150+ Reported speech exercises with answers (Beginner to C1)

Knowing reported speech rules is only the beginning. To use indirect speech confidently, you need practice converting real sentences, questions, and requests. Work through 150+ direct and indirect speech exercises, check the explanations, and find out which grammar patterns need more practice.

Quick rules cheat sheet before practicing

1. Statements: Subject + said (that) + subject + verb; or subject + told + object + (that) + subject + verb.
2. Wh- questions: Subject + asked (+ object) + wh-word + subject + verb (no question inversion).
3. Yes/No questions: Subject + asked (+ object) + if/whether + subject + verb.
4. Commands and requests: Subject + told/asked + object + (not) to + base verb.

For example: “I work here,” Mia said.

→ Mia said that she worked there.

Note: These shifts are context-dependent, not automatic. For example, today can stay today if the report is made on the same day; must expressing deduction often stays must.

Basic reported speech exercises (A1–A2)

Exercise: Multiple choice on basic statements and pronouns

Instructions: Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D).
1. “I am very tired,” Marcus said. 
→ Marcus said that he ___ very tired. 
A. is 
B. was 
C. were 
D. be

2. “I love this song,” Anna said. 
→ Anna said that ___ loved that song. 
A. she 
B. he 
C. I 
D. they

3. “We are ready,” the players said. 
→ The players said that they ___ ready. 
A. are 
B. was 
C. were 
D. be

4. “My brother works here,” Lily said. 
→ Lily said that ___ brother worked there. 
A. his 
B. her 
C. my 
D. their

5. “I can swim,” Leo said. 
→ Leo said he ___ swim. 
A. can 
B. could 
C. will 
D. must

6. “I will help you,” Nina told Ben. 
→ Nina told Ben she ___ help him. 
A. will 
B. can 
C. would 
D. had

7. “I have a dog,” Tom said. 
→ Tom said he ___ a dog. 
A. has 
B. have 
C. had 
D. having

8. “These shoes are new,” Eva said. 
→ Eva said ___ shoes were new. 
A. this 
B. those 
C. that 
D. it

9. “I saw a movie,” Ryan said. 
→ Ryan said he ___ a movie. 
A. sees 
B. had seen 
C. has see 
D. seeing

10. “We live in Boston,” the sisters said. 
→ They said they ___ in Boston. 
A. lived 
B. lives 
C. living 
D. live

Exercise: Fill in the Blanks with Correct Verb Forms

Instructions: Complete each sentence with the backshifted form of the verb in parentheses.

1. “I eat breakfast at seven,” Zoe said. 
→ Zoe said she ___ breakfast at seven. (eat)

2. “I am studying,” Noah said. 
→ Noah said he ___ . (study)

3. “We have finished,” they said. 
→ They said they ___ . (finish)

4. “I bought a ticket,” Mia said. 
→ Mia said she ___ a ticket. (buy)

5. “I will call later,” Jay said. 
→ Jay said he ___ later. (call)

6. “I can drive,” Ella said. 
→ Ella said she ___ . (drive)

7. “The store is closing,” Ava said. 
→ Ava said the store ___ . (close)

8. “We are hungry,” the children said. 
→ The children said they ___ hungry. (be)

9. “I have lost my keys,” Ben said. 
→ Ben said he ___ his keys. (lose)

10. “It rains a lot here,” Kim said. 
→ Kim said it ___ a lot there. (rain)

Exercise: Sentence rewriting for beginners

Instructions: Rewrite each quote as reported speech using the starter.

1. “I need some help with my homework,” David said. 
→ David said that ___.

2. “I am happy,” Rose said. 
→ Rose said that ___.

3. “We play soccer,” the boys said. 
→ The boys said that ___.

4. “I will visit my aunt,” Kate said. 
→ Kate said that ___.

5. “I found my wallet,” Oscar said. 
→ Oscar said that ___.

6. “My dad is cooking,” Grace said. 
→ Grace said that ___.

7. “We can stay,” the guests said. 
→ The guests said that ___.

8. “I have cleaned my room,” Max said. 
→ Max said that ___.

9. “These cookies taste great,” Emma said. 
→ Emma said that ___.

10. “I am going home now,” Peter said. 
→ Peter said that ___.

Exercise: True or false grammatical identification

Instructions: Mark each sentence True (T) or False (F). Correct every false sentence.

1. Lena said that she was busy.
2. He told that he was sick.
3. She asked where did I live.
4. Mark said he would arrive soon.
5. They said that they has finished.
6. Eva told me that she liked jazz.
7. He asked if was I ready.
8. The coach told us to run faster.
9. Maya said that her parents was home.
10. She asked me don't speak.

Exercise: Matching direct and reported speech pairs

Instructions: Match each numbered direct quote with the correct lettered reported sentence. Each letter is used once.

Column A: Direct speech

1. “I am cold,” Eva said.
2. “We will leave,” they said.
3. “I can sing,” Ben said.
4. “I like tea,” Nora said.
5. “We are working,” the staff said.
6. “I have eaten,” Tim said.
7. “My bike is red,” Sue said.
8. “I saw Leo,” Mia said.
9. “This is mine,” Alex said.
10. “I need water,” Dan said.

Column B: Reported speech

A. Sue said her bike was red.
B. Ben said he could sing.
C. Dan said he needed water.
D. Eva said she was cold.
E. The staff said they were working.
F. Alex said that was his.
G. They said they would leave.
H. Mia said she had seen Leo.
I. Nora said she liked tea.
J. Tim said he had eaten.

Intermediate reported speech exercises (B1–B2)

Exercise: Reported questions (Yes/No & Wh- questions)

Instructions: Rewrite each question as reported speech. Assume the questions are reported later.

1. “Where did you buy this vintage leather jacket?” Jessica asked me.
2. “Are you coming tonight?” Emma asked Noah.
3. “Why are you laughing?” Sam asked Lily.
4. “Have you finished the report?” the boss asked me.
5. “When will the train arrive?” Mia asked the clerk.
6. “Do you speak French?” Oliver asked Ava.
7. “Who called you yesterday?” Nina asked Ben.
8. “Can you open the window?” the teacher asked me.
9. “Where have they gone?” Dad asked me.
10. “Is the library open today?” Zoe asked the librarian.

Exercise: Reported commands, requests, and warnings

Instructions: Use the reporting verb in parentheses and rewrite each quote.

1. “Please don’t park in front of the emergency garage,” the guard said to the driver. (asked)
2. “Close the door,” Mom said to Jack. (told)
3. “Please help me carry this,” Zoe said to Ben. (asked)
4. “Watch out for the ice,” the officer said to us. (warned)
5. “Remember to bring your ID,” the teacher said to Mia. (reminded)
6. “Leave the building immediately,” the captain said to the crew. (ordered)
7. “Don’t touch the wires,” Dad said to us. (warned)
8. “Please sit down,” the receptionist said to me. (asked)
9. “Keep your receipt,” the cashier said to Nina. (told)
10. “Don’t forget the deadline,” the manager said to us. (reminded)

Exercise: Error identification in intermediate reported speech

Instructions: Find the grammatical error and correct the sentence.

1. The manager said me that our sales targets had been met ahead of time.
2. She asked where was the meeting.
3. He told to me that he was late.
4. They asked if did I know the answer.
5. Mia said that she will call the next day.
6. The coach told the players don't stop.
7. Lena admitted to break the vase.
8. He suggested us to leave early.
9. Sam asked me where I did live.
10. She apologized for be late.

Exercise: Advanced reporting verbs transformation

Instructions: Use the specified reporting verb or phrase in each answer.

1. “I will definitely pay you back the $500 next Friday,” Brad said to Mia. (promised)
2. “I’m sorry I broke your mug,” Dan said to Eva. (apologized for)
3. “You copied my essay,” Tina said to Leo. (accused ... of)
4. “Yes, I took the last cookie,” Max said. (admitted)
5. “I didn’t open your email,” Ava said. (denied)
6. “I want to pay for dinner,” Noah said. (insisted on)
7. “Let’s take a break,” Kim said. (suggested)
8. “Well done on winning the award!” Mia said to Ben. (congratulated ... on)
9. “No, I won’t sign the form,” Jake said. (refused)
10. “I’ll cancel the deal if you tell anyone,” the buyer said to the seller. (threatened)

Exercise: Dialogue-to-paragraph reporting

Instructions: Read five two-line dialogues. Report both lines from each dialogue as complete sentences (10 answers total). Assume the dialogue is reported later.

Dialogue 1: Job interview

Dialogue 2: Restaurant

Dialogue 3: Project meeting

Dialogue 4: Airport

Dialogue 5: Classroom

Advanced reported speech exercises (B2–C1)

Exercise: Deciding whether to backshift (Exceptions to tense shifts)

Instructions: Rewrite each quote. Decide whether backshifting is necessary; assume the stated context.

1. “Light travels faster than sound in a vacuum,” the astrophysics teacher told the students yesterday.
2. “I live in Denver,” Maya said yesterday; she still lives there.
3. “I am sick,” Leo said last month; he has recovered.
4. “The Earth orbits the Sun,” the lecturer said.
5. “I will call tonight,” Nora says.
6. “I work remotely,” Ben told me yesterday; he still does.
7. “We are staying in Chicago,” the guests said last year; the trip ended.
8. “Water freezes at 32°F under standard atmospheric pressure,” the teacher said.
9. “I have lost my passport,” Ella said last week; she found it yesterday.
10. “I can speak Spanish,” Luis says.

Exercise: Reporting conditionals and hypothetical statements

Instructions: Convert the following conditionals and hypothetical statements into reported speech.

1. “If the weather is good tomorrow, we will hike in the Rocky Mountains,” Alex said.
2. “If I had more time, I would travel,” Mia said.
3. “If I had studied, I would have passed,” Ben said.
4. “If you heat ice, it melts,” the teacher said.
5. “If I were you, I would apologize,” Kate told Tom.
6. “If the team wins, we will celebrate,” the coach said.
7. “I wish I knew the answer,” Sam said.
8. “If she had called, I could have helped,” Leo said.
9. “If you need help, call me,” Nora told Ava.
10. “I would buy it if it were cheaper,” Eva said.

Exercise: Reverse transformation (reported to direct speech at C1 level)

Instructions: Reconstruct a plausible original quote. More than one direct quote may fit.

1. The governor announced that the state would allocate twenty million dollars to rural healthcare the following year.
2. Maya said that she had been working there since January.
3. The scientist said that the samples might have been contaminated.
4. The editor asked why the article had not been published the day before.
5. The witness said that she could not remember what she had seen.
6. The director told the actors not to move.
7. Noah said that he would have finished by the following Friday.
8. The consultant asked whether we had reviewed those figures.
9. The lawyer said that the contract had to be signed that day.
10. Ella said that she wished she had not made that decision.

Exercise: Advanced synthesis and sentence rewriting

Instructions: Rewrite each sentence using the capitalized keyword without changing its form.

1. “You stole the confidential client list from my laptop!” Marcus said to Frank. (ACCUSED)
2. “Why don’t we postpone the launch?” Sara said. (SUGGESTED)
3. “I’m sorry I missed the meeting,” Liam said. (APOLOGIZED)
4. “I never shared the password,” Mia said. (DENIED)
5. “I’ll help you with the proposal,” Ben told Zoe. (PROMISED)
6. “Don’t enter the lab,” the technician told us. (WARNED)
7. “You should apply for the grant,” the professor told Ava. (ADVISED)
8. “Yes, I altered the records,” the accountant said. (ADMITTED)
9. “If you publish this, I’ll sue,” the client told the publisher. (THREATENED)
10. “Well done on completing your degree,” Dad told Nina. (CONGRATULATED)

Exercise: Advanced multiple choice quiz on subjunctive and complex reporting

Instructions: Choose the single best answer (A, B, C, or D).

1. The board of directors insisted that the chief executive officer ___ immediately. 
A. resigned B. resign C. resigns D. will resign

2. The lawyer recommended that the documents ___ securely. 
A. are stored B. were storing C. be stored D. stores

3. She denied ___ the confidential memo. 
A. to leak B. leaking C. leak D. leaked

4. The witness claimed ___ the suspect earlier that evening. 
A. seeing B. to have seen C. see D. to seeing

5. The director demanded that every employee ___ informed. 
A. is B. was C. be D. being

6. The journalist asked why the data ___ before publication. 
A. had not been verified B. had not verified C. were not verify D. did not verified

7. The company was reported ___ significant losses the previous year. 
A. to incur B. to have incurred C. incurring D. incur

8. He insisted on ___ a written explanation. 
A. receive B. to receive C. receiving D. received

9. The chair proposed that the vote ___ until Monday. 
A. postpone B. be postponed C. is postponed D. postponing

10. She asked whether the agreement ___ by both parties. 
A. had signed B. had been signed C. has signing D. was sign

Tips to avoid common traps in reported speech tests

1. Check the reporting verb first: 

A present reporting verb normally preserves the original tense

For example: “I am ready” 

→ She says she is ready. 

However, a past reporting verb (she said) often prompts backshifting: She said she was ready. Remember, backshifting is not mandatory for every still-true fact, so do not automatically eliminate all unshifted forms.

2. Remove question inversion

In indirect questions, use asked/wondered + if/whether/wh-word + subject + verb

For example: “Where does she work?” 

→ He asked where she worked, not where did she work. 

An indirect question embedded in a statement generally ends with a period.

3. Track speaker, listener, and pronouns

Identify each referent before changing I, we, you, my, or our.

For example: “I will email you,” Maya told Leo 

→ Maya told Leo she would email him. 

4. Review demonstratives and time/place expressions

This → that, these → those, here → there, today → that day, and ago → before are common when the reporting perspective changes. Keep the original expressions if the time or location remains the same. Remember these three-step self-check: 

1. Identify the reporting verb and time context.
2. Reassign pronouns and remove question inversion.
3. Check backshift, reporting-verb patterns, and time/place references.

These reported speech exercises with answers provide structured written practice, from simple statements to complex reporting verbs. For more English learning resources, explore the Grammar category from ELSA Speak blog. You can also use ELSA Speak to practice pronunciation and speaking fluency as you read reported statements aloud and explain what someone said in your own words.