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Quizzes > Literature & Language > English & Grammar

Reported Questions Quiz: Test Your Grammar Skills

Ready to tackle reported speech questions? Dive in!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for a quiz on reported speech and indirect questions on a golden yellow background

Got your curiosity piqued? It's time to put "reported questions" under the microscope! Our free reported speech questions challenge is perfect for ESL learners and grammar buffs eager to see "when we report questions we" heard or asked, sharpening your indirect questions grammar through fun reporting questions exercises. Tackle authentic interrogative questions and master the nuances of direct vs indirect speech in one go. Plus, get instant feedback to conquer narration change questions and direct discourse twists. Ready to flex your language skills? Start the quiz now and see how far you can go!

What is the correct reported version of: He asked, "Where is the station?"?
He asked where is the station.
He asked where the station is.
He asked where was the station.
He asked where the station was.
Reported questions use statement word order and shift tenses, changing 'is' to 'was'. We drop the question format and say 'where the station was' instead of 'where is the station'. Therefore, the correct form is 'He asked where the station was'. For more information, see Grammarly.
Choose the correct reported speech form of: She asked, "What time do you open?"
She asked what time did we open.
She asked what time opened we.
She asked what time do you open.
She asked what time we opened.
In reported speech, we shift present simple to past simple and remove the question format. 'What time do you open?' becomes 'what time we opened'. The auxiliary 'do' is dropped. See EF for details.
Convert to reported speech: John asked, "Do you like coffee?"
John asked whether I like coffee.
John asked if I liked coffee.
John asked did I like coffee.
John asked I liked coffee?
Yes/no questions in reported speech use 'if' or 'whether' and shift the tense back. 'Do you like coffee?' becomes 'if I liked coffee'. The auxiliary 'do' is removed. More examples at Grammar Monster.
How would you report: He asked, "Is she coming?"?
He asked whether she is coming.
He asked is she coming.
He asked whether she was coming.
He asked she was coming.
In reported speech, yes/no questions take 'whether' and shift the present to past: 'is she coming?' ? 'whether she was coming'. We do not keep the original question word order. See EnglishClub.
Convert correctly: The teacher asked, "Why didn't you do your homework?"
The teacher asked why had I not done my homework.
The teacher asked why I hadn't done my homework.
The teacher asked why you hadn't done your homework.
The teacher asked why I didn't do my homework.
When reporting past simple negatives, we shift to past perfect: 'didn't do' becomes 'hadn't done'. Pronouns are also adapted. So it becomes 'why I hadn't done my homework'. See EF for more.
How do you report: They asked, "How long have you been living here?"
They asked how long had I been living there.
They asked how long I have been living here.
They asked how long I had been living there.
They asked how long I had lived here.
Present perfect continuous in reported speech shifts to past perfect continuous: 'have been living' ? 'had been living', and 'here' becomes 'there'. Thus: 'how long I had been living there'. More at British Council.
Find the correct transformation of: Mom asked, "Who is cooking dinner?"
Mom asked who was cooking dinner.
Mom asked who cooked dinner.
Mom asked whom was cooking dinner.
Mom asked who is cooking dinner.
In reported questions with 'who', we keep 'who' and shift the tense: 'is cooking' ? 'was cooking'. The word order remains that of a statement. See GrammarBook.
Which sentence is NOT a correct reported question?
He asked me where the station was.
They asked whether the meeting was canceled.
She asked him what was his name.
She asked him what his name was.
Reported questions must use statement word order: subject before verb. 'What was his name' is incorrect; it should be 'what his name was'. See explanation at Perfect English Grammar.
How would you report: He said to me, "Don't you like chocolate?"
He asked me I did not like chocolate.
He asked whether I didn't like chocolate?
He asked me did I not like chocolate.
He asked me if I didn't like chocolate.
Negative yes/no questions are reported with 'if' plus the negative form shifting past: 'don't like' ? 'didn't like'. We do not keep auxiliary inversion. See Grammarly.
Transform correctly: "Where on earth has she gone?" he demanded.
He demanded where on earth had she been gone.
He demanded where on earth had she gone.
He demanded where on earth she gone.
He demanded to know where on earth she had gone.
With verbs like 'demand', reported questions often use 'to know'. We shift present perfect 'has gone' to past perfect 'had gone'. Hence: 'He demanded to know where on earth she had gone'. More at EnglishPage.
What is the correct reported form of: She asked, "Why on earth did you lie to me?"
She asked why on earth I lied to her.
She asked why on earth did I lie to her.
She asked why on earth I had lied to her.
She asked why on earth had I lied to her.
Past simple questions shift to past perfect in reported speech: 'did you lie' ? 'I had lied'. We also remove the auxiliary 'did'. So it becomes 'why on earth I had lied to her'. See BBC Learning.
Choose the best reported question: She asked, "Will they have completed the test by next week?"
She asked whether they would have completed the test by the following week.
She asked whether they will have completed the test by the following week.
She asked whether they would have completed the test by next week.
She asked if they would have completed the test by next week.
Future perfect in reported speech shifts 'will' to 'would' and 'next week' to 'the following week'. We introduce 'whether' for yes/no questions. So the correct form is 'whether they would have completed the test by the following week'. For an advanced guide, see Cambridge.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Reported Questions -

    Gain clarity on when we report questions we use indirect speech and why transforming direct questions into reported speech questions matters in English.

  2. Distinguish Direct and Indirect Queries -

    Learn to identify differences between direct questions and indirect questions grammar, focusing on word order and sentence structure.

  3. Apply Correct Question Word Order -

    Practice rearranging question words and auxiliary verbs to form accurate reported questions in varied contexts.

  4. Recognize Tense and Pronoun Shifts -

    Master the rules for changing verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions when reporting questions.

  5. Analyze Common Reporting Questions Errors -

    Spot and correct frequent mistakes in reported speech questions through targeted reporting questions exercises.

  6. Build Confidence with Quiz Practice -

    Test your skills with interactive reported questions quizzes designed to reinforce learning and track your progress.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Backshift Tense & Word Order -

    When we report questions we usually shift the tense back (present to past, past to past perfect) and change the word order by removing subject-auxiliary inversion. For example, "Where are you going?" becomes "She asked where I was going." This core rule in reported speech questions is emphasized by both Cambridge University and Oxford University grammar resources.

  2. Yes/No Questions & "if" or "whether" -

    Reported questions exercises often focus on yes/no questions, which require "if" or "whether" instead of a question word. For instance, "Do you like coffee?" is reported as "He asked if I liked coffee." A handy mnemonic is "If whether, it's yes/no together."

  3. Question Words Retained -

    When reporting wh-questions (who, what, where, why, how), we keep the question word but still apply backshifting and remove inversion. "Why did she leave early?" becomes "He asked why she had left early." This principle is central to indirect questions grammar guides from the British Council.

  4. Reporting Verb Variety -

    Beyond "ask," you can use verbs like "inquire," "wonder," or "request" to add formality and nuance: "She inquired where the station was." Mixing your reporting verbs keeps your writing fresh and shows advanced command of reported speech questions.

  5. Polite Indirect Requests -

    Indirect questions also serve to soften requests: "Could you tell me when the meeting starts?" uses polite structure without inversion in the embedded clause. Mastering this form is ideal for reporting questions exercises in business and academic contexts.

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