B2 Reported Speech (Advanced) – Grammar Test 2 | 15 Practice Questions for IELTS, TOEFL & YDS
Enhance your grammar with B2 Reported Speech Grammar Test 2. Practice 15 advanced questions for IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS exams.
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is a fundamental structure in English that allows speakers to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. At the B2 level, learners are expected to go beyond basic transformations and master more advanced structures, including tense backshifting, modal verb changes, reporting verbs, and transformations of questions, commands, and requests. These structures require careful attention to grammar, meaning, and context.
One of the key challenges in advanced reported speech is understanding how and when to apply tense changes. For example, present tenses typically shift to past forms when the reporting verb is in the past, while modal verbs may change depending on their meaning. Additionally, learners must correctly transform direct questions into indirect questions by adjusting word order and removing auxiliary inversion. Time and place expressions such as today, yesterday, and here also change depending on context.
Reported speech is frequently tested in international exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS, especially in grammar, writing, and reading sections. Candidates must demonstrate accuracy in structure and appropriate use of reporting verbs such as say, tell, ask, advise, suggest, and warn. Mastering these forms enables learners to report information clearly, express ideas more effectively, and achieve higher scores in academic and professional English contexts.
Choose the correct answer for each question.
RESULTS
#1. She said, “I have completed the task.” → She said that she ______ the task.
#2. He said, “I am reading a book.” → He said that he ______ a book.
#3. They said, “We will start the meeting soon.” → They said that they ______ start the meeting soon.
#4. She said, “I can’t attend the event.” → She said that she ______ attend the event.
#5. He said, “I met her last year.” → He said that he ______ her the previous year.
#6. She said, “I am working on a new project.” → She said that she ______ on a new project.
#7. He said, “Where do you live?” → He asked me where I ______.
#8. She said, “Why are you late?” → She asked me why I ______ late.
#9. He said, “Don’t touch that!” → He told me ______ that.
#10. She said, “Please open the window.” → She asked me ______ the window.
#11. He said, “I must finish this today.” → He said that he ______ finish that that day.
#12. She said, “I might go out later.” → She said that she ______ go out later.
#13. He said, “We are planning a trip.” → He said that they ______ a trip.
#14. She said, “I didn’t see him.” → She said that she ______ him.
#15. He said, “I won’t forget this.” → He said that he ______ forget that.
Detailed Explanations
1
Correct Answer: had completed
Present perfect tense changes to past perfect in reported speech when the reporting verb is in the past.
2
Correct Answer: was reading
Present continuous tense shifts to past continuous in reported speech.
3
Correct Answer: would
Future tense changes to conditional form when reported in the past.
4
Correct Answer: couldn’t
Modal verbs such as “can” change to their past forms in reported speech.
5
Correct Answer: had met
Past simple tense changes to past perfect to indicate a completed action before the reporting moment.
6
Correct Answer: was working
Present continuous changes to past continuous when backshifting occurs.
7
Correct Answer: lived
In reported questions, the sentence structure becomes a statement and the tense shifts back.
8
Correct Answer: was
Wh-questions in reported speech follow statement order and require tense backshifting.
9
Correct Answer: not to touch
Negative commands are reported using “not + to + verb” after reporting verbs such as “tell.”
10
Correct Answer: to open
Requests are reported using an infinitive structure following verbs like “ask.”
11
Correct Answer: had to
“Must” changes to “had to” when expressing obligation in reported speech.
12
Correct Answer: might
Some modal verbs remain unchanged in reported speech depending on context.
13
Correct Answer: were planning
Present continuous tense shifts to past continuous in reported speech.
14
Correct Answer: hadn’t seen
Past simple changes to past perfect when reporting a past action.
15
Correct Answer: wouldn’t
Future negative forms change to conditional negative forms in reported speech.
