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
Getting a part in the school play is not easy, and my cousin Ada knows this very well. For almost three weeks she had been practising a short poem for the auditions, but she was still not sure of herself. So when the drama teacher, Miss Aylin, finally called her name from the list, she was both excited and a little scared. She spent the whole weekend getting ready: she practised in front of the mirror, and she asked her family to test her with tricky questions. My aunt reminded her to bring two copies of the script, and my uncle told her not to arrive late.
Last week Ada had her big audition, and afterwards she told me all about it. She was nervous at first, but Miss Aylin was very kind. As soon as she walked in, the teacher told her to relax and asked her if she wanted a glass of water. While they waited for the music to start, Miss Aylin asked Ada how her morning had been and whether she had found the room easily. These easy questions helped her to calm down, and soon she almost forgot that she was nervous at all.
Then the real part began. Miss Aylin asked Ada why she had chosen that poem, and she replied that she loved telling stories. The teacher wanted to know how long Ada had been in the drama club, and whether she could come to the rehearsals on Saturday mornings. Ada said that she could. She explained that she had once been in a small puppet show, and Miss Aylin asked her to act a short scene.
Next, the teacher asked Ada what her biggest problem on stage was. That was a difficult question! Ada thought for a moment and then answered honestly: she sometimes forgot her lines when a lot of people were watching. Miss Aylin smiled and told her not to worry, because everybody feels nervous, so a few nerves are completely normal.
Then Miss Aylin explained a few things about the play. She gave Ada some clear instructions about the stage and advised her to ask questions whenever she was not sure.
Before the end, she asked Ada if she had any questions. Ada requested a copy of the full script and asked for permission to bring her little brother to the first show. She also enquired when Miss Aylin would announce the cast, and the teacher replied that she would tell everyone within a week. Finally, Miss Aylin told her to check the noticeboard that evening.
On her way home, when her best friend asked how it had gone, Ada replied that it had gone well, but she added that she was still not completely sure. Her friend told her not to worry and reminded her that she had practised very hard.
That evening, Ada got a note. It asked her to come back for a second audition and reminded her to bring her costume. She was so happy! She said that the audition had taught her something important: practice and a calm mind always help.
A week later, Ada went back for the second audition, and this time she was far more confident. When it was over, she called me and reported every single question, word for word. Ada's story has a happy ending, because two days later Miss Aylin gave her the main part, and she says she has never been happier.
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 Miss Aylin help Ada feel more comfortable at the start of the audition?
2. What did the note that Ada received that evening ask her to do?
3. What lesson does Ada say the audition taught her, 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 week I had an audition for the school play with a teacher called Miss Aylin. |
| 2. Body | Report the questions (statement order, if/whether) and the commands (tell/ask + to), linked with connectors | She asked me why I wanted a part, and then she told me to read a short poem. |
| 3. Closing | Say how it ended or how you felt | Finally, she told me to check the noticeboard, and I felt hopeful. |
Think of a real or imagined conversation — an audition, a talk with a teacher, a chat with a coach, or advice from a doctor. 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...