Casa ESL · B1 Intermediate · Unit 13 of 20 · Step 2
Academic life and reporting questions and commands
Name
Date
Vocabulary
enrol
verbTo officially join a course or institution.
"She asked me if I had enrolled in the new course."
lecture
nounA formal talk given to a group of students.
"The professor told us to attend every lecture."
assignment
nounA piece of work given as part of a course of study.
"He asked whether the assignment was due on Monday."
tutor
nounA teacher who works with one student or a small group.
"My tutor asked me to revise the essay before submitting it."
scholarship
nounMoney given to a student to help pay for their studies.
"She wanted to know if she could apply for a scholarship."
revise
verbTo study again or make changes to improve something.
"The teacher told us to revise chapters three and four."
graduate
verbTo successfully complete a course of study.
"He asked when she was going to graduate."
curriculum
nounThe subjects and content taught in a school or course.
"They asked if the curriculum would change next year."
Grammar Focus
Reported speech — questions and commands
For yes/no questions, use 'asked if/whether' + statement word order. For wh- questions, use 'asked + wh-word' + statement word order (no question mark, no auxiliary inversion). For commands, use 'told someone to + infinitive'. For requests, use 'asked someone to + infinitive'.
Direct: 'Do you like the course?' → She asked me if I liked the course.
Direct: 'What time does the class start?' → He asked what time the class started.
Direct: 'Study for the exam!' → The teacher told us to study for the exam.
Direct: 'Could you help me with this exercise?' → She asked me to help her with the exercise.
Exercises
Exercise 1
Complete each reported sentence with the correct word or phrase.
1. 'Are you coming to class?' → She asked me I was coming to class.
2. 'Where did you study?' → He asked me I had studied.
3. 'Please be quiet.' → The lecturer asked us be quiet.
4. 'Don't use your phones in class.' → She told us use our phones in class.
5. 'When is the deadline?' → They asked the deadline was.
Exercise 2
Choose the correct reported form of each sentence.
1. 'Have you finished the homework?' → She asked me ___.
2. 'Read chapter five.' → The teacher ___.
3. 'What are you studying?' → He asked me ___.
4. 'Could you lend me your notes?' → She ___.
5. 'Will there be an exam?' → They asked ___.
Reading
First Day at University
On my first day at university, everything felt new and confusing. A student in the corridor asked me if I knew where the lecture hall was. I told him I had no idea because it was my first day too. In the first class, the professor asked us what we expected to learn during the course. She told us to buy two textbooks and asked us to read the first chapter before the next class. After the lecture, another student asked me whether I wanted to join a study group. I said I would love to. She asked me to send her my email address. By the end of the day, I had already made two new friends.
1. What did the professor tell the students to do?
2. What did the other student ask the writer after the lecture?
Speaking
Discuss these questions with a partner or your teacher.
Writing
Write 6–8 sentences about a conversation you had with a teacher or classmate. Report their questions, statements, and any instructions they gave you.
Example: Last week, my English teacher asked me if I was enjoying the course. I told her I was finding it challenging but interesting. She asked me to practise speaking more at home. She told me not to worry about making mistakes.
Answer Key — For Teacher Use
Exercise 1
1. if · 2. where · 3. to · 4. not to · 5. when
Exercise 2
1. if I had finished the homework · 2. told us to read chapter five · 3. what I was studying · 4. asked me to lend her my notes · 5. if there would be an exam
Reading Comprehension
1. She told them to buy two textbooks and asked them to read the first chapter before the next class. · 2. She asked whether the writer wanted to join a study group and asked them to send her their email address.