REPORTED SPEECH

1. REMEMBER REPORTED SPEECH. (Transform these sentences into reported speech)

1. Tom said, "I want to visit my friends this weekend."
2. Jerry said, "I'm studying English a lot at the moment."
3. They said, "We've lived here for a long time."
4. He asked me, "Have you finished reading the newspaper?"
5. "I get up every morning at seven o'clock.", Peter said.
6. Susan reassured me, "I can come tonight."
7. She said, "I really wish I had bought that new car."
8. Jack said, "He must be guilty!"
9. Cheryl asked her, "How long have you lived here?"
10. He said, "I must get going. Otherwise, I'm going to be late."
11. She said, "I've worked here since I left my last job."
12. You said, "I will help you!"
13. She asked me, "When are we going to leave?"
14. Peter said, "I may bring someone with me to the party."
15. My friend said, "I will have finished my homework by the time you arrive."
16. Mark asked me, "Why do you want to study Russian?"
17. Marcia said, "I have been waiting for you for over an hour."
18. Alison said, "I had eaten before you arrived."
19. Lenny sang, "I want to get away, I want to fly away"
20. Jason asked me, "Are you coming with me?"
21. "I took a lot of English classes," Janet said.
22. "Susan and Jack liked the movie," Terry said.
23. "I was brushing my hair when you called," Sara said.
24. "I have finished my composition," Lana said.
25. Mike said, "My sister had already grown up, by the time I was born."
26. "I can't go with you to the theatre," Barry said.
27. Sally said, "I'll talk to you on Saturday."
28. "I should study harder," Carrie said.
29. Kate said, "It may rain tomorrow."
30. "The students in our class can speak many languages," Eric said.
31. I'm living in a quiet village surrounded by countryside, he told us.

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32. I feel really tired. I'm going to go to bed earlier, she said.
33. You should go to the doctor to ask for some advice about your health, I told her.
34. She has just had lunch, her mother told me.
35. Margaret, I'll take the children to school, her husband said.
36. My sister slipped and fell off the ladder, he said.
37. If you come this afternoon, Susan won't be at home, Susan's mother said to me.
38. Why are you behaving like that? His father asked him.
39. Who invited you to the cinema last weekend? My friend wanted to know.
40. Have you seen this film before? She asked her.
41. Will you be working tomorrow at 10.00? My sister asked Peter.
42. What were you doing yesterday at 7:00? The police asked him.
43. How much does this sweater cost? I asked the shop assistant.
44. Are you coming tonight or tomorrow night? She wanted to know.
45. Don't talk so much and go on working, she said.
46. Clean up your room. It's a mess, Tom's mother said to him.
47. Don't take off the lid when the light is red, the salesman told us.
48. Concentrate on the reading, the teacher said to me.
49. Go to the gym if you want to be fit, he said to me.
50. Remember to buy some stamps for the letter, Jeremy's mother said to him.
51. Did you go to Sam's party? Susan asked.
52. Why have you painted your room black and purple? shouted Tom's mother.
53. Would you like to come skating with us, Martin? said Mark.
54. Would you like some help with your physics homework? said Tom's brother.
55. How much did your new skateboard cost? she wanted to know.
56. Where is my red belt? I asked her.
57. Would you like me to call a taxi for you? offered the hotel receptionist.
58. Mike, how much is your mountain bike insured for? my cousin asked.
59. Let me help you with the washing-up. Alan said.
60. When did they get married? she asked me.

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2. PUT THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES INTO DIRECT SPEECH:

1- She told me to look where I was going as the road was full of holes and very badly ill.
2- They said that while they were bathing they saw someone examining their clothes.
3- I asked if she had looked everywhere and she said that she had.
4- He suggested giving her a bottle of wine.
5- She asked what the weather had been like during my holidays and I said it had been awful.
6- Sally told me that she was working for IBM that month.
7- My friends congratulated me for my 18th birthday.
8- His daughter asked him when they were going to leave.
9- She wanted to know if I was going to stay there the following week.
10- He asked her when she had decided to buy a car and she said she had decided the previous week.
11- The teacher asked us to do exactly what she said.
12- His father asked him to switch off his mobile phone during meal times.
13- George invited Mary to his party.
14- The swimming pool attendant warned the boys about jumping in at the shallow end.
15- Mary suggested that Peter should ask his parents for advice.
16- The bus driver told them the bus had broken down.
17- The teacher reminded that there would be a test on reported speech.
18- She offered to help me with my homework.

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3. CHOOSE THE BEST WAY TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES BELOW:

1- Please tell me xxx.
a) where is the bus stop
c) where stops the bus

b) where the bus stop be

d) where the bus stop is

2- I told him xxx.

a) what the homework was
b) what was the homework
c) what was to be the homework d) what is the homework
3- I think xxx.
a) will be the plane on time
c) the plane to be on time

b) the plane will be on time

d) it will be on time the plane

4- I didn't know xxx.

a) what he mean
c) what did he meant

b) what did he mean

d) what he meant

5- He said xxx.
a) that the weather colder than usual
c) the weather was colder than usual

b) the weather be colder than usual

d) the weather it is colder than usual

6- I think xxx.
a) today it is Wednesday
c) today is Wednesday

b) that is today Wednesday

d) today be Wednesday

7- I asked her xxx.

a) what is the answer
c) what was the answer

b) what the answer

d) what the answer was

8- Do you remember xxx?

a) when is her birthday
c) when her birthday

b) when her birthday is

d) when be her birthday

9- He asked me xxx.
a) what is my name
c) what my name was

b) what was my name

d) what my name be

10- I warned him xxx.

a) to be not late
b) not to be late

b) don't be late
d) he is not late

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4. TICK THE CORRECT BOX .

1 Would you like to spend the weekend with us?
encouraged
They
invited
her to spend the weekend with them.
told
2 Could you open the window, please?
invited
She
ordered
him to open the window.
asked
3 Go to bed immediately!
begged
Kate's mother
asked
ordered

her to go to bed immediately.

4 Don't forget to post the letter!

asked
He
reminded
me to post the letter.
Warned
5 Park the car behind the lorry.
warned
The instructor
told
advised

him to park behind the van.

6 Please, please, turn down the music!

begged
Dick's sister
advised him to turn down the music.
warned
7 Don't play with matches. They're very dangerous.
encouraged
He
reminded
the children not to play with matches.
warned
8 I'll give you a lift to the station.
refused
She
offered
to give him a lift to the station.
begged
9 I won't lend you any more money.
warned
Jeff
offered to lend me any more money.
refused
10 Please, don't touch it.
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asked
She
ordered us not to touch the painting.
told
5. REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES IN REPORTED SPEECH WITH A REPORTING
VERB FROM THE BOX BELOW.
apologize for

insist on

admit

advise

suggest

promise

order

1- What about going to the beach tomorrow?

2- Be quiet.
3- I wouldn't do it if I were you.
4- Yes, I broke that vase.
5- I'll love you forever.
6- I'm sorry. I'm late.
7- No, no. This round is on me. I'll pay.

6. THIS IS WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAID TO SALLY TODAY:

The manager of the bank where Sally works: Youll get a pay rise later in the year.
An optician: 'There is nothing wrong with your eyes. You dont need to wear glasses.
Sally's boyfriend, Peter: Id like a big family. I want at least five children.
Sally's father: Ive done the shopping. Ill be home at about seven.
Sallys driving instructor: You drove very well. Youre making good progress.
A man who works in a dry-cleaners: Your skirt will be ready on Saturday.
It is evening now and Sally is telling her mother about her day. Complete what Sally says using reported speech.
Sally: I went to the dry-cleaners at lunchtime and the man there said my skirt would be ready on Saturday.
Mother: And what about the optician: What did she say?
Sally: Oh, she told me -1- _______________________ eyes and that I -2- ____________________ glasses.
Mother: Oh, that's good. And what about your driving lesson? How did that go?
Sally: Oh, fine. My instructor told me that I -3- ________________________ and that I -4_________________________ progress.
Mother: That's very good. And what about Peter? Did you see him today?
Sally: No, but he phoned me at work. He made Me laugh. He said he arid that he -6- _________________________
children.
Mother: Five! Well. I hope you can afford them.
Sally: Oh, yes. That reminds me. I was speaking to the manager at work and she said that I -7_________________________.
Mother: Oh, that's good.
Sally: Yes. Oh, and before I forget. Dad phoned. He said he -8- _________________________ and that he 9_________________________ seven.

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VERBS OF REPORTING: PATTERNS

a) VERB + TO-INFINITIVE: Agree, decide, offer, order, promise, refuse, threaten.

b) VERB + OBJECT + TO-INFINITIVE: Advise, encourage, invite, order, recommend, remind, warn.
c) VERB + GERUND: Admit, deny, recommend, suggest.
d) VERB + PREPOSITION + GERUND: Apologise for, complain about, confess to, insist on, object to.
e) VERB + OBJECT + PREPOSITION + GERUND: Accuse of, blame for, congratulate for, thank for.

7. REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES INTO INDIRECT SPEECH USING THE

PATTERNS LISTED ABOVE:
1- What about going to the cinema tonight? Beth said to her husband.
Beth suggested
2- Why dont you go and buy the papers? Rose said to Arthur.
Rose suggested
3- The meat wasnt well done at all, My mother said.
My mother complained
4- Would you like to have dinner out tomorrow? She told her friend.
She invited
5- I wont let you go out if you dont finish your homework, Fred told his daughter.
Fred threatened
6- Youd better stay in bed today, his mother told her.
His mother recommended
7- Im sorry Im late, Jesse said.
Jesse apologized
8- Im sure Sarah caused the accident, the inspector said.
The inspector blamed
9- Please, lets go dancing, the girl said.
The girl insisted
10- Dont forget you have to go to the dentist, Barbara told her husband.
Barbara reminded
11- Ill lend you the money, Arthur said to her.
Arthur offered
12- If you do it, Ill call the police, she said to the man.
She threatened
13- Thank you very much for giving me a lift, she told me.

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She thanked
14- Youd better take these pills, the doctor told me.
The doctor advised
15- It was your fault. You didnt tell us, they told James.
They blamed
16- Would you like to stay at my house? he told me.
He invited
17- Im not going to walk all that way, Alan said.
Alan refused
18- You mustnt forget to post this letter, Beth told Chris.
Beth reminded
19- The food was terrible, she said.
She complained
20- Yes, I lost the photo, Lisa said.
Lisa admitted

8. REWRITE THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE USING REPORTED SPEECH. THE BEGINNING

HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE FOR YOU:
My names Vera, and Im from Russia. I came over to England about seven years ago and Ive been living in London
since then. When I lived in Moscow, I was a journalist, but now Im working for the BBC and I quite enjoy it. I'm not
sure if I'll go back now. I think I may, because I havent seen my family for a long time, and I know they want me to
visit them.
I met a very interesting woman the other day. She said that her name was Vera and that

9. READ THE STORY BELOW AND THEN WRITE IT AS A CONVERSATION BETWEEN

JACK BENSON AND THE ASSISTANT MANAGER.
When Jack Benson got up the next morning, he went downstairs to the reception desk and asked to speak to the
manager. The assistant manager came out of his office, introduced himself, and asked what he could do for Benson.
Jack replied that he wanted to complain about the noise outside his bedroom door during the night: it had lasted for
two hours and had interrupted his sleep.
The assistant manager apologized for the noise, and explained that the hotel had had to do some maintenance work on
the lift. Jack suggested at maintenance work should be done in the morning or afternoon, but definitely not at night.

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The assistant manager agreed that this was rather unusual, and apologized again. He offered alternative
accommodation in the hotel, but Jack refused this, saying that he would he happy if the noise didnt happen again.

10. Andrew had a frightening experience recently while on holiday. He was out walking in the
countryside when suddenly he was surrounded by a group of soldiers.
Here are the questions which one of the soldiers asked Andrew.
1 What are you doing here?
2 Why are you carrying a camera?
3 Did you see the signs warning people not to enter the area?
4 Have you been taking photos of the army base?
5 What's your name?
6 Can I see some proof of your identity?

After the holiday, Andrew told some friends what had happened. Complete Andrew's story using reported speech.
I was about seven miles from the youth hostel in the middle of nowhere when suddenly a jeep roared up to me and I
was surrounded by soldiers pointing guns! An officer asked me 1 what 1 was doing there. Then he pointed at my
Kodak and asked me 2 _________________________. I tried to explain that I was on holiday there, but then he
wanted to know 3 _________________________. I told him I hadn't. Then he asked me 4
_________________________ I said that I didn't even know there was an army base there. Then he wanted to know 5
_________________________ and 6 _________________________. Then, just because I couldnt prove who I was,
they put me in the jeep and drove me to some kind of underground army base. They kept me there while they phoned
the youth hostel to check up on me.

11. REWRITE THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE OF REPORTED SPEECH USING THE WORDS
THAT THE SPEAKER ACTUALLY SAID.
Mr Alan Hepden, the plumber who won a record $2 million on the football pools, said that he had been amazed to win
so much money, but that he wouldnt let it change his life. He wanted to carry on with his job, which he enjoyed, but
he said he would buy a new van, as he needed another one. He said that he was going to Disneyland for a holiday,
which was something that he had been planning to do for a long time. He said that when he got back he would go
straight to work again.
I was amazed to win so much money

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