Which Proposal Do You Think They Said We Should Revise?
In this lesson, you can identify the role of a questioned phrase across embedded clauses.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Before you start
Ask who received an invitation in a simple question.
See one possible response
Who did Jo invite?
A fictional design team has two proposals, North and South. Jo says the reviewers want the team to revise South. You have heard this through Lee, not from the reviewers.
What you will practise
- Identify the role of a questioned phrase across embedded clauses.
- Maintain the main question frame and embedded statement order.
- Simplify a layered question without changing its attribution or purpose.
Respond before revealing. Preserve scope, attribution and evidence limits. A defensible alternative or genuine ambiguity must not be marked wrong merely for differing from the model.
Find the missing role
In Which proposal do you think they said we should revise?, which proposal is the object of revise. Think and said introduce viewpoints; they do not change the role being questioned. Follow the sentence to the action with the missing object.
Which proposal do you think they said we should revise?
Which designer does Lee believe the reviewers invited?
Keep one question frame
The main question has do/does/did where needed. The embedded statements keep statement order: do you think they said, not do you think did they say. In the standard target pattern, do not add it after revise when which proposal already fills that role.
Which route did you say the guide recommended?
Who do you think will lead the next session?
Keep the source when simplifying
Several layers can be grammatical but hard to follow. A shorter question must preserve the relevant source or uncertainty. Ask for the report first, then its content. Not every embedded construction allows the same question pattern, so use a clear two-question version rather than forcing a complicated sentence.
What did Lee tell you? Which proposal do the reviewers want revised, according to Lee?
Which proposal did the reviewers themselves ask us to revise?
Shorter wording must retain the source
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Then compare the meaning and grammar with the model.
1. In Which poster does Jo think Lee approved?, identify who thinks, who approves, and what is being questioned.
Compare a model and explanation
Jo thinks; Lee approves; the poster approved is being questioned.
The first noun after does is not necessarily the actor in the final action.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
2. Correct the intended standard question: Which route do you think did they recommend?
Compare a model and explanation
Which route do you think they recommended?
The embedded clause has statement order.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
3. Correct: Which version do you believe Jo selected it?
Compare a model and explanation
Which version do you believe Jo selected?
Which version already supplies the object of selected.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
4. Compare Who do you think will invite Jo? and Who do you think Jo will invite?
Compare a model and explanation
The first asks for the inviter; the second asks for the person invited by Jo.
Position around Jo changes the questioned role.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
5. Shorten Which date do you think Lee said the tutor preferred? without turning it into a direct claim about the tutor.
Compare a model and explanation
In your view, which date did Lee say the tutor preferred?
The rewrite retains both the listener’s view and Lee’s report.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
6. The listener believes Jo said the group needs a particular room. Ask which room.
Compare a model and explanation
Which room do you believe Jo said the group needs?
Needs retains the group as subject.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
7. Does Which option do you think they chose? establish that the listener knows the answer?
Compare a model and explanation
No. It asks for the listener’s view, which may be uncertain.
Question wording is not evidence that an answer is known.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
8. A listener loses track of Which draft do you think Lee said Jo believed we should use? Split the enquiry into a request for Lee’s account and its recommendation.
Compare a model and explanation
What was Lee’s account of Jo’s view? According to that account, which draft should we use?
The two questions keep the reporting chain while reducing processing load.
Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.
A short conversation
Listen to the exchange, then take one role. The speaker labels identify roles; do not narrate them.
Open the conversation transcript
Planner: Which proposal do you think Lee said the reviewers wanted us to revise?
Designer: South, I think. But that was Lee’s account.
Planner: Right. Which proposal did the reviewers themselves name?
Designer: I haven’t seen their message. Let’s check it before changing either one.
Listening checks
Listen to each extract, then choose the best answer. These three questions have their own score.
Answer key with explanations
Which role is being questioned?
The person invited.: The final action is invited and the question explicitly identifies its recipient.
Compare all choices
- The person who reported Jo’s words.: The question asks about the invitation, not the reporting source.
- The organiser who sent the invitation.: The speaker expressly excludes the sender.
- The person invited.: The final action is invited and the question explicitly identifies its recipient.
What source is retained?
Lee’s account.: According to Lee identifies the source and direct confirmation is absent.
Compare all choices
- Lee’s account.: According to Lee identifies the source and direct confirmation is absent.
- A direct answer from the tutor.: The speaker says they have not asked the tutor directly.
- The speaker’s confirmed booking.: No booking is reported.
Who performs the introduction?
Jo.: Jo is the subject of will introduce.
Compare all choices
- The listener necessarily.: The listener is asked for a view, not assigned the action.
- Jo.: Jo is the subject of will introduce.
- The unnamed person.: That person is the object of introduce.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.
Answer key with explanations
Ask for the file that Lee, in your view, sent. Choose the standard embedded-question pattern.
Which file do you think Lee sent?: The main question uses do; Lee sent keeps statement order.
Compare all choices
- Which file you think Lee sent?: The main direct question lacks do in this target construction.
- Which file do you think Lee sent?: The main question uses do; Lee sent keeps statement order.
- Which file do you think did Lee send?: This inserts direct-question order inside the embedded statement.
In Which guest does Jo believe Lee invited?, which guest is the object of which verb?
Invited.: The question asks for the recipient of Lee’s invitation.
Compare all choices
- Believe.: Jo believes a proposition, not the guest as a direct object here.
- Does.: Does supports the main question; it does not take guest as its object.
- Invited.: The question asks for the recipient of Lee’s invitation.
Which question asks for the person who will lead, rather than the person the leader will call?
Who do you think will lead the group?: Who is the subject of will lead.
Compare all choices
- Who do you think will lead the group?: Who is the subject of will lead.
- Who do you think the group will invite?: Who is the object of invite.
- Who do you think the leader will call?: Who is the object of call.
Repair Which option do you think Jo selected it?
Which option do you think Jo selected?: The fronted object must not be repeated by it in the standard target pattern.
Compare all choices
- Which option do you think Jo selected them?: Them repeats the object and changes its number.
- Which option do you think Jo selected?: The fronted object must not be repeated by it in the standard target pattern.
- Which option do you think did Jo select it?: This retains the repeated object and adds embedded inversion.
You only have Lee’s report. Which shorter question preserves that limitation?
According to Lee, which room did they choose?: It keeps Lee as the source.
Compare all choices
- Which room did you personally see them choose?: This changes the enquiry to direct observation.
- Which room did they definitely choose?: Definitely adds unsupported certainty and removes the source.
- According to Lee, which room did they choose?: It keeps Lee as the source.
Which statement accurately describes a long but grammatical question?
It may still need simplifying for the listener.: Grammatical possibility does not guarantee easy processing.
Compare all choices
- It may still need simplifying for the listener.: Grammatical possibility does not guarantee easy processing.
- More reporting layers always make the source clearer.: Layers can make source tracking harder.
- Removing every reporting layer always preserves its meaning.: That can erase attribution or uncertainty.
Which version keeps did with the main past-time question only?
Which route did you say they preferred?: Did supports say; preferred remains an embedded statement.
Compare all choices
- Which route did you say did they prefer?: The embedded clause is incorrectly inverted for this target.
- Which route did you say they preferred?: Did supports say; preferred remains an embedded statement.
- Which route did you said they preferred?: Did requires the base form say.
Which conclusion follows from Which proposal do you think they selected? alone?
The speaker is asking for the listener’s view of the selection.: That is the enquiry expressed, without a guaranteed answer.
Compare all choices
- The listener has verified the selection directly.: Direct verification is not stated.
- The speaker already knows which proposal was selected.: The question does not establish the speaker’s knowledge.
- The speaker is asking for the listener’s view of the selection.: That is the enquiry expressed, without a guaranteed answer.
Use it in your own words
Trace a report
Invent a low-stakes invitation chain with a sender, a reporter and a listener. Ask two questions about different roles.
Reveal a possible response
Which guest do you think Bea said the host invited? And who do you think will welcome that guest?
- Keep the reporting source clear
- Distinguish subject from object
- Use one main question frame
Other names and actions are welcome; preserve each participant’s role.
Repair for a listener
Explain why a layered question is difficult, then give a clearer version that retains its source.
Reveal a possible response
The question mixes my belief with Lee’s report and Jo’s preference. I’d ask what Lee reported first, then ask which option Jo preferred according to that report.
- Identify the layers
- Retain the relevant attribution
- Avoid claiming direct knowledge
A clear paraphrase can be better than retaining every original word.
Put it all together
A travel club receives a message through two people about a meeting point. Give the fictional chain, ask one layered question, and replace it with two clearer questions.
Reveal a possible response
Mara told me that Eli said the group wanted to meet by the clock. Which entrance do you think Mara said Eli meant? Let me simplify that: what did Mara report? According to that report, where exactly should we meet?
- Supply the chain before using it
- Keep sources separate from facts
- Preserve the purpose when simplifying
Invented details are allowed; do not turn a reported suggestion into a confirmed booking.
Take it with you
A question can reach into an embedded clause. Trace its missing role and keep embedded statement order. When simplifying, preserve the source and the question’s purpose.