Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): word order in reported speech sentences
English grammar practice exercise, upper-intermediate.
In this exercise you will practise word order in reported speech.
Exercise instructions
Rearrange the words in brackets into the correct order.
| Structure of reported speech | |
| direct speech | It’s better to wait. |
| reported speech | She said that it was better to wait. |
| direct speech | I’ve (I have) never been to Spain. |
| reported speech | He said that he had never been to Spain. |
| Reported speech – common mistakes | ||
| Common mistakes | Correct version | Why? |
| She said me that she wasn't able to do it. | She told me that she wasn't able to do it. | After tell we mention the listener. After say we don't mention the listener. |
| She told me that she is looking for her handbag. He told me he hasn't seen her before. She told me she will see him later. |
She told me that she was looking for her handbag. He told me he hadn't seen her before. She told me she would see him later. |
If the reporting verb (in this case tell) is in the past tense, we usually change the tense of the verb which follows: I am ⇒ I was I can ⇒ I could have been ⇒ had been was ⇒ had been will ⇒ would can ⇒ could |
| I told him don't go there. | I told him not to go there. | When we report a command or warning, we use (not) + to + infinitive. |