Can you report questions, statements, requests and commands correctly? Test your understanding of direct and indirect speech with this interactive grammar exercise.
1The girl said that she ............... unwell.
Wrong!
After the past reporting verb "said", use the backshifted form "was".
2He said that his master ............... his dinner.
Wrong!
After the past reporting verb "said", the present continuous usually changes to "was having".
3The boy said that the horse ............... in the night.
Wrong!
In reported speech after a past reporting verb, the simple past often changes to "had died".
4She told me that she ............... trust me.
Wrong!
After the past reporting verb "told", the present simple negative changes to "didn't".
5He ............... that he is glad to be here this evening.
Wrong!
The present reporting verb "says" fits with the unchanged present-time words "is", "here", and "this evening".
6The stranger asked ...............
Wrong!
A reported question uses statement word order, so the correct form is "where I lived".
7My mother asked me whether I ............... a man like him.
Wrong!
In reported speech after a past reporting verb, "will" usually changes to "would trust".
8The visitor requested the girl ............... a glass of water.
Wrong!
A reported request is commonly followed by an object and a to-infinitive, so the correct form is "to bring".
9The mother wrote that she ............... and longing for her son's return.
Wrong!
After the past reporting verb "wrote", the present continuous changes to "was waiting".
10I told him that I ............... his friend for months.
Wrong!
After the past reporting verb "told", the present perfect negative usually changes to "had not seen".
11He asked me ...............
Wrong!
A reported question uses statement word order and backshift, so the correct form is "what I wanted".
12The speaker said that it ............... him great pleasure to be there that evening.
Wrong!
After the past reporting verb "said", the present simple usually changes to "gave".
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- The girl said that she was unwell.
- He said that his master was having his dinner.
- The boy said that the horse had died in the night.
- She told me that she didn’t trust me.
- He says that he is glad to be here this evening.
- The stranger asked where I lived.
- My mother asked me whether I would trust a man like him.
- The visitor requested the girl to bring a glass of water.
- The mother wrote that she was waiting and longing for her son’s return.
- I told him that I had not seen his friend for months.
- He asked me what I wanted.
- The speaker said that it gave him great pleasure to be there that evening.