Virtuous English Academy logoVirtuous English Academy
B2 · Upper-Intermediate · Practice

Advanced Reported Speech: B2 Exercises

60 exercises · 20 multiple choice · 20 fill in the blank · 20 word ordering

At B1 reported speech is a mechanical exercise: shift the tense back, change the pronouns, move the time words. At B2 it becomes a choice about meaning, because the reporting verb itself carries the speaker's attitude. He said he had paid and He claimed he had paid describe the same utterance and take opposite positions on whether it was true. She admitted misreading the figures concedes; she insisted on seeing the original resists; he accused her of leaking it blames. Journalism, academic writing and any careful email run on exactly this distinction.

The difficulty is that each reporting verb comes with its own grammatical pattern, and the patterns do not follow from the meanings. Suggest takes a gerund or a that clause but never an object plus infinitive; tell demands an object; say refuses one; accuse needs of plus a gerund; warn takes an object plus to. There is no shortcut and there is no rule — the patterns have to be drilled until the shape arrives with the word. These sixty exercises work through the six main patterns and also cover the cases where backshift is deliberately NOT applied, because she said she works in research reports something still true, and the tense is how you say so.

60 exercises in this set
3 question types
~25 minutes to finish
80% to pass

What these exercises drill

Every question in this set tests one of the rules below. If any of them is unfamiliar, read the Advanced Reported Speech lesson first — practice before the rule is understood mostly teaches you your own guesses.

Practise Advanced Reported Speech now

Answer at your own pace — nothing is timed and nothing is submitted. Each answer is marked the moment you give it, the explanation appears whether you were right or wrong, and the progress bar tracks all 60. Your score is saved in this browser, and to your account if you are signed in.

Multiple choice questions

Choose the correct answer.

  1. She ___ taking the file from the archive, which the security log later confirmed.denied · refused · insisted · warned
  2. He ___ us that the building was structurally sound.said · assured · claimed · admitted
  3. The minister ___ that the figures had been independently verified.accused · warned · claimed · congratulated
  4. She ___ me of copying her proposal almost word for word.blamed · accused · criticised · warned
  5. They ___ him for the delay, though the fault lay with the supplier.accused · blamed · denied · apologised
  6. The consultant ___ postponing the launch until the second quarter.advised · told · warned · persuaded
  7. Which sentence is INCORRECT?She suggested that we postpone the meeting. · She suggested postponing the meeting. · She suggested us to postpone the meeting. · She suggested a postponement.
  8. He ___ to comment on the allegations at any point during the hearing.denied · refused · insisted · admitted
  9. She ___ me to check the small print before signing anything.suggested · recommended · warned · insisted
  10. She said she ___ in research, and as far as I know she still does.worked · works · had worked · would work
  11. He ___ on paying for the whole table, and would not be argued out of it.insisted · refused · denied · suggested
  12. The letter ___ us that our application had been received.said · informed · mentioned · explained
  13. She ___ having seen the email until the timestamp was produced.refused · denied · warned · offered
  14. They ___ to reimburse the cost of the flights in full.admitted · suggested · offered · accused
  15. The difference between 'He said he had paid' and 'He claimed he had paid' is that ___.the second signals that the writer does not vouch for it · the second is more formal only · the first is only used in speech · they are interchangeable
  16. She ___ him on the appointment, which was generous given their history.congratulated · complimented · praised · thanked
  17. He ___ for the confusion and promised to reissue the invoice.excused · apologised · regretted · forgave
  18. The chair ___ that the vote be taken by secret ballot.told · wanted · proposed · persuaded
  19. Which verb correctly completes: 'She ___ him into withdrawing the complaint'?persuaded · talked · advised · urged
  20. He ___ that he had never met the claimant, despite the photographs.insisted · suggested · recommended · offered

Fill-in-the-blank questions

Type the missing word.

  1. She __________ me that the report had already gone to the printers.
  2. He __________ that the meeting had been minuted incorrectly.
  3. They accused the department __________ withholding the correspondence.
  4. She apologised __________ arriving so late to her own presentation.
  5. He __________ to sign anything until his solicitor had read it.
  6. The surveyor __________ us to have the wiring checked before completion.
  7. She __________ moving the deadline rather than cutting the scope.
  8. He __________ having any involvement in the decision whatsoever.
  9. They congratulated her __________ winning the tender against three larger firms.
  10. The letter __________ us that no further action would be taken.
  11. She __________ to cover the shortfall out of her own budget.
  12. He blamed the contractor __________ the delay to the whole programme.
  13. The chair __________ that a vote be taken before the recess.
  14. She __________ me not to mention the figures in front of the client.
  15. He __________ on seeing the original rather than a photocopy.
  16. They __________ us into believing the funding had been secured.
  17. She said she __________ in Leeds now, so I sent the letter there.
  18. He __________ misreading the meter and offered to pay the difference.
  19. The auditors __________ that the accounts had been kept impeccably.
  20. She reminded me __________ renew the insurance before the end of the month.

Sentence structure: word ordering

Put the words in the correct order.

  1. Report an assertion without endorsing it.He / claimed / that / he / had / paid / the / invoice.
  2. Report a rejection of an accusation, using a gerund.She / denied / taking / the / file / from / the / archive.
  3. Report a flat refusal with an infinitive.They / refused / to / comment / on / the / findings.
  4. Report a warning aimed at a particular person.She / warned / me / to / check / the / figures / twice.
  5. Report a blame using the preposition of.He / accused / her / of / leaking / the / document.
  6. Report a reassurance that needs an object.He / assured / us / that / the / site / was / safe.
  7. Report a suggestion with a gerund, not an infinitive.She / suggested / postponing / the / vote / until / March.
  8. Report a concession of fault.He / admitted / misreading / the / original / estimate.
  9. Report an apology using the correct preposition.They / apologised / for / the / confusion / over / dates.
  10. Report a demand that was not negotiable.She / insisted / on / seeing / the / original / contract.
  11. Report a reminder aimed at one person.He / reminded / her / to / sign / both / copies.
  12. Report a voluntary undertaking.They / offered / to / cover / the / travel / costs.
  13. Report congratulations with the right preposition.She / congratulated / him / on / his / appointment.
  14. Attribute fault using for rather than of.The / minister / blamed / the / weather / for / the / shortfall.
  15. Report something that remains true, without backshift.She / said / she / still / works / in / publishing.
  16. Report a threat using an infinitive.He / threatened / to / take / the / matter / further.
  17. Report successful persuasion.They / persuaded / us / to / extend / the / deadline.
  18. Report advice using a gerund.She / recommended / reading / the / appendix / first.
  19. Report a formal notification requiring an object.He / informed / the / board / that / he / was / resigning.
  20. Report a finding in academic register.The / study / demonstrates / a / clear / link / between / them.
Show the answer key for all 60 exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. She ___ taking the file from the archive, which the security log later confirmed. → denied
Deny takes a gerund directly and reports a rejected accusation.
2. He ___ us that the building was structurally sound. → assured
Assure requires an object before the that clause; say cannot take one at all.
3. The minister ___ that the figures had been independently verified. → claimed
Claim plus a that clause reports an assertion while withholding agreement from it.
4. She ___ me of copying her proposal almost word for word. → accused
Accuse takes an object followed by of plus a gerund.
5. They ___ him for the delay, though the fault lay with the supplier. → blamed
Blame takes an object followed by for, unlike accuse which takes of.
6. The consultant ___ postponing the launch until the second quarter. → advised
Advise can take a gerund when no particular person is being addressed.
7. Which sentence is INCORRECT? → She suggested us to postpone the meeting.
Suggest never takes an object plus infinitive, however natural the pattern feels.
8. He ___ to comment on the allegations at any point during the hearing. → refused
Refuse takes a to-infinitive; deny would need a gerund instead.
9. She ___ me to check the small print before signing anything. → warned
Warn takes an object followed by a to-infinitive.
10. She said she ___ in research, and as far as I know she still does. → works
Backshift is optional when the reported fact is still true at the moment of reporting.
11. He ___ on paying for the whole table, and would not be argued out of it. → insisted
Insist on takes a gerund and reports a position held against resistance.
12. The letter ___ us that our application had been received. → informed
Inform requires a direct object before the that clause.
13. She ___ having seen the email until the timestamp was produced. → denied
Deny plus a perfect gerund rejects a claim about something earlier.
14. They ___ to reimburse the cost of the flights in full. → offered
Offer takes a to-infinitive and reports a voluntary undertaking.
15. The difference between 'He said he had paid' and 'He claimed he had paid' is that ___. → the second signals that the writer does not vouch for it
Claim reports the assertion while explicitly withholding the writer's endorsement.
16. She ___ him on the appointment, which was generous given their history. → congratulated
Congratulate takes an object followed by on plus a noun or gerund.
17. He ___ for the confusion and promised to reissue the invoice. → apologised
Apologise takes for plus a noun or gerund and never takes a direct object.
18. The chair ___ that the vote be taken by secret ballot. → proposed
Propose can take a that clause with a subjunctive base form in formal English.
19. Which verb correctly completes: 'She ___ him into withdrawing the complaint'? → talked
Talk someone into doing something is the pattern with into plus a gerund.
20. He ___ that he had never met the claimant, despite the photographs. → insisted
Insist plus a that clause reports a position maintained against contrary evidence.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. She ___ me that the report had already gone to the printers. → told
This verb requires a direct object before the reported clause.
2. He ___ that the meeting had been minuted incorrectly. → insisted
This verb reports a position maintained firmly against disagreement.
3. They accused the department ___ withholding the correspondence. → of
Accuse takes this preposition before a gerund, unlike blame which takes for.
4. She apologised ___ arriving so late to her own presentation. → for
Apologise is followed by this preposition plus a noun or gerund.
5. He ___ to sign anything until his solicitor had read it. → refused
This verb takes a to-infinitive and reports a flat rejection.
6. The surveyor ___ us to have the wiring checked before completion. → advised
With a person named, this verb takes an object plus a to-infinitive.
7. She ___ moving the deadline rather than cutting the scope. → suggested
This verb takes a gerund and can never take an object plus infinitive.
8. He ___ having any involvement in the decision whatsoever. → denied
This verb takes a gerund and rejects an allegation.
9. They congratulated her ___ winning the tender against three larger firms. → on
Congratulate takes this preposition before a gerund.
10. The letter ___ us that no further action would be taken. → informed
This formal verb requires an object before the that clause.
11. She ___ to cover the shortfall out of her own budget. → offered
This verb takes a to-infinitive and reports a voluntary undertaking.
12. He blamed the contractor ___ the delay to the whole programme. → for
Blame takes this preposition, where accuse would take of.
13. The chair ___ that a vote be taken before the recess. → proposed
This verb allows a that clause with a base form in formal English.
14. She ___ me not to mention the figures in front of the client. → warned
This verb takes an object plus a to-infinitive, negated with not before to.
15. He ___ on seeing the original rather than a photocopy. → insisted
With on and a gerund, this verb reports a demand that was not negotiable.
16. They ___ us into believing the funding had been secured. → talked
Talk someone into something uses into plus a gerund.
17. She said she ___ in Leeds now, so I sent the letter there. → lives
Backshift is dropped when the reported situation is still true.
18. He ___ misreading the meter and offered to pay the difference. → admitted
This verb takes a gerund and concedes a fault.
19. The auditors ___ that the accounts had been kept impeccably. → confirmed
This verb plus a that clause reports independent verification.
20. She reminded me ___ renew the insurance before the end of the month. → to
Remind takes an object followed by a to-infinitive.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Report an assertion without endorsing it. → He claimed that he had paid the invoice.
Report an assertion without endorsing it.
2. Report a rejection of an accusation, using a gerund. → She denied taking the file from the archive.
Report a rejection of an accusation, using a gerund.
3. Report a flat refusal with an infinitive. → They refused to comment on the findings.
Report a flat refusal with an infinitive.
4. Report a warning aimed at a particular person. → She warned me to check the figures twice.
Report a warning aimed at a particular person.
5. Report a blame using the preposition of. → He accused her of leaking the document.
Report a blame using the preposition of.
6. Report a reassurance that needs an object. → He assured us that the site was safe.
Report a reassurance that needs an object.
7. Report a suggestion with a gerund, not an infinitive. → She suggested postponing the vote until March.
Report a suggestion with a gerund, not an infinitive.
8. Report a concession of fault. → He admitted misreading the original estimate.
Report a concession of fault.
9. Report an apology using the correct preposition. → They apologised for the confusion over dates.
Report an apology using the correct preposition.
10. Report a demand that was not negotiable. → She insisted on seeing the original contract.
Report a demand that was not negotiable.
11. Report a reminder aimed at one person. → He reminded her to sign both copies.
Report a reminder aimed at one person.
12. Report a voluntary undertaking. → They offered to cover the travel costs.
Report a voluntary undertaking.
13. Report congratulations with the right preposition. → She congratulated him on his appointment.
Report congratulations with the right preposition.
14. Attribute fault using for rather than of. → The minister blamed the weather for the shortfall.
Attribute fault using for rather than of.
15. Report something that remains true, without backshift. → She said she still works in publishing.
Report something that remains true, without backshift.
16. Report a threat using an infinitive. → He threatened to take the matter further.
Report a threat using an infinitive.
17. Report successful persuasion. → They persuaded us to extend the deadline.
Report successful persuasion.
18. Report advice using a gerund. → She recommended reading the appendix first.
Report advice using a gerund.
19. Report a formal notification requiring an object. → He informed the board that he was resigning.
Report a formal notification requiring an object.
20. Report a finding in academic register. → The study demonstrates a clear link between them.
Report a finding in academic register.

The errors these questions are built to catch

After this set

Reporting verbs and the reporting passive do the same job from different ends — one names the speaker, one hides them — so the advanced passive set is the natural companion to this one.

Keep going with B2 grammar

Related B2 lessons

Related studies

A score on Advanced Reported Speech is only useful if it tells you what to do next. If this set was hard, the problem is usually one level down rather than in the questions themselves — start with the revision column. If it was easy, take the reading and the next structure instead.

Revise the B1 rule first

The structure this set assumes you already own. Nearly every B2 mistake in these three question types traces back to it.

Read the long version

The articles that explain this topic in full prose, with the context a practice set has no room for.

Take it further

Widen the practice beyond this one topic.