saw him yesterday.” | She said she had seen him the day before. |
“The party is tonight.” | He mentioned the party would be that night. |
“The concert was last week.” | She told me the concert had been the previous week. |
Reported Speech PDF – download
Reported Speech A2 – B1 Test – download
Perfect english grammar.
Here's a list of all the reported speech exercises on this site:
( Click here to read the explanations about reported speech )
Reported Statements:
Reported Questions:
Reported Orders and Requests:
Hello! I'm Seonaid! I'm here to help you understand grammar and speak correct, fluent English.
Read more about our learning method
Practice Grammar Tests for A1 with Answer
Practice Grammar Tests for A2 with Answer
Practice Grammar Tests for B1 with Answer
Practice Grammar Tests for B2 with Answer
Practice Grammar Tests for C1 with Answer
Practice Listening Tests for STARTERS with Answer & Audioscript
Practice Listening Tests for A1 with Answer & Audioscript
Practice Listening Tests for B1 with Answer & Audioscript
Practice Listening Tests for B2 with Answer & Audioscript
Practice Reading Tests for STARTERS with Answer
Practice Reading Tests for A1 with Answer
Practice Reading Tests for A2 with Answer
Practice Reading Tests for B1 with Answer
Practice Reading Tests for B2 with Answer
Use of English Tests for A1 with Answer
Use of English Tests for A2 with Answer
Use of English Tests for B1 with Answer
Use of English Tests for B2 with Answer
Practice Writing Tests for STARTERS with Answer
Practice Writing Tests for A1 with Answer
Practice Writing Tests for A2 with Answer
Practice Writing Tests for B1 with Answer
Practice Writing Tests for B2 with Answer
Key (ket) reading & writing tests.
Practice KET Reading and Wrting Tests with Answer
Practice PET Listening Tests with Answer & Audioscript
Practice FCE Listening Tests with Answer & Audioscript
Practice CAE Listening Tests with Answer & Audioscript
Practice Vocabulary Tests for A1 with Answer
Practice Vocabulary Tests for A2 with Answer
Practice Vocabulary Tests for B1 with Answer
Practice Vocabulary Tests for B2 with Answer
Choose the correct answer.
1 “I get up every morning at seven o’clock”, Peter said.
a) Peter said he got up every morning at seven o’clock.
b) Peter said I got up every morning at seven o’clock.
c) Peter said he had got up every morning at seven o’clock.
d) None of these.
2 Tom said, “I want to visit my friends this weekend”.
a) Tom said he wants to visit his friends that weekend.
b) Tom said he wanted to visit his friends that weekend.
c) Tom said he wanted to visit his friends this weekend.
3 She asked me, “When are we going to leave”?
a) She asked me when she was going to leave.
b) She asked me when we were going to leave.
c) She asked me when we are going to leave.
4 They said, “We’ve lived here for a long time”.
a) They said they have lived there for a long time.
b) They said they lived here for a long time.
c) They said they had lived there for a long time.
5 Peter said, “I may bring someone with me to the party”.
a) Peter said he might bring someone with him to the party.
b) Peter said he bring someone with him to the party.
c) Peter said he might bring someone with her to the party.
6 Jack said, “He must be guilty!”
a) Jack said he must guilty.
b) Jack said he must have be guilty.
c) jack said he must have been guilty.
7 He asked me, “Have you finished reading the newspaper”?
a) He asked me if had I finished reading the newspaper.
b) He asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
c) He asked me if I finished reading the newspaper.
8 You said, “I will help you”!
a) You said you would help me!
b) You said I would help you!
c) You said you would help her!
9 Jerry said, “I’m studying English a lot at the moment”!
a) Jerry said he was studying English a lot at that moment.
b) Jerry said he was studying English a lot at the moment.
c) Jerry said I was studying English a lot at that moment.
10 She asked her, “How long have you lived here”?
a) Cheryl asked her how long she has lived there.
b) Cheryl asked her how long she lived there.
c) Cheryl asked her how long she had lived there.
11 Susan reassured me, “I can come tonight”.
a) Susan told me I could come that night.
b) Susan told me she could come that night.
c) Susan told me she could come tomorrow evening.
12 She said, “I’ve worked here since I left my last job”.
a) She told me that she worked there since she had left her last job.
b) She told me that she had worked there since she had left her last job.
c) She told me that she had worked there since she left her last job.
13 Mark asked me, “Why do you want to study Russian”?
a) Mark asked her why I wanted to study Russian.
b) Mark asked me why did I want to study Russian.
c) Mark asked me why I wanted to study Russian.
14 He said, “I must get going. Otherwise, I’m going to be late“.
a) He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.
b) He told me he had to get going. Otherwise, I was going to be late.
c) He told me he has to get going. Otherwise, he was going to be late.
15 She said, “I really wish I had bought that new car”.
a) She told me she really wished she bought that new car.
b) She told me she really had wished she had bought that new car.
c) She told me she really wished she had bought that new car.
16 Tom said, “I travel to exotic places”. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: Tom said he … to exotic places.
b) traveled
17 Susan said, “I am going to the store”. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: Susan said that she … to the store.
b) am going
c) was going
18 Linda told me, “I owned a flower shop”. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: Linda told me that she … a flower shop.
b) was owing
c) had owned
19 He said, “I will take my mom to the airport”. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: He said that he … his mother to the airport.
a) will take
c) would take
20 “I was swimming in the pool since 9 am”, he said. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: He said he … in the pool since 9am.
b) swimming
c) had been swimming
21 Sam said he was going to Europe after graduation.
a) Sam said, “I am going to Europe after graduation”.
b) Sam said, “I was going to Europe after graduation”.
c) Sam said, “I were going to Europe after graduation”.
22 Sharon told me that she would be entering the talent show.
a) Sharon told me, “I enter the talent show”.
b) Sharon told me, “I will be entering the talent show”.
c) Sharon told me, “I would be entering the talent show”.
23 Frank said that the phone had been ringing all day.
a) Frank said, “The phone was ringing all day”.
b) Frank said, “The phone has been ringing all day”.
c) Frank said, “The phone is ringing all day”.
24 Jenny said she would help me with my homework.
a) Jenny said, “I will help you with your homework”.
b) Jenny said, “I would help you with your homework”.
c) Jenny said, “I am helping you with your homework”.
25 Nancy said that she had played basketball in college.
a) Nancy said, “I play basketball in college”.
b) Nancy said, “I am playing basketball in college”.
c) Nancy said, “I played basketball in college”.
26 She said, “I will meet her tomorrow”. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: She said that she would meet her … .
b) the next day
c) next week
27 He said, “I have a business trip to Boston next week”. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: He said that he had a business trip to Boston … .
a) this week
b) in two weeks
c) the following week
28 “I got a new car last month”, he told me. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: He told me that he had gotten a new car … .
a) that month
b) that months
c) the previous month
29 Susie said, “I was sick yesterday”. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: Susie said that she had been sick … .
b) yesterday
c) the day before
30 “I quit my job today”, he told me. This sentence into Reported Speech becomes: He told me that he had quit his job … .
a) that day
c) the next day
1 a 2 b 3 b 4 c 5 a 6 c 7 b 8 a 9 a 10 c
11 b 12 b 13 c 14 a 15 c 16 b 17 c 18 c 19 c 20 c
21 a 22 b 23 b 24 a 25 c 26 b 27 c 28 c 29 c 30 a
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
----------------------------------------
ChatPDF – Chat with any PDF
Quizgecko – Make a Test
Four exercises where you can practice Statement, Negatives, Questions, Commands/Requests in Reported Speech.
Loading ad...
IMAGES
COMMENTS
RS007 - Reported Speech. RS006 - Reported Speech. RS005 - Reported Speech. RS004 - Reported Speech. RS003 - Reported Speech. RS002 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. RS001 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises. Adjective and Adverbs - Downloadable PDF Worksheets for English Language Learners - Intermediate Level (B1)
She said, "I can get home on my own". She said that she could get home on her own. They said, "We haven't been to an art gallery for ages". They said that they hadn't been to an art gallery for ages . The police asked me, "When did you leave the house this morning ?"
KEY. Mary said, "I will play a card game tomorrow.". Mary informed me that she would play a card game the following day. Sophie said, "I went to bed early last night.". Sophie said that she had gone to bed early the night before. The teacher said to Jenny, „You have to learn your grammar.". The teacher told Jenny that she had to ...
Dad warned us , "Don't touch the fresh paint !" Dad warned us not to touch the fresh paint. He wanted to know, "Will you go to the concert next week ?" He wanted to know if I wanted to go to the concert the following week. Mary begged the teacher, "Please , give me another chance !" Mary begged the teacher to give her another chance. Mother asked me, "Did he lend you the money ?" Mother asked ...
Reported speech - indirect speech. Reporting statements, questions and commands. Reporting verbs. English intermediate grammar exercises.
Grammar explanation and practice test at B1 level
Adjective and Adverbs - Downloadable PDF Worksheets for English Language Learners - Intermediate Level (B1) Home / B1 / Grammar / Reported Speech. Reported Speech (B1) RS001 - Reported Speech - Mixed Exercises; B1 Grammar. Tenses; Adjective - Adverb; Gerund and Infinitive; Reported Speech; Vocabulary.
TAKE NOTE: 1. If the direct speech statement includes the any of the following modal verbs, they do not change when transformed into reported speech: may, might, would, should, ought to 2. If the situation in the reported statement hasn't changed and is still true in the present, the reporting verb can remain in the same form:
However, when we use reported speech, we usually tend to refer to a quotation uttered in the past. If so, that's when the introductory clause is in a past tense (e. g. "he asked"), we usually have to change the tense.
Reported speech : worksheets pdf, printable exercises, handouts. Direct and indirect speech for esl.
Reported Speech (B1-B2) The worksheet includes activities to revise reported speech in different tenses. There's also a comic strip to work with and the grammar rules. Hope you enjoy this!
The teacher told the students, "Speak up if you want to say something!"
Download PDF version of this test. Help us continue providing free English language tests and quizzes online. Make a donation today! We welcome your comments, questions, corrections, reporting typos and additional information relating to this content. Subscribe. Reported Speech Test B1 Grammar Exercises 20 Multiple Choice Questions With Answers ...
Formula of Reported Speech The formula for reported speech involves transforming direct speech into an indirect form while maintaining the meaning of the original statement. In general, the formula includes: Choosing an appropriate reporting verb (e.g., say, tell, mention, explain). Changing pronouns and time expressions if necessary.
4 Complete the reported speech with the correct form of say or tell and the verb tenses that are crossed out. 1 He ……told…… us we could open the window if we are hot. ……were……
Lots of reported speech exercises - practise using free interactive quizzes.
The twins said that they were five years old. Mum said, "You will have to get up early for the trip tomorrow." Mum said that we (I, they,he,she) would have to get up early for the trip the following day. The teacher told her, "You speak English very well." The teacher told her that she spoke English very well.
What is indirect speech or reported speech? When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns ( I, you, my, your, etc .) if the time and speaker are different.
B1 English Grammar Test - Reported Speech Consolidation multiple-choice questions Grammar Tests for B1
Four exercises where you can practice Statement, Negatives, Questions, Commands/Requests in Reported Speech.
RS008 Make reported questions from the sentences below! He asked me, "Can I take a photo?" He wondered if ___________________________________________________________________________ . Joanne asked me, "Where did you buy that dress?" Joanne asked me _________________________________________________________________________ .
Reported speech - or indirect speech. We use reported speech to tell somebody what somebody else said. A2. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises.