EnglishThink about your school days
What questions did your teachers always ask?
- “Have you done your homework?”
- “Where is your assignment?”
- “Why are you late?”
What did they tell you to do?
- “Open your books.”
- “Hand in your work.”
- “Don’t use your phone.”
We will turn these direct questions and instructions into reported speech.
Education and academic life
Read the words aloud. Choose three words and make a short true sentence about your education or learning experience.
- degree [/dɪˈɡriː/]
- a university qualification
She is studying for a degree in engineering. - scholarship [/ˈskɒləʃɪp/]
- money given to help a student pay for education
He got a scholarship to study abroad. - enrol [/ɪnˈrəʊl/]
- to officially join a course or university
I enrolled on a business course. - graduate [/ˈɡrædʒueɪt/]
- to finish a university course and receive a degree
They will graduate next year. - assignment [/əˈsaɪnmənt/]
- a piece of work for a course
Our history assignment is due on Friday. - deadline [/ˈdedlaɪn/]
- the latest time something must be completed
The deadline is at midnight. - revise [/rɪˈvaɪz/]
- to study again before a test or exam
I need to revise for my exam. - hand in [/hænd ɪn/]
- to give completed work to a teacher
Please hand in your assignment today. - lecture [/ˈlektʃə(r)/]
- a formal university lesson for a large group
We had a lecture on psychology. - seminar [/ˈsemɪnɑː(r)/]
- a small class where students discuss a topic
The seminar starts at ten. - tutor [/ˈtjuːtə(r)/]
- a teacher who gives academic support or guidance
My tutor gave me useful advice. - curriculum [/kəˈrɪkjələm/]
- the subjects and content taught on a course
Languages are part of the curriculum. - campus [/ˈkæmpəs/]
- the area and buildings of a university
The library is on campus. - tuition fees [/tjuˈɪʃn fiːz/]
- money paid for education at a university or college
Tuition fees can be expensive.
Reporting questions and instructions
The main patterns
Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
“Where do you study?” | She asked where I studied. |
“When does the lecture start?” | He asked when the lecture started. |
“Do you like maths?” | She asked if/whether I liked maths. |
“Have you handed in the assignment?” | The tutor asked if I had handed in the assignment. |
“Sit down!” | She told me to sit down. |
“Don’t talk!” | She told me not to talk. |
“Could you help me?” | She asked me to help her. |
Reported questions
Wh-question
asked + wh-word + subject + verb
Direct question | Reported question |
|---|---|
“Where do you study?” | She asked where I studied. |
“What subjects are you taking?” | The tutor asked what subjects I was taking. |
“When did you graduate?” | He asked when I had graduated. |
Yes/no question
asked + if/whether + subject + verb
Direct question | Reported question |
|---|---|
“Do you have a scholarship?” | The adviser asked if I had a scholarship. |
“Are tuition fees expensive?” | She asked whether tuition fees were expensive. |
“Have you enrolled online?” | He asked if I had enrolled online. |
Use statement word order after asked.
- Correct: She asked where I studied.
- Wrong: She asked where did I study.
Usually, the tense moves one step back:
Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
present simple: I study | past simple: I studied |
present continuous: I am revising | past continuous: I was revising |
present perfect: I have finished | past perfect: I had finished |
past simple: I graduated | past perfect: I had graduated |
Reported commands, requests, and advice
told / asked / advised + object + to-infinitive
Meaning | Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|---|
instruction | “Hand in your assignment.” | The lecturer told us to hand in our assignments. |
request | “Please email me your essay.” | The tutor asked me to email her my essay. |
advice | “Revise before the exam.” | My tutor advised me to revise before the exam. |
Negative instruction or advice
told / advised + object + not to-infinitive
Direct speech | Reported speech |
|---|---|
“Don’t use your phone.” | The lecturer told us not to use our phones. |
“Don’t miss the deadline.” | My tutor advised me not to miss the deadline. |
Common mistakes
Avoid this | Use this |
|---|---|
She asked where did I study. | She asked where I studied. |
He asked did I have a scholarship. | He asked if I had a scholarship. |
The tutor told to revise. | The tutor told me to revise. |
She advised me don’t miss the deadline. | She advised me not to miss the deadline. |
The teacher asked me to not use my phone. | The teacher asked me not to use my phone. |
Change the speaker’s words
Say the full reported sentence aloud before choosing or writing.
Instructions, requests, and advice
Connect each direct sentence with its reported version.
Connect each direct instruction, request, or piece of advice with its reported form
- “Hand in your assignment by Friday.”
- The lecturer told us to hand in our assignments by Friday.
- “Don’t use your phone in the lecture.”
- The lecturer told us not to use our phones in the lecture.
- “Please email me your essay.”
- The tutor asked me to email her my essay.
- “You shouldn’t leave revision until the last day.”
- The tutor advised me not to leave revision until the last day.
Question types
Connect each direct question with the correct reporting starter.
Connect each question with the correct reporting starter
- “Where is the campus library?”
- He asked where ...
- “Did you enrol online?”
- She asked if/whether ...
- “When is the deadline?”
- She asked when ...
- “Are tuition fees expensive?”
- He asked if/whether ...
Choose the correct form
“Do you have a scholarship?” The adviser [___] [___] I had a scholarship.
“Where do you revise?” She asked where [___] .
“Don’t be late for the seminar.” The tutor [___] us [___] .
Report the original words
“When did you graduate?” → My colleague asked [___] .
“Have you finished the assignment?” → The tutor asked [___] .
“Read chapter five before the lecture.” → Our teacher told [___] .
“Don’t miss the deadline.” → My tutor advised [___] .
My First Day at University
On my first day at university, I felt excited and nervous. At the entrance, a student ambassador asked if I was a new student. She asked where I was from and whether I had enrolled online. Then she told me to collect my student card from the main office. In the hall, another student asked when the first lecture started. I said that I did not know. Our tutor arrived and told us to sit down. She asked what subjects we were studying and why we had chosen them. Then she told us not to use our phones during the seminar. Before we left, she asked us to introduce ourselves to two classmates and advised us not to leave assignments until the deadline. I went home tired, but I knew I had chosen the right degree.
- Underline the reported questions.
- Circle the reported commands, requests, and advice.
- Choose one reported sentence and say the direct words the person probably used.
Check the story
- Who asked the narrator if they were a new student?
- What did the student ambassador tell the narrator to collect?
- What did the tutor tell the students not to use during the seminar?
- What advice did the tutor give about assignments?
Difficult words
- student ambassador — a student who welcomes and helps new students
- entrance — the place where you enter a building
- enrolled online — officially joined a course using the internet
- student card — an identification card for a student
- introduce ourselves — say who we are to new people
- classmates — people in the same class or course
- chosen — selected or decided on
Key points to remember
Reported speech patterns
- Reported question = asked + wh-word / if / whether + subject + verb.
- Use statement word order after asked: She asked where I studied.
- Command or request = told / asked + object + to-infinitive.
- Negative instruction or advice = told / advised + object + not to-infinitive.
Education vocabulary review
- degree
- scholarship
- enrol
- graduate
- assignment
- deadline
- revise
- hand in
- lecture
- seminar
- tutor
- curriculum
- campus
- tuition fees
Say one sentence using deadline, revise, hand in, or scholarship.
