ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR B1

Reported Questions, Requests and Commands ESL Lesson Plan (B1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute B1 lesson on Reported Questions, Requests and Commands, built round the theme "The Job Interview".

CEFR B1
60 minutes
Teenagers and adults
Grammar
Reported Speech
Reported Questions, Requests and Commands

About this lesson

Who it is for. Intermediate students who report statements with tense changes. When they report questions they keep question word order and auxiliaries (She asked me where did I live), and they report commands with said (He said me to sit down).

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level: CEFR B1 (Intermediate)
Learners: Teenagers and adults
Length: 60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run "Freer practice" once through without the second round and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills: Speaking and writing
Language focus: Grammar: Reported Questions, Requests and Commands (asked if, told me to)
Framework: PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials: Handout 1 (job interview dialogue and Ishan's message), Handout 2 (discovery task), Handout 3 (practice), Handout 4 (interview role cards).
Preparation: About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 4, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To help students work out and use reported wh- questions, yes / no questions (if / whether) and reported requests and commands (asked / told + object + (not) to + infinitive).

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can report a job interview, e.g. She asked me why I wanted the job. She asked if I could work at weekends. She told me to send my references.

Subsidiary aim. To develop fluency in a job interview role-play.
Subsidiary aim. To practise intonation in direct questions.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Form

Type	Direct speech	Reported speech
Wh- question	"Where do you live?"	She asked me where I lived.
Wh- question	"Why do you want this job?"	She asked (me) why I wanted the job.
Yes / no question	"Can you work at weekends?"	She asked if / whether I could work at weekends.
Request	"Could you send your references, please?"	She asked me to send my references.
Command	"Sit down." / "Don't be late."	She told me to sit down. / She told me not to be late.

Form: notes

Reported questions use statement word order (subject + verb) and no do / does / did. No question mark.
Yes / no questions use if or whether.
Requests and commands: ask / tell + object + (not) to + infinitive.
Tenses move back as with statements.

Meaning and use

ask is used for questions and polite requests; tell is used for orders and instructions.

Pronunciation

Direct wh- questions fall at the end: Where do you live? ↘. Yes / no questions rise: Can you work at weekends? ↗. Reported questions are statements, so they fall: She asked if I could work at weekends ↘.

Concept-checking questions

She asked me where I lived. Is this a question now? (No, it's a statement about a question.) · Is there a question mark? (No.) Is there do / did? (No.)
She told me not to be late. Is this a question or an order? (An order.) · What did she actually say? (Don't be late.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

Problem	Solution
Question word order (She asked where did I live).	Board: asked + where + SUBJECT + VERB; cross out did.
Missing if (She asked could I work).	Rule: no question word → if / whether.
said for commands (He said me to sit down).	Board: tell / ask + person + to + infinitive.
not in the wrong place (She told me don't be late).	Board: told me not to be late.

Board plan

Left: reporting verbs	Centre: patterns	Right: pronunciation
ask · tell · want to know · wonder · order · remind
"Where do you live?" → She asked me where I lived. · asked + wh- + S + V (no do, no ?) · "Can you ...?" → She asked if / whether I could ... · "Please send ..." → She asked me to send ... · "Don't be late." → She told me not to be late. · ask / tell + person + (not) to + infinitive
Where do you live? ↘ · Can you work? ↗ · She asked if I could work ↘

Warm-up5 minutes · Pairs, then whole class

Aim: To introduce the topic and personalise it.

Ask: "Have you ever had an interview: for a job, a school or a club? What did they ask you?"

Pairs list four typical interview questions (2 minutes). Board a few.

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present reported questions, requests and commands in context and help students work out the rules.

Part A: Reading (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the job interview. Then read Ishan's message to his friend. Did he get the job?" (3 minutes.)

Pairs compare. Students answer the three questions. Check as a class.

Part B: Finding the rules (7 minutes)

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Compare the interview and Ishan's message. Answer the questions with your partner."

ICQs: "Alone or with a partner?" (With a partner.) "Which two texts do you compare?" (The interview and the message.)

Monitor. Ask stuck pairs: "Where is the verb in the reported question? Where is did?"

Part C: Clarification (7 minutes)

Elicit the answers and build the patterns in the centre of the board.

Ask the CCQs from the Language analysis.

Highlight: statement word order, no do / did, no question mark; if / whether for yes / no questions; ask / tell + person + (not) to.

Pronunciation. Contrast intonation: Can you work at weekends? ↗ vs She asked if I could work at weekends ↘.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise the forms accurately.

Give out Handout 3. Say: "Exercise A: report the questions. Exercise B: report the requests and commands. Seven minutes."

Pairs compare. Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then new pairs, then whole class

Aim: To use reported questions and commands fluently after a role-play.

Give out Handout 4. Student A is an interviewer for a summer job; Student B is the candidate. A asks at least six questions and gives two instructions at the end (Bring your ID card on Monday. Don't forget ...). Swap roles with a different job (10 minutes).

ICQs: "How many questions?" (At least six.) "What do you give at the end?" (Two instructions.)

Report (6 minutes). Students change partners and report their interview: "She asked me why I wanted the job. She asked if I had any experience. She told me to bring my ID card."

The class decides which candidates got the jobs (2 minutes).

Monitor and note errors.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board sentences from Stage 4 (correct and incorrect). Students correct the errors.

Ask: "What three things change when we report a question?" (Word order, no do / did, no question mark.)

Set the homework.

Homework Write a message (120 words) to a friend about an interview, a visit to the doctor or a meeting with a teacher. Report at least four questions and two instructions.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support: Give weaker students the patterns on a card. In the role-play, provide the interviewer with a list of questions.
Stretch: Stronger students use wanted to know, wondered and reminded me to. They report questions politely in the present: Could you tell me where the station is? (indirect questions preview).

Adapting the lesson

For	What to change
A large class (40 or more)	Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Report" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopier	Put the exercises from Handout 3: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. Handout 4: Interview Role Cards works read out from the front: learners note what they need rather than holding a card. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online class	Send Handouts 1 to 4 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Report" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age group	With teenagers, shorten the analysis and get to the task sooner. With adults in a work context, keep the forms exactly as they are and swap the lesson's theme for one from their own field.

Checking learning

In the report, students use statement word order in reported questions. Students use if / whether for yes / no questions. 9 out of 11 or better on Handout 3.

Teacher's reflection

Did students stop using did in reported questions? Was the role-play realistic enough to produce instructions?

Handout 1: The Job Interview

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

The interview at Ocean View Hotel, Bentota

Mrs Jayawardena: Please sit down. Where do you live, Ishan? Ishan: In Kalutara. Mrs Jayawardena: Why do you want this job? Ishan: I love meeting people, and I want to improve my English. Mrs Jayawardena: Have you worked in a hotel before? Ishan: No, but I worked in my uncle's shop last summer. Mrs Jayawardena: Can you work at weekends? Ishan: Yes, I can. Mrs Jayawardena: Good. Could you send me two references, please? And don't be late on your first day!

Ishan's message to his friend

Hi Dilan! I had my interview today. First, the manager told me to sit down. She asked me where I lived and why I wanted the job. Then she asked if I had worked in a hotel before. I told her about Uncle's shop! She also asked whether I could work at weekends. At the end, she asked me to send two references and told me not to be late on my first day. So I think I've got the job!

Answer the questions.

Where does Ishan live? ______________________________
Why does he want the job? ______________________________
What did the manager ask him to send? ______________________________

Handout 2: Language Focus

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Compare the interview and Ishan's message.

Answer the questions with your partner.

In the reported questions, does the verb come before or after the subject? ______________________________
What happens to do and did? ______________________________
Is there a question mark? ______________________________
Which words do we use when there is no question word? ______________________________
Which verbs report requests and commands? What comes after them? ______________________________
Where does not go in a negative command? ______________________________

Interview (direct)	Ishan's message (reported)
"Where do you live?"	She asked me where I lived.
"Why do you want this job?"	She asked me why I wanted the job.
"Have you worked in a hotel before?"	She asked if I had worked in a hotel before.
"Can you work at weekends?"	She asked whether I could work at weekends.
"Could you send me two references, please?"	She asked me to send two references.
"Don't be late!"	She told me not to be late.

Handout 3: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Report the questions.

B. Report the requests and commands.

"What's your name?" → He asked me ______________________________
"Where do you work?" → She asked me ______________________________
"Do you like spicy food?" → He asked me ______________________________
"When did you arrive?" → They asked us ______________________________
"Can you drive?" → She asked me ______________________________
"Why are you crying?" → My mum asked me ______________________________
"Please close the window." → She asked me ______________________________
"Don't touch that!" → He told the children ______________________________
"Wait here." → The doctor told me ______________________________
"Could you help me, please?" → My neighbour asked me ______________________________
"Don't use your phones." → The teacher told us ______________________________

Handout 4: Interview Role Cards

Job 1: Tour guide at Sigiriya (summer job)

Interviewer: Ask about languages, experience, history knowledge, weekend work, fitness (climbing!), and why they want the job. Give two instructions at the end.

Candidate: Invent your answers. Be enthusiastic!

Job 2: Assistant at a children's summer camp

Interviewer: Ask about experience with children, swimming, first aid, cooking, start date, and why they want the job. Give two instructions at the end.

Candidate: Invent your answers. Be honest about one weakness!

Useful language for reporting

Write four sentences about your interview.

..........................................................................................

She asked me what / where / why / how ...
He asked if / whether I ...
She wanted to know ...
He told me to ... / not to ...
She asked me to ...

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2

Handout 3, Exercise A

Handout 3, Exercise B

Common errors to watch for

In Kalutara · 2. He loves meeting people and wants to improve his English. · 3. Two references.
After the subject (statement word order) · 2. They disappear. · 3. No · 4. if or whether · 5. ask and tell; + person + to + infinitive · 6. Before to: told me not to be late
what my name was. · 2. where I worked. · 3. if / whether I liked spicy food. · 4. when we had arrived. · 5. if / whether I could drive. · 6. why I was crying.
to close the window. · 2. not to touch that / it. · 3. to wait there. · 4. to help him / her. · 5. not to use our phones.

Error	Correction
She asked me where did I live.	She asked me where I lived.
He asked could I help him.	He asked if I could help him.
She said me to sit down.	She told me to sit down.
He told me don't be late.	He told me not to be late.

Prints without the site's menus or advertisements.

About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

Reported Questions, Requests and Commands ESL Lesson Plan (B1, 60 Minutes)

About this lesson

At a glance

Aims

Language analysis

Form

Form: notes

Meaning and use

Pronunciation

Concept-checking questions

Anticipated problems and solutions

Board plan

Procedure: Reported Questions, Requests and Commands, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Pairs, then whole class

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then new pairs, then whole class

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Differentiation

Adapting the lesson

Checking learning

Teacher's reflection

Handout 1: The Job Interview

Handout 2: Language Focus

Handout 3: Practice

Handout 4: Interview Role Cards

Answer Key

Share this lesson plan

More reported speech plans

Reporting with Say and Tell in the Present (A1)

Reported Statements in the Past (A2)

Reporting Verbs and Their Patterns (B2)

All reported speech plans

All ESL lesson plans

ESL worksheets