5 exercises — master tense backshift, modal reporting, and indirect questions in post-mortems, tickets, and meeting minutes.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
During the post-mortem the engineer said: "The service is down." Which reported speech version is correct for the post-mortem write-up?
Tense backshift: When the reporting verb is in the past (said), the present simple in the original quote (is) shifts to past simple (was) in reported speech. Option B keeps the present tense, which is only acceptable if the fact is still currently true and you want to emphasise that. Option C shifts to past perfect, which implies the downtime had already ended before the reporting moment. Option D (past perfect) would signal an even earlier completed event — also not the intended meaning here.
2 / 20
In a design review the architect said: "We should refactor the auth module." Which reported speech version appears most often in meeting minutes?
Modal backshift — "should": Unlike most modals, should does not change in reported speech — it stays as should. Option A (would) changes the meaning from advice/recommendation to a definite future intention, which misrepresents the original. Option C is ungrammatical — ought requires to (ought to refactor). Option D uses told without an object — tell always needs a person: told us. Therefore, option B is the correct and faithful reported form.
3 / 20
The scrum master is writing up the sprint review. Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Reporting verb patterns:Say is never followed directly by a person object — you cannot "say the team". Tell always requires a person object immediately after it — you cannot "tell that…" without specifying who was told. Mention takes to + person and then a that-clause, making option B correct. Option D mixes "said to" with "about" in a way that is non-standard for formal minutes. The safe rule: use told + person + that-clause or mentioned to + person + that-clause in professional documentation.
4 / 20
During planning the PM asked: "Can we ship by Friday?" Which indirect question form is correct in the ticket comment?
Reported yes/no questions: Indirect questions use statement word order (subject before verb), not the inverted question order. That rules out options C and D. Option A incorrectly uses that — reported questions use if or whether, not that. Option B is correct: whether introduces the embedded question, the auxiliary can backshifts to could, and the subject (we) precedes the verb. Whether is preferred over if in formal written communication because it avoids ambiguity with conditional clauses.
5 / 20
A developer is writing a README. Which sentence is correct?
No backshift for permanent truths: When a statement describes a fact that is still true at the time of writing, the present tense is retained even if the reporting verb is in the past. Because the authentication requirement is a current, ongoing fact, the verb stays in the present simple: requires. Option A backshifts unnecessarily and implies the requirement may no longer apply. Option B mixes a present reporting verb with an incorrect past in the subordinate clause. Option D uses a past reporting verb but keeps the present in the clause — this is acceptable in informal use, but option C (all present) is the standard form for README and technical documentation where the fact remains true.
6 / 20
During a troubleshooting session, the DevOps engineer stated: "The database connection is failing." Which reported speech version best suits a detailed incident report?
Option 0 uses the correct reporting verb 'stated' and accurately reports the original statement. Options 1 & 2 use incorrect punctuation for direct speech within a reported speech sentence. Option 3 is unnecessarily verbose and doesn't reflect standard incident report language.
7 / 20
In a Slack message to the team, a senior developer wrote: "I'm blocking on the API response." What is the most appropriate reported speech version for this message?
Option 3 correctly uses the reporting verb 'stated' and accurately conveys the meaning of the original statement. Options 1 & 2 use direct speech incorrectly within a reported speech sentence. Option 2 is grammatically incorrect; 'He' needs to be clarified.
8 / 20
A technical writer is drafting a section for the API documentation. The original statement from the API developer was: "The endpoint returns a 404 error if no user ID is provided." Which reported speech version would be most appropriate?
Option 2 correctly uses 'stated' and accurately reports the original technical statement. Options 1 & 3 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 is unnecessarily verbose and not standard documentation phrasing.
9 / 20
During a standup meeting, the lead developer asked: "Can we prioritize fixing this bug?" Which reported speech version best reflects how this question would be recorded in the team's notes?
Option 2 is the most natural and concise way to record a question asked in a standup. Options 1 & 3 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 rewords the question unnecessarily.
10 / 20
A developer is writing a commit message for a code change. The original statement was: "This update improves performance by 20%." Which reported speech version is most suitable for this context?
Option 3 correctly uses 'stated' and accurately conveys the original technical observation. Options 1 & 2 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 is a more formal phrasing but acceptable in this context.
11 / 20
During a troubleshooting session, the DevOps engineer stated: "The database connection is failing." Which reported speech version best suits a detailed incident report?
Option 0 uses the correct reporting verb 'stated' and accurately reports the original statement. Options 1 & 2 use incorrect punctuation for direct speech within a reported speech sentence. Option 3 is unnecessarily verbose and doesn't reflect standard incident report language.
12 / 20
In a Slack message to the team, a senior developer wrote: "I'm blocking on the API response." What is the most appropriate reported speech version for this message?
Option 3 correctly uses the reporting verb 'stated' and accurately conveys the meaning of the original statement. Options 1 & 2 use direct speech incorrectly within a reported speech sentence. Option 2 is grammatically incorrect; 'He' needs to be clarified.
13 / 20
A technical writer is drafting a section for the API documentation. The original statement from the API developer was: "The endpoint returns a 404 error if no user ID is provided." Which reported speech version would be most appropriate?
Option 2 correctly uses 'stated' and accurately reports the original technical statement. Options 1 & 3 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 is unnecessarily verbose and not standard documentation phrasing.
14 / 20
During a standup meeting, the lead developer asked: "Can we prioritize fixing this bug?" Which reported speech version best reflects how this question would be recorded in the team's notes?
Option 2 is the most natural and concise way to record a question asked in a standup. Options 1 & 3 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 rewords the question unnecessarily.
15 / 20
A developer is writing a commit message for a code change. The original statement was: "This update improves performance by 20%." Which reported speech version is most suitable for this context?
Option 3 correctly uses 'stated' and accurately conveys the original technical observation. Options 1 & 2 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 is a more formal phrasing but acceptable in this context.
16 / 20
During a troubleshooting session, the DevOps engineer stated: "The database connection is failing." Which reported speech version best suits a detailed incident report?
Option 0 uses the correct reporting verb 'stated' and accurately reports the original statement. Options 1 & 2 use incorrect punctuation for direct speech within a reported speech sentence. Option 3 is unnecessarily verbose and doesn't reflect standard incident report language.
17 / 20
In a Slack message to the team, a senior developer wrote: "I'm blocking on the API response." What is the most appropriate reported speech version for this message?
Option 3 correctly uses the reporting verb 'stated' and accurately conveys the meaning of the original statement. Options 1 & 2 use direct speech incorrectly within a reported speech sentence. Option 2 is grammatically incorrect; 'He' needs to be clarified.
18 / 20
A technical writer is drafting a section for the API documentation. The original statement from the API developer was: "The endpoint returns a 404 error if no user ID is provided." Which reported speech version would be most appropriate?
Option 2 correctly uses 'stated' and accurately reports the original technical statement. Options 1 & 3 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 is unnecessarily verbose and not standard documentation phrasing.
19 / 20
During a standup meeting, the lead developer asked: "Can we prioritize fixing this bug?" Which reported speech version best reflects how this question would be recorded in the team's notes?
Option 2 is the most natural and concise way to record a question asked in a standup. Options 1 & 3 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 rewords the question unnecessarily.
20 / 20
A developer is writing a commit message for a code change. The original statement was: "This update improves performance by 20%." Which reported speech version is most suitable for this context?
Option 3 correctly uses 'stated' and accurately conveys the original technical observation. Options 1 & 2 use direct speech incorrectly. Option 4 is a more formal phrasing but acceptable in this context.
What will I practise in "Reported Speech in Technical Communication — Grammar Exercises"?
Practise reported speech structures used in post-mortems, meeting minutes, and tickets. 5 intermediate exercises with detailed explanations.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
Browse the full Grammar hub for related drills, or check the "Next up" link below to continue with a connected topic.
How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.