Reported Speech Test B1 Grammar Exercises

In reported speech, pronouns change to fit the new speaker. Kirsten said "I will lend you my car", so I becomes she and you becomes me: she would lend me her car.

We use whether (or if) for a yes/no question inside a sentence: Is there life on other planets? becomes whether there is life on other planets. That introduces a fact, not a question.

The situation is in the past, so we use was. A future idea seen from the past uses would instead of will: It was obvious that we would have a problem one day. Not was / will have, because after a past verb we normally backshift will to would.

We say say (something) to someone, so said to us is correct, and that can be left out. Not told, because tell takes a person directly with no to: She told us…, not She told to us….

In reported speech we move tenses back: the action in progress becomes had been talking, and I have no idea becomes she had no idea. Not was having, because have meaning 'possess' is not used in continuous forms.

We use if (or whether) for a yes/no question inside a sentence: Is it today or tomorrow? becomes I'm not sure if it is today or tomorrow. Not when or what time, because the speaker already knows the time (9 pm).

Shall we…? is a suggestion, so we report it with suggest + -ing: Keith suggested throwing a party. Not promised, because Keith is asking for an idea, not saying he will do it.

In a reported question, who asks about the person who did the action (the thief), and why asks for the reason: The police wanted to know who had stolen the car and why. Not whom, because the missing word is the subject of had stolen.

Tell is followed directly by a person: No one told me (that)…; that can be left out. Not said or explained, because they need to before the person: said to me, explained to me.

But shows contrast: we knew it was true, yet Russell said it wasn't, so he denied it. The firing happened before he spoke, so we use the past perfect passive had been fired. Not admitted, because that doesn't contrast with We knew it was true.

A reported yes/no question uses ask + person + if/whether: Do you have anything to declare? becomes asked her if she had anything to declare. Not told her whether, because tell is for giving information, not asking.

Threaten to do something means saying you will do something unpleasant if another person doesn't do what you want: She threatened to break up with him. Not warned, because we say warn someone that… or warn someone not to…, not warn to do.

Tell takes a person directly: Miriam told me that…, and the past tense learnt reports I learnt…. Not said / had learnt, because said me is wrong; we say said to me.

Admit to + -ing means to say that you did something wrong: He admitted to copying the homework. Finally shows he accepted the truth in the end. Not denied, because we say denied copying, without to.

To report an instruction we use tell + person + to + verb: tell her to bring the reports. Not suggest / bringing, because suggest is not followed directly by a person.

Wants to know introduces a question in the present, so the tense stays the same: When will I be able to…? becomes he wants to know when he will be able to…. Not was telling me, because that is past and doesn't fit will.

Remind someone to do something means help them not to forget: Can you remind me to do the shopping? The clue is might forget it.

What asks about the words he said, and refuse to + verb means say no to doing something. But shows she didn't want to talk. Not agreed, because that doesn't contrast with but.

Suggest is followed by the -ing form: I suggest making an appointment. Not suggest that, because that must be followed by a clause, e.g. I suggest that you make…; not advise you, because it needs to: advise you to make.

Accuse someone of + -ing means say they did something wrong, and deny + -ing means say you didn't do it: he denied having done anything wrong. Not complained, because we don't say complain someone of.