B2 Reported Speech (Advanced) – Grammar Test 1 | 15 Practice Questions for IELTS, TOEFL & YDS
Master reported speech with this B2 Advanced Grammar Test 1. Practice 15 exam-style questions for IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS preparation.
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a key grammatical structure used to report what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. At the B2 level, learners are expected to understand not only basic tense changes but also more advanced transformations involving modal verbs, time expressions, reporting verbs, and sentence structures. This includes shifting tenses back in time (backshifting), adjusting pronouns, and modifying expressions like today, tomorrow, or here.
In advanced reported speech, learners must also deal with different sentence types such as statements, questions, commands, and requests. Reporting verbs like say, tell, ask, suggest, advise, and warn require specific grammatical patterns. For example, some verbs are followed by an infinitive (advise someone to do something), while others are followed by a clause (say that…). Understanding these patterns is essential for accurate and natural communication.
Reported speech is frequently tested in international exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS. Candidates must demonstrate their ability to transform direct speech into reported speech correctly, paying attention to tense changes, word order, and appropriate reporting verbs. Mastering this structure helps learners improve both their writing and speaking skills, allowing them to convey information more effectively in academic and real-life contexts.
Choose the correct answer for each question.
RESULTS
#1. She said, “I am tired.” → She said that she ______ tired.
#2. He said, “I will call you tomorrow.” → He said that he ______ call me the next day.
#3. They said, “We have finished the project.” → They said that they ______ the project.
#4. She said, “I can solve this problem.” → She said that she ______ solve that problem.
#5. He said, “I saw her yesterday.” → He said that he ______ her the day before.
#6. She said, “I am going to travel next week.” → She said that she ______ going to travel the following week.
#7. He said, “Do you like coffee?” → He asked me if I ______ coffee.
#8. She said, “Where are you going?” → She asked me where I ______.
#9. He said, “Close the door.” → He told me ______ the door.
#10. She said, “Please help me.” → She asked me ______ her.
#11. He said, “I must finish this work today.” → He said that he ______ finish that work that day.
#12. She said, “I may be late.” → She said that she ______ be late.
#13. He said, “We are working on a new project.” → He said that they ______ working on a new project.
#14. She said, “I have never been to Paris.” → She said that she ______ to Paris.
#15. He said, “I won’t attend the meeting.” → He said that he ______ attend the meeting.
Detailed Explanations
1
Correct Answer: was
In reported speech, present simple tense changes to past simple when the reporting verb is in the past. The sentence requires a backshift in tense.
2
Correct Answer: would
The future tense shifts back to a conditional form in reported speech. Time expressions like “tomorrow” also change accordingly.
3
Correct Answer: had finished
Present perfect tense changes to past perfect in reported speech when backshifting occurs.
4
Correct Answer: could
Modal verbs such as “can” change to their past equivalents in reported speech.
5
Correct Answer: had seen
Past simple tense changes to past perfect to show that the action occurred before the reporting moment.
6
Correct Answer: was
The present continuous form changes to past continuous in reported speech.
7
Correct Answer: liked
In reported yes/no questions, the tense shifts back and the sentence structure changes to statement word order.
8
Correct Answer: was going
Wh-questions in reported speech follow statement order and include tense backshifting.
9
Correct Answer: to close
Commands are reported using an infinitive structure after reporting verbs such as “tell.”
10
Correct Answer: to help
Requests are reported using an infinitive structure, often following verbs like “ask.”
11
Correct Answer: had to
The modal verb “must” often changes to a past equivalent when expressing obligation in reported speech.
12
Correct Answer: might
Some modal verbs remain unchanged in reported speech depending on the context.
13
Correct Answer: were
Present continuous tense shifts to past continuous when reported in the past.
14
Correct Answer: had never been
Present perfect tense changes to past perfect in reported speech.
15
Correct Answer: wouldn’t
Future negative forms shift back to conditional negative forms in reported speech.
