English guide
Report statements, questions and requests in 20 original workplace questions with full option explanations, context notes and transfer exercises.
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What this guide covers
Compare the explanations and original examples.
Keep the sentence unchanged and justify one option.
Use the distinction in a new workplace sentence.
Reporting speech means telling someone what another speaker communicated. A useful report preserves who did what and when; mechanically changing every verb and pronoun can distort the message.
Indirect questions use statement word order. Reporting verbs also select different patterns: tell someone something, say something to someone, and ask someone to do something. Backshift is common after a past reporting verb, but a continuing fact may keep its present form. These questions do not reject that valid choice without context.
These original exercises were prepared by English AIdol with AI assistance. A separate AI content review checked every question, answer explanation and teaching section. No human expert or examiner review, ETS endorsement, or calibrated difficulty is claimed. This page does not save answers or estimate an official score.
Part 5 asks you to complete sentences by choosing from four options. The full TOEIC Reading section has 100 questions and a 75-minute limit. This untimed topic lesson is not a complete or equated test. See ETS: About the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test and the ETS: TOEIC Listening & Reading Score User Guide.
Tell commonly names the listener directly before a reported statement; say normally needs to before a named listener. A that-clause reports the content, and that is often optional.
An indirect question uses subject–verb order. Keep a wh-word where needed; use if or whether for a yes/no question. Do not keep the direct question’s do-support.
Ask or tell plus a person and a to-infinitive can report a request or instruction. A negative instruction normally uses not to. Offer takes a to-infinitive, while suggest can take an -ing clause.
A past reporting viewpoint can shift will to would and present perfect to past perfect. Pronouns and time words change only when needed to preserve their reference. Still-true statements may retain their present tense.
The visitor asked where ___.
the cloakroom was
The indirect question retains where but uses subject the cloakroom before was. Where was the cloakroom is the direct-question order.
Choose the option that completes the printed sentence in standard written English. Keep every other word unchanged. Write your choice and a reason before opening the explanation.
The project manager ___ us that the inspection had been postponed.
(A) said
(B) spoke
(C) told
(D) talked
Answer: (C) told
Completed sentence: The project manager told us that the inspection had been postponed.
The receptionist ___ to the visitor that a guide would arrive shortly.
(A) said
(B) told
(C) asked
(D) questioned
Answer: (A) said
Completed sentence: The receptionist said to the visitor that a guide would arrive shortly.
The contractor asked where ___ stored overnight.
(A) were the spare keys
(B) the spare keys were
(C) did the spare keys
(D) the spare keys did
Answer: (B) the spare keys were
Completed sentence: The contractor asked where the spare keys were stored overnight.
The client wanted to know how much ___.
(A) would the repair cost
(B) did the repair cost
(C) the repair would costs
(D) the repair would cost
Answer: (D) the repair would cost
Completed sentence: The client wanted to know how much the repair would cost.
The auditor asked ___ the missing receipt had been located.
(A) that
(B) what
(C) which
(D) whether
Answer: (D) whether
Completed sentence: The auditor asked whether the missing receipt had been located.
The visitor asked when ___ begin.
(A) would the next tour
(B) the next tour would
(C) did the next tour would
(D) the next tour would to
Answer: (B) the next tour would
Completed sentence: The visitor asked when the next tour would begin.
The supervisor asked the assistants ___ the display before customers arrived.
(A) to assemble
(B) assemble
(C) assembled
(D) to assembling
Answer: (A) to assemble
Completed sentence: The supervisor asked the assistants to assemble the display before customers arrived.
The engineer told us ___ the emergency stop button during the demonstration.
(A) not touch
(B) do not touch
(C) not to touch
(D) not touching
Answer: (C) not to touch
Completed sentence: The engineer told us not to touch the emergency stop button during the demonstration.
The supplier offered ___ the damaged cartons at no extra cost.
(A) replace
(B) to replace
(C) replaced
(D) replacing
Answer: (B) to replace
Completed sentence: The supplier offered to replace the damaged cartons at no extra cost.
The analyst suggested ___ the figures against the original invoices.
(A) to check
(B) checked
(C) checks
(D) checking
Answer: (D) checking
Completed sentence: The analyst suggested checking the figures against the original invoices.
Lena said that she would ___ the final drawings that afternoon.
(A) sent
(B) sends
(C) send
(D) to send
Answer: (C) send
Completed sentence: Lena said that she would send the final drawings that afternoon.
The installer explained that the fault had ___ before the equipment was shipped.
(A) occurred
(B) occur
(C) occurs
(D) occurring
Answer: (A) occurred
Completed sentence: The installer explained that the fault had occurred before the equipment was shipped.
The site manager ___ that every gate was locked after the inspection.
(A) said
(B) told
(C) talked
(D) spoke
Answer: (A) said
Completed sentence: The site manager said that every gate was locked after the inspection.
The organiser asked how many chairs ___.
(A) did we need
(B) needed we
(C) we needed
(D) we did needed
Answer: (C) we needed
Completed sentence: The organiser asked how many chairs we needed.
The safety officer warned the visitors ___ behind the marked barrier.
(A) remain
(B) remained
(C) to remaining
(D) to remain
Answer: (D) to remain
Completed sentence: The safety officer warned the visitors to remain behind the marked barrier.
The purchaser asked if ___ available in a smaller size.
(A) was the same model
(B) the same model was
(C) did the same model
(D) the same model did
Answer: (B) the same model was
Completed sentence: The purchaser asked if the same model was available in a smaller size.
Speaking about her own work, Priya said, “I designed this label.” Her colleague reported: Priya said that ___ had designed the label.
(A) I
(B) her
(C) hers
(D) she
Answer: (D) she
Completed sentence: Speaking about her own work, Priya said, “I designed this label.” Her colleague reported: Priya said that she had designed the label.
The team leader reminded me ___ the signed form before leaving.
(A) collect
(B) to collect
(C) collected
(D) to collecting
Answer: (B) to collect
Completed sentence: The team leader reminded me to collect the signed form before leaving.
The new employee wanted to know why ___ closed.
(A) the side entrance was
(B) was the side entrance
(C) did the side entrance was
(D) the side entrance were
Answer: (A) the side entrance was
Completed sentence: The new employee wanted to know why the side entrance was closed.
Reporting the receptionist’s earlier promise, Omar said that she would have ___ the guest list before our arrival.
(A) prepare
(B) prepares
(C) prepared
(D) preparing
Answer: (C) prepared
Completed sentence: Reporting the receptionist’s earlier promise, Omar said that she would have prepared the guest list before our arrival.
Explain the distinction in your own words, then try these tasks without copying a practice sentence. The answers illustrate possible responses; alternatives may work where the task allows them.
Report the question “Where are the spare cables?” after “The technician asked ...”.
The technician asked where the spare cables were.
Retain where, remove inversion and use a past reporting viewpoint. Are can remain if the current location is intentionally being reported.
Report this instruction: “Please do not fold the certificate,” the administrator told me.
The administrator told me not to fold the certificate.
Not to plus the base verb reports the negative instruction.
On Monday, Jo said, “I will call tomorrow.” Report that promise on Wednesday without changing its intended day.
Jo said on Monday that they would call on Tuesday.
Using the named day makes the reference clear. Blindly retaining tomorrow on Wednesday would point to Thursday instead.
Sources checked on . The examples, questions and explanations are original teaching material, not official or recalled test items. This correction replaces the earlier lesson’s inappropriate IELTS-style scoring. An answer count on these exercises does not convert to an official TOEIC score.
Continue with the TOEIC study page. For a factual correction, see our editorial policy.
No. Backshift is common, but a report may retain present tense when the information is still true or currently relevant. Preserve the intended time and viewpoint.
They can both introduce many reported yes/no questions. Other constructions impose restrictions, so this lesson does not offer both as competing answers in a simple case where either works.
An indirect question normally uses statement order and does not retain the direct question’s do-support. The tense appears on the lexical verb or another auxiliary as needed.
No. These original, untimed teaching questions have not been equated to an ETS form. Use them to explain and practise a language pattern, not to calculate an official score.