Fill in the blanks. This grammar exercise tests your ability to use reported speech correctly.
1He asked me what ...............
Wrong!
Reported questions use statement word order, so "I was doing" is correct.
2The stranger enquired where ...............
Wrong!
After a past reporting verb, the reported question normally backshifts, so "I lived" is correct.
3He asked them ............... they would listen to such a man.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
A reported yes/no question can use "if" or "whether" before the clause.
4The policeman ordered us ...............
Wrong!
A reported order with an object is followed by the infinitive, so "to go away" is correct.
5She said that she ............... me.
Wrong!
After a past reporting verb, present simple often changes to past simple, so "didn't believe" is correct.
6The king asked the philosopher whom he ............... the happiest man living.
Wrong!
The past reporting verb leads to the past form in the reported clause, so "considered" is correct.
7I told them ...............
Wrong!
A reported command after "told them" uses an infinitive, so "to be quiet" is correct.
8Aladdin asked the magician what ............... to deserve such a severe punishment.
Wrong!
A reported question uses statement word order and past perfect here, so "he had done" is correct.
9They asked who we were and what ...............
Wrong!
The second reported question uses statement word order and backshift, so "we wanted" is correct.
10He told me to wait until he ...............
Wrong!
After a past reporting verb, the time clause normally backshifts, so "came" is correct.
11The king was deeply grieved and asked his wife what ............... do for her.
Wrong!
A reported question uses statement word order with the backshifted modal, so "he could" is correct.
12He proposed that ............... wait for the news.
Wrong!
After "proposed that", a suggestion can be reported with "they should" before the verb.
Answers
- He asked me what I was doing
- The stranger enquired where I lived
- He asked them if / whether they would listen to such a man.
- The policeman ordered us to go away
- She said that she didn’t believe me.
- The king asked the philosopher whom he considered the happiest man living.
- I told them to be quiet
- Aladdin asked the magician what he had done to deserve such a severe punishment.
- They asked who we were and what we wanted
- He told me to wait until he came
- The king was deeply grieved and asked his wife what he could do for her.
- He proposed that they should wait for the news.