REPORTED SPEECH PRACTICE ANSWERS

REPORTED SPEECH PRACTICE ANSWERS

PRACTICE 1

Note: that can be used after the main verb in all these sentences.

1 She said (that) she was very tired.

2 He said (that) he would see them soon.

3 She said (that) she was going to the cinema.

4 He said (that) he saw the children quite often.

5 She said (that) she was having a bath.

6 He said (that) he'd already met their parents.

7 She said (that) she'd stayed in a hotel for a few weeks.

8 He said (that) he had to go home to make the dinner.

9 She said (that) she hadn't been waiting long.

10 He said (that) he was listening to the radio.

11 She said (that) she'd tell them the news on Saturday.

12 He said (that) he liked swimming, dancing and playing tennis.

13 She said (that) she could drive.

14 He said (that) he'd walked home after the party.

15 She said (that) she was going to be sick.

16 He said (that) he had to go out to post a letter.

17 She said (that) she'd spoken to Jane last week.

18 He said (that) he was trying to listen to the music.

19 She said(that) she'd phone the office from the airport.

20 He said (that) he couldn't speak any foreign languages.

PRACTICE 2

Note: that can be used after the main verb in all these sentences.

1 She said (that) she'd see me the next day.

2 He said (that) he'd seen her that day.

3 She said (that) she didn't like the film.

4 She said (that) they'd gone swimming that day.

5 She said (that) she'd see Mary the following Sunday.

6 He said (that) he'd met her about three months previously/before.

7 She said (that) Pete and Sue were getting married the next day.

8 He said (that) Stephen was bringing some records to the party that night.

9 She said (that) she really liked the furniture.

10 She said (that) her parents were arriving the next day.

11 They said (that) they had visited her-that morning.

12 They said (that) they'd see her the following week.,

13 He said (that) they had been there three months before/previously.

14 He said (that) he was meeting them at four o'clock that day.

15 She said (that) she could see me the following day.

PRACTICE 3

1 He wanted to know what my name was.

2 She asked how old I was.

3 I asked when the train left.

4 He asked how I was.

5 My mother wanted to know who I had seen at the meeting.

6 He wanted to know why I had taken his wallet.

7 She asked how I had got to school.

8 The boy wanted to know where I lived.

9 She asked why Judy hadn't been at the party.

10 My father wanted to know why I hadn't telephoned.

11 The teacher demanded to know why I was so late.

12 The judge inquired why the police hadn't reported the crime.

13 He demanded to know why I wouldn't let him in.

14 We inquired what time the plane arrived.

15 She asked who I wanted to talk to.

PRACTICE 4

Note: whether can be used instead of if in all these sentences.

1 She asked if/whether I liked Marlon Brando.

2 He asked if/whether I was enjoying myself.

3 She asked if/whether my father worked there.

4 He asked if I lived near my family.

5 She asked if I was a foreigner.

6 He asked if I had met Danny before.

7 She asked if I was hungry.

8 He asked if I had borrowed his dictionary.

9 She asked if I had finished my exams.

10 He asked if I had invited Judy and Pat.

11 She asked if my brother lived in London.

12 He asked if I knew who had broken the window.

13 She asked if they had told me when they were leaving.

14 He asked if I had lent them my camera.

15 She asked if I had hurt myself.

PRACTICE 5

1 He told Mary to sit down.

2 The children's mother warned them not to go near the sea.

3 Tim's father told him not to be late.

4 The librarian told the children to be quiet.

5 The officer ordered the men not to shoot.

6 The inspector told us to have our tickets ready.

7 The landlady told us not to use the telephone after eleven o'clock.

8 The receptionist told us to leave our keys on the desk.

9 The customs officer told us to have our passports ready.

10 My boss told me to finish the job tonight/that night.

11 The general ordered the soldiers to run.

12 My mother told me to open the door.

13 My father told me not to spend too much money on my holiday.

14 He told me to hurry up.

15 She told me not to be frightened.

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REPORTED SPEECH PRACTICE

REPORTED SPEECH PRACTICE

Practice 1

Write these sentences in indirect speech.

1 'I'm very tired,' she said. She said she was very tired.

2 'I'll see them soon,' he said. He said he would see them soon.

3 'I'm going to the cinema,' she said.

4 'I see the children quite often,' he said.

5 'I'm having a bath,' she said.

6 'I've already met their parents,' he said.

7 'I stayed in a hotel for a few weeks,' she said.

8 'I must go home to make the dinner,' he said.

9 'I haven't been waiting long,' she said.

10 'I'm listening to the radio,' he said.

11 'I'll tell them the news on Saturday,' she said.

12 'I like swimming, dancing and playing tennis,' he said.

13 'I can drive,' she said.

14 'I walked home after the party,' he said.

15 'I'm going to be sick,' she said.

16 'I must go out to post a letter,' he said.

17 'I spoke to Jane last week,' she said.

18 I'm trying to listen to the music,' he said.

19 'I'll phone the office from the airport,' she said.

20 'I can't speak any foreign languages,' he said.

Practice 2

Write these sentences in indirect speech, changing words where necessary.

1 'I'll see you tomorrow,' she said. She said she'd see me the next day.

2 'I saw her today,' he said.He said he'd seen her that day.

3 'I don't like this film,' she said.

4 She said, 'We went swimming today.'

5 'I'll see Mary on Sunday,' she said.

6 'I met her about three months ago,' he said.

7 'Pete and Sue are getting married tomorrow,' she said.

8 'Stephen's bringing some records to the party tonight,' he said.

9 'I really like this furniture,' she said.

10 'My parents are arriving tomorrow,' she said.

11 'We visited her this morning,' they said.

12 'We'll see her next week,' they said.

13 'They were here three months ago,' he said.

14 'I'm meeting them at four o'clock today,' he said.

15 'I can see you tomorrow,' she said.

Practice 3

Write these sentences as reported questions, using the words given. Change you to I,

etc. where necessary.

1 'What's your name?' he asked, (wanted to know) He wanted to know what my name was.

2 'How old are you?' she said, (asked] She asked how old I was.

3 'When does the train leave?' I asked, (asked)

4 'How are you?' he said, (asked)

5 'Who did you see at the meeting?' my mother said, (wanted to know)

6 'Why did you take my wallet?' he asked, (wanted to know)

7 'How did you get to school?' she said, (asked)

8 'Where do you live?' the boy asked, (wanted to know)

9 'Why wasn't Judy at the party?' she asked, (asked)

10 'Why didn't you telephone?' my father asked, (wanted to know)

11 'Why are you so late?' the teacher asked, (demanded to know)

12 'Why didn't the police report the crime?' the judge asked, (inquired)

13 'Why won't you let me in?' he shouted, (demanded to know)

14 'What time does the plane arrive?' we asked, (inquired)

15 'Who do you want to talk to?' she said, (asked)

Practice 4

Write these sentences as reported questions. Change you to I, etc. where necessary.

1 'Do you like Marlon Brando?' she asked. She asked if I liked Marlon Brando.

2 'Are you enjoying yourself?' he asked. He asked whether I was enjoying myself.

3 'Does your father work here?' she asked.

4 'Do you live near your family?' he asked.

5 'Are you a foreigner?' she asked.

6 'Have you met Danny before?' he asked.

7 'Are you hungry?' she asked.

8 'Did you borrow my dictionary?' he asked.

9 'Have you finished your exams?' she asked.

10 'Did you invite Judy and Pat?' he asked.

11 'Does your brother live in London?' she asked.

12 'Do you know who broke the window?' he asked.

13 'Did they tell you when they were leaving?' she asked.

14 'Did you lend them your camera?' he asked.

15 'Have you hurt yourself?' she asked.

Practice 5

Write these sentences in indirect speech, using the words given. Note that some

words may have to be changed.

1 'Sit down Mary.' (he told) He told Mary to sit down.

2 'Don't go near the sea, children.' (the children's mother warned) The children's

mother warned them not to go near the sea.

3 'Don't be late, Tim.' (Tim's father told)

4 'Be quiet, children.' (the librarian told)

5 'Don't shoot, men!' (the officer ordered)

6 'Have your tickets ready, please.' (the inspector told us)

7 'Don't use the telephone after eleven o'clock.' (the landlady told us)

8 'Leave your keys on the desk, please.' (the receptionist told us)

9 'Have your passports ready, please.' (the customs officer told us)

10 'Finish the job tonight, please.' (my boss told me)

11 'Run!' (the general ordered the soldiers)

12 'Open the door, please.' (my mother told me)

13 'Don't spend too much money on your holiday.' (my father told me)

14 'Hurry up.' (he told me)

15 'Don't be frightened.' (she told me)

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Reported speech

Reported speech

1- Reported statements

In reported speech (also known as indirect speech], the tense used in the speaker's

original words is usually (but not always) moved back a tense when the reporting

verb (said, told, etc.) is in the past. The tense does not change if the reporting

verb is in the present, present perfect or future.

Tense changes

Direct Speech Reported speech

present simple past simple

present continuous past continuous

present perfect simple past perfect simple

present perfect continuous past perfect continuous

past simple past perfect simple

past continuous past perfect continuous

past perfect past perfect

going to future was going to

shall /will would

shall in offers and suggestions should

must had to

can could

Examples

1. “I have something to show you”, I said to her.

I said to her that I had something to show her.

2. “My wife has just bought a new one”, he said to her.

He said to her that his wife had just bought a new one.

3. “I will sit here till she comes in, but I hope she won’t be late”, said he.

He said that he would sit there till she came in, and added that he hoped she

wouldn’t be late.

4. “I wrote to him yesterday. I wonder why he hasn’t rung up”, she said.

She said he had written to him the day before and wondered why he hadn’t rung up.

5. “I can’t speak any foreign languages”, he said to me.

He said to me (that) he couldn’t speak any foreign languages.

2- Time and place changes

It is often necessary to change time, place and other references in reported speech,

depending on when and where the reporting takes place in relation to the actual

words.

Some common changes

now then

tonight that night

yesterday the day before/ the previous day

tomorrow the following day/the next day / the day after

this morning that morning

last week the previous week / the week before

next Saturday the following Saturday

next week / month the following week / the week after

ago before/previously

here there

this + the place that/the + the place

this that/the



3- Reported questions

The rules about tense changes apply to questions in the same way as they apply to

statements.

• Wh questions The subject and verb are NOT inverted in reported speech:

'Why didn't you tell me the truth?' = inversion

She asked me / She wanted to know why I hadn't told her the truth. subject + verb

• Yes/ no questions Put if or whether before the subject + verb: 'Have I seen you

before?'

She asked me / She wanted to know if she had seen me before.

Examples

1. “Why did you travel first class?”, I asked him.

I asked him why he had travelled first class.

2. “What is your new house like?”, I asked them.

I asked them what their new house was like.

3. “Are you leaving today or tomorrow morning?”, asked his secretary.

His secretary asked him if he was leaving that day or the following day.

4. “Are you a foreigner?” they asked Julia.

They asked Julia if she was a foreigner.

5. “Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked me.

She asked me if I was enjoying myself.

6. “Do you like Tom Cruise?” she asked Peter.

She asked Peter if he liked Tom Cruise.

7. “Does your father work here?” Mary asked me.

Mary asked me if my father worked there.

8. “Did you invite Jim and Tom to the party?”, I asked her.

I asked her if she had invited Jim and Tom to the party.

4- To-infinitive in reported speech ( for commands / requests / advice etc )

• In reported requests, advice, commands, etc., use to-infinitive 'Can you help me

write my speech?' She asked me to help her write her speech. 'Don't stay out too

late.' She told me not to stay out too late.

• When reporting shall/should questions, we can use to-infinitive after the question

word:

'How much should we give them?'

He wanted to know how much to give them.

'What should I buy for Peter?'

She asked me what to buy for Peter

'Should I tell her what happened?'

He wanted to know whether to tell her what had happened.

Examples

1. “Don’t use bent coins in a slot machine”, I advised him.

I advised him not to use bent coins in a slot machine.

2. “Wash it in warm water”, recommended the assistant.

The assistant recommended to wash it in warm water.

3. “Sit down Mary”, he said.

He told Mary to sit down.

4. “Would you pass my suitcase, please?” he asked me.

He asked me to pass his suitcase.

5. “Could you sit down, please?” the teacher told me.

The teacher asked me to sit down.

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