Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
In the last unit you learned how to report statements (She said that she was tired). But people do not only make statements — they also ask questions and give commands. In this unit you learn how to report both of these. The big idea is the same as before: when we report someone's words later, the grammar changes.
Two changes matter most in this unit. First, a reported question loses its "question shape": there is no do/does/did, and the word order becomes the order of a normal statement. Second, a reported command or request is built with a very simple pattern: a reporting verb + a person + a to-infinitive.
When we report a wh- question, we keep the question word (where, what, why, when, how...), but three things change: we use statement word order (subject before verb), we remove do / does / did, and we usually backshift the tense one step into the past.
| Direct question | Reported question |
|---|---|
| "Where do you live?" | He asked where I lived. |
| "What are you doing?" | She asked what I was doing. |
| "Why did you leave?" | They asked why I had left. |
| "When will you arrive?" | I asked when she would arrive. |
A yes/no question has no question word, so we add one ourselves: if or whether. After it, we again use statement word order and backshift the tense. If and whether mean the same here; whether is a little more formal.
| Direct question | Reported question |
|---|---|
| "Do you like tea?" | She asked if I liked tea. |
| "Are you ready?" | He asked whether I was ready. |
| "Did you see it?" | They asked if I had seen it. |
| "Can you swim?" | I asked if she could swim. |
To report an order or a request, we do not backshift a tense — instead we use a clear, fixed pattern: a reporting verb + the person (an object) + a to-infinitive. For a negative command, we simply put not in front of to.
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| "Wait here." | She told me to wait here. |
| "Please help me." | He asked me to help him. |
| "Don't be late." | They told me not to be late. |
| "Close the door." | The teacher told us to close the door. |
We use tell for a normal instruction and ask for a polite request, but English has many stronger, more exact verbs. They all follow the same pattern: verb + object + (not) to + infinitive.
| Verb | Use it for... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tell | a normal instruction | She told me to wait. |
| ask | a polite request | He asked me to sit down. |
| order | a strong, official command | The officer ordered them to stop. |
| advise | a suggestion for someone's good | The doctor advised her to rest. |
| warn | a danger (often with 'not to') | He warned me not to touch it. |
| remind | help someone remember | She reminded me to call home. |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with reported questions and commands. Check your own sentences against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| He asked where did I live. | He asked where I lived. | a reported question uses statement order, no 'did'. |
| She asked me what time is it. | She asked me what time it was. | drop the inversion and backshift the tense. |
| They told me wait. | They told me to wait. | tell + object + to-infinitive. |
| He said me to go home. | He told me to go home. | use 'tell' (+ object), not 'say', for a command. |
| She told me to not worry. | She told me not to worry. | negative = not + to-infinitive, in that order. |
| He asked me that I was tired. | He asked me if I was tired. | yes/no question → if/whether, never 'that'. |
A new pupil stops a teacher in the school corridor. Read the short conversation, then read how a friend reports it afterwards. Notice how each question loses its question shape and each command becomes a to-infinitive.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them to report questions and commands from your own life.
Write 8 sentences that report questions and commands from your own life. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): advise · reply · remind · request · permission · enquire · instruction
My name is Kerem, and last month our teacher gave me the most exciting job in the whole school: I became a reporter for our magazine, "The Young Voice". My editor, Selin, told me to interview someone interesting, so I chose our new football coach, Mr Deniz. He had once played for a real city team, and everybody wanted to know more about him.
Before the interview, Selin gave me clear instructions. She reminded me to prepare my questions the night before, and she advised me to listen carefully instead of only reading from my paper. She also warned me not to be shy, because a good reporter is never afraid to ask. My mum told me to wear a smart shirt, and my little sister asked me if she could come and watch. I told her not to make any noise.
On the big day, my hands were shaking. I had written my questions in a small notebook, and I had also borrowed my father's old recorder so that I would not miss a word. When I walked into the office, Mr Deniz smiled and told me to sit down. As soon as I sat down, he asked me if I was nervous, and I replied that I was a little. He laughed kindly and told me not to worry.
Then the real interview began. I asked him why he had chosen our town, and he explained that he loved quiet places near the sea. Next, I asked him how long he had been a coach, and whether he still enjoyed the game. He replied that he had trained young players for ten years and that he loved every single day.
I wanted to know what his biggest dream was. Mr Deniz thought for a moment and then answered that he hoped to build a strong school team. He asked me whether our school had a proper pitch, and I told him that we did. He seemed very pleased.
Our readers had also sent some questions, and Selin had told me to include them. One pupil wanted to know whether Mr Deniz had ever scored a goal in a big stadium. He laughed and replied that he had scored twice, but that he had also missed many times. Another reader asked what his favourite meal before a match was, and he answered that it was simply pasta and water. These small questions made the interview feel warm and friendly.
After that, I asked him what advice he would give to young players. He gave me three clear rules. First, he told us to practise every week, even when we felt tired. Second, he advised us to eat well and sleep early. Third, he warned us not to give up after a single bad match, because every player loses sometimes.
Near the end, I asked him if I could take a photograph, and he said yes. He even asked me when the magazine would come out. I told him that it would be ready in two weeks. Before I left, he reminded me to send him a copy and told me to bring my friends to the first training session.
On my way home, my sister asked me how it had gone. I replied that it had gone brilliantly. She wanted to know if the coach was friendly, and I told her that he was the kindest person I had met. That evening, I wrote every question and answer, word for word, so that I would not forget anything.
A week later, Selin read my article and told me that it was excellent. She asked me if I wanted to interview more people, and of course I said yes. My first big interview had taught me something important: if you prepare well and listen carefully, even a scary job can become the best day of your life.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text. Mind the reported structure (backshift, if/whether, not to).
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. How did Selin help Kerem prepare before the interview?
2. What three rules did Mr Deniz give to young players?
3. What lesson does Kerem say the interview taught him, and do you agree?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, because, so, when, before, then, as soon as. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Report a whole conversation in your own words, then drill the grammar with 10 quick questions.
Below is a short direct conversation. Your job is to report it — turn every line into a reported question or a reported command in your own words.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
10 quick questions on reported questions and commands. Each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
A list of short, separate reported sentences is not real writing. What connects your ideas is linking words. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add more powerful connectors: when, before, after, then and as soon as. These let you show the order of events and the reasons behind them like a confident writer.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | She asked me my name, and then she asked where I lived. |
| but | show a contrast | I asked if I could help, but he refused. |
| so | show a result | He told me to hurry, so I ran to catch the bus. |
| because | give a reason | She told me not to worry, because the test was easy. |
| when | say at what time | When I arrived, the coach asked me to wait. |
| before | an earlier event | Before we left, she reminded me to lock the door. |
| after | a later event | After he asked my age, he asked where I went to school. |
| then | the next step | He asked my name; then he told me to write it on the list. |
| as soon as | immediately after | As soon as I sat down, she asked if I was ready. |
See the difference — the same facts, written two ways:
| Separate sentences ✗ | Connected, fluent writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| The coach called me over. He asked me where my team was. He told me to put on my shirt. He warned me not to push. I felt nervous. | When the coach called me over, he asked me where my team was and told me to put on my shirt. Then he warned me not to push, so I stood still, because I felt nervous. |
A "reported conversation" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | Say who you talked to and when | Last month I had my first big interview for the school magazine with our new coach, Mr Deniz. |
| 2. Body | Report the questions (statement order, if/whether) and the commands (tell/ask + to), linked with connectors | I asked him why he had chosen our town, and then he told me to practise every week. |
| 3. Closing | Say how it ended or how you felt | Finally, he reminded me to send him a copy, and I felt proud. |
Think of a real or imagined interview — a chat with a coach, a talk with a teacher, an interview with a relative, or a famous person you would love to meet. Write a paragraph that reports it.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + practice. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...