5 exercises — indirect speech for stand-ups, ticket updates, code reviews, and escalation emails.
0 / 14 completed
1 / 14
A developer says in a stand-up: "The feature is ready for review." Later the PM emails: "The developer said that the feature _____ for review."
Tense shift in reported speech: present simple "is" → past simple "was." This is the standard backshift when using "said." However, if the statement is still true at reporting time, present tense is also acceptable in informal contexts. Formal written reporting (emails, tickets) consistently uses backshift.
2 / 14
An architect writes in a design doc: "The team _____ that horizontal scaling _____ the better approach for this workload."
"Confirmed that ... is" — when reporting a fact that is still true (horizontal scaling is still the better approach), no tense shift is required. "Confirmed" (past tense reporting verb) is correct as the decision was made in the past, but "is" can remain because the fact is still current. This is a key subtlety of English reported speech.
3 / 14
A ticket comment reads: "The QA engineer reported that three tests _____ due to a race condition and that a fix _____ by end of sprint."
Double backshift: "are failing" → "were failing" and "will be submitted" → "would be submitted." Both shifts are correct in formal written reports using "reported." This pattern appears in sprint retrospectives, QA reports, and incident documentation.
4 / 14
Choose the most natural sentence for a code review comment:
"told me that" is correct — "tell" requires a personal object (me, him, the team). "said me" is a very common non-native error. Option C is also the strongest professionally, as it reports both the criticism and the suggestion. "said to me" is grammatically possible but unusual in technical contexts.
5 / 14
An incident retrospective document states that the on-call engineer _____ the severity to P1 at 03:14 UTC and _____ that the primary database _____ unavailable.
"escalated / stated / was" — past simple for the actions, with backshifted "was" in the embedded reported clause. This is the standard tense pattern for incident timelines: simple past for sequential events + backshift in embedded clauses. "had escalated" (past perfect) would imply the escalation happened before another past event already mentioned, which is not the case here.
6 / 14
Lisa, a product manager, updates her standup report: 'The team finished implementing the new API endpoint for user profile data. We've focused on improving the response time and ensuring data integrity.' What is the most appropriate sentence to add using a reporting clause?
Option 1 correctly employs a reporting clause – 'As a result of this work…'. This clearly links the completed task (implementing the endpoint) with its intended outcome (faster responses for users). Options A is too general; B focuses on technical details rather than user impact; C describes the API's function, not its benefits; and D is a statement of intent without relating it to the completed work.
7 / 14
Lisa, a product manager, updates her standup report: 'The team finished implementing the new API endpoint for user profile data. We've focused on improving the response time and ensuring data integrity.' What is the most appropriate sentence to add using a reporting clause?
Option 1 correctly employs a reporting clause – 'As a result of this work…'. This clearly links the completed task (implementing the endpoint) with its intended outcome (faster responses for users). Options A is too general; B focuses on technical details rather than user impact; C describes the API's function, not its benefits; and D is a statement of intent without relating it to the completed work.
8 / 14
Lisa, a product manager, updates her standup report: 'The team finished implementing the new API endpoint for user profile data. We've focused on improving the response time and ensuring data integrity.' What is the most appropriate sentence to add using a reporting clause?
Option 1 correctly employs a reporting clause – 'As a result of this work…'. This clearly links the completed task (implementing the endpoint) with its intended outcome (faster responses for users). Options A is too general; B focuses on technical details rather than user impact; C describes the API's function, not its benefits; and D is a statement of intent without relating it to the completed work.
9 / 14
Mark, a senior developer, posted this comment on the code review platform: 'The service now handles requests with a timeout of 5 seconds.' Later, Sarah, the tech lead, asked him to clarify. Which sentence best completes Mark's statement?
The core of reporting clauses here lies in providing sufficient context. Option 1 correctly identifies that a timeout value alone doesn't guarantee acceptable performance. Options 2 and 3 are overly positive or irrelevant, while option 4 presents a fundamental misunderstanding of service design principles. This scenario tests understanding of how to add detail for clarity.
10 / 14
David, a developer, wrote this Slack message: 'I've fixed the bug causing intermittent failures in the billing service. The root cause was identified and resolved.' His manager, Emily, asked him to provide more detail. Which of the following sentences best completes David's update?
This assesses clarity in reporting technical fixes. Option 3 demonstrates David's process – investigation, identification of the root cause, and implementation of a solution. Options 1 is overly simplistic, option 2 lacks detail, and option 4 describes a problem rather than its resolution.
11 / 14
John, a junior developer, posted this comment on the code review platform: 'This function now returns an HTTP 500 error when processing large datasets.' Sarah, the tech lead, asked him to elaborate. Which of the following best completes his explanation?
This question tests understanding of reporting an error condition. Option 2 accurately describes how a 500 error should be communicated – indicating a problem that needs investigation. Options A and B misrepresent the purpose of a 500 error; A suggests optimization, while B implies a positive outcome. Option C is incorrect because it focuses on logic rewriting instead of error reporting.
12 / 14
David, a developer, writes this comment in a Slack channel: 'I've deployed the updated version of the payment processing module. The new algorithm significantly reduces transaction latency.' Michael, another developer, asks for more details. Which sentence best completes David's update?
This question tests reporting technical improvements. Option 2 provides concrete details about the testing and results of the new algorithm – a standard expectation when sharing deployment updates. Options A and C are related to deployment/monitoring but not the core improvement itself. Option B is too vague.
13 / 14
Maria, a QA engineer, writes in a bug report: 'The API endpoint for retrieving customer data returned incorrect results intermittently. The issue was traced to a race condition in the database query.' She then states, '…and we _____ the root cause.' Which of the following completes this sentence most accurately?
This question focuses on reporting a resolution. Option 2 correctly describes the action taken to address a race condition – using locking mechanisms. The other options represent alternative responses (retry attempts, documentation, or escalation) that don't reflect a technical solution. It's crucial to accurately convey *how* the problem was fixed.
14 / 14
Robert, a developer, is writing a PR description: 'This commit addresses a critical bug in the user authentication flow. The issue caused users to be intermittently locked out of their accounts.' He continues, 'We've taken steps to _____ this problem.' What best completes his sentence?
This question tests reporting on a fix's immediate impact. Option 2 accurately describes the necessary action after discovering an authentication bug – restoring affected accounts and investigating further. Options A & B represent overly cautious or technically incorrect responses, while option C is completely irrelevant to the core issue.
What will I practise in "Reporting Clauses in Tech Communication — Grammar Exercise"?
Practice indirect speech and reporting clauses for tickets, stand-ups, code reviews, and technical meetings.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 14 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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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.