REPORTED SPEECH: KEY EXERCISE 1 – Write the following sentences in reported speech. 1.
‘The shops weren’t open yesterday afternoon,’ the woman said. The woman said the shops weren’t open / hadn’t been open the previous afternoon / the afternoon before.
2.
‘I would like to visit my parents,’ Linda said to David. Linda said to David she would like to visit her parents.
3.
‘A lot of gold is mined in South Africa,’ the diplomat pointed out. The diplomat pointed out a lot of gold was mined in South Africa.
4.
‘I want you to take the car to the garage next Friday,’ he told his wife. He told his wife he wanted her to take the car to the garage the following Friday.
5.
‘I can’t see you yet,’ the nurse apologized. The nurse apologized for not being able to see them / him / her then.
6.
‘You shouldn’t eat in the living-room,’ the mother told her son. The mother told her son he shouldn’t eat in the living-room.
7.
‘Their car might have broken down,’ my husband told me. My husband told me their car might have broken down.
8.
‘I have to do my homework now,’ Penny said to her friend. Penny said to her friend she had to do her homework then / at that moment.
9.
‘My cousins have often visited France,’ Joanna pointed out. Joanna pointed out her cousins had often visited France. rd
10. ‘The Christmas holidays will start on December 23 ,’ my father remarked. rd
My father remarked the Christmas holidays would start on December 23 . 11. ‘The boys were saving up for a canoe,’ the man explained. The man explained the boys had been saving up for a canoe. 12. ‘We can save a lot of trees by recycling paper,’ the ecologist argued. The ecologist argued they/we could save a lot of trees by recycling paper. 13. ‘The children have been studying geography,’ he said. He said the children had been studying geography. 14. ‘Johnson used to be a Member of Parliament,’ Errol said. Errol said Johnson used to be a Member of Parliament. 15. She didn’t leave work early once last week,’ Tom said. Tom said she hadn’t left work early once the previous week / the week before.
EXERCISE 2 – Write the following commands in indirect speech. 1.
‘Please don’t leave me,’ he said to her. He asked her not to leave him.
2.
‘Don’t smoke in my office, please,’ the boss said. The boss ordered not to smoke in his office.
3.
‘Please help yourself to food and drink,’ the hostess said. The hostess invited the guests to help themselves to food and drink.
4.
‘Keep quiet!’ the nurse said to the visitors. The nurse asked the visitors to keep quiet.
5.
‘Take the children home!’ he said to the driver. He asked / ordered the driver to take the children home.
6.
‘Give me your papers!’ the policeman instructed me. The policeman instructed me to give him my papers.
7.
‘Don’t forget to phone me!’ the father said to his son. The father reminded his son not to forget to phone him.
8.
‘Stand up straight!’ the teacher said to the pupil. The teacher ordered the pupil to stand up straight.
9.
‘Come over for supper next Friday!’ my neighbour said. My neighbor invited us to come over for supper the following Friday.
10. ‘Don’t make a noise!’ the librarian said to the readers. The librarian asked the readers not to make a noise.
EXERCISE 3 – Write the following Yes/No questions in indirect speech. 1.
‘Are you going to the club now?’ he wanted to know. He wanted to know if I was / we were going to the club then / at that moment.
2.
‘Haven’t you ever worked on a computer before?’ she wanted to know. She wanted to know if he / she had worked on a computer before.
3.
‘Have you ever visited the Tate Gallery in London?’ she wanted to know. She wanted to know if he / she had visited the Tate Gallery in London before.
4.
‘Will the workers be at work next Saturday?’ the manager asked. The manager asked if the workers would be at work the following Saturday.
5.
‘Was Don Quixote de la Mancha written by Cervantes?’ he wondered. He wondered if Don Quixote de la Mancha had been written by Cervantes.
6.
‘Can we see him this evening of tomorrow morning?’ the woman wondered. The woman wondered if they could see him that evening or the following morning.
7.
‘Do you read the newspaper every day?’ he asked. He asked if I / he / she / they read the newspaper every day.
8.
‘Did anyone try to save her life?’ the police officer asked. The police officer asked if anyone had tried to save her life.
9.
‘Does your dog know its way home?’ she wanted to know. She wanted to know if his / her / their dog knew its way home.
10. ‘Do you think it will rain tomorrow?’ I asked my mother. I asked my mother if she thought she would rain the following day.
EXERCISE 4 – Write the following Wh-questions in indirect speech. 1.
‘Whose pencil is this?’ the teacher enquired. The teacher enquired whose pencil that was.
2.
‘Where are the Niagara Falls?’ the child asked. The child asked where the Niagara Falls are / were.
3.
‘Who assassinated Abraham Lincoln?’ he asked. He asked who had assassinated Abraham Lincoln.
4.
‘Who was singing just now’’ my mother asked. My mother asked who had been singing then / at that moment.
5.
‘When did the committee decide to fire the workers?’ he wondered. He wondered when the committee had decided to fire the workers.
6.
‘How far is the station from our hotel?’ the girl wanted to know. The girl wanted to know how far the station was from our hotel.
7.
‘Where will Jane be next Thursday at six o’clock?’ Carol asked. Carol asked where Jane would be the following Thursday at six o’clock.
8.
‘What have you made for dinner?’ she asked him. She asked him what he had made for dinner.
9.
‘How are you going to pay?’ the cashier asked me. The cashier asked me how I was going to pay.
10. ‘Who is your favourite actor?’ she asked me. She asked me who my favourite actor was.