REPORTED SPEECH

OR DERS
AND REQUESTS - introducing verbs: order, tell, ask

EXERCISE 1

Look at the blackboard, 1.- ‘Kevin, don’t touch my things again’ – his
children! brother said
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______________________________________

2.- ‘Can you lend me your car for the weekend,

Mum?’ – Cathy said
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______________________________________
The teacher ordered the children to look at the blackboard.
3.- ‘Leave your umbrellas outside the museum,
Don’t leave your things all over please’ – the guide said
the place, Sue! ______________________________________
______________________________________

4.- ‘Don’t park here, sir’ – the policeman said

______________________________________
______________________________________

5.- ‘Could you show me that blue sweater in the

shop window, please?’ – the woman said
Her mother told Sue not to leave her things all over the place ______________________________________
______________________________________

6.- ‘Will you come with me to Susan’s party,

Will you take me out for a walk, please?
John?’ – Mary said
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______________________________________

7.- ‘Will you please not come with your dog into
the restaurant?’ – the waiter said
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______________________________________
The dog asked me to take him out for a walk
8.- ‘Don’t say anything to your parents, ok?’ – she
said
Mum, give me something to
______________________________________
eat!
______________________________________

9.- ‘Send me a copy of the contract, will you?’ –

the lawyer told Mr. Smith
______________________________________
______________________________________

10.- ‘Please, show me the photographs’ – she said

The boy told her mother to give him something to eat ______________________________________
______________________________________
Don’t close your mouth,
11.- ‘Stop smoking? – the doctor told him
Mr. Jones, please.
______________________________________
______________________________________

12.- ‘Never unlock this door!’ – he told his

assistant
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______________________________________
The dentist asked Mr. Jones not to close his mouth.
 REPORTED SPEECH
STATEMENTS - introducing verbs: say, tell, explain, think, etc. ...

EXERCISE 2

Sorry, Mr. Jones is 1.- ‘I think there is a bus at five o’clock’

out this morning. – my brother said
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______________________________________

2.- ‘She broke the glasses when she

was washing up’ – he said
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______________________________________
The secretary told me that Mr. Jones was out
that morning.
3.- ‘They can’t come because they are busy’
You have to fill in this form and
submit it in the office upstairs – Susan said
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______________________________________

4.- ‘I’ll do my homework tomorrow’ – the

child told his mother
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______________________________________

5.- ‘We have been to Paris twice’ – she said

______________________________________
______________________________________
The clerk explained to
me that I had to fill in that form and submit it
6.- ‘The boys are playing in the garden now’
in the office upstairs.
– she said
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______________________________________
I have been
promoted.
7.- ‘I don’t know your new boyfriend’ – she
told Sheila
______________________________________
______________________________________

8.- ‘Someone brought a parcel for you last

week’ – she told me
______________________________________
______________________________________
The clerk told his wife that he had been
promoted 9.- ‘Mary, your glasses are on the table’ –
her mother said
I know the answer ______________________________________
______________________________________

10.- ‘Tom is having dinner with us next

Saturday’ – he said
The girl said that she knew the ______________________________________
______________________________________
answer
 REPORTED SPEECH

QUESTIONS - introducing verbs: ask, wonder, want to know

What’s your name and

address, sir?
EXERCISE 3

1.- ‘Where do you live, Mr. Sallies?’ – the policeman

asked
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______________________________________

The policeman wanted to know what my name 2.- ‘Are you busy, Tom?’ – Mary asked
and address was. ______________________________________
______________________________________

Where’s my coffee? 3.- ‘Have you seen my brother?’ – she asked me

______________________________________
______________________________________

4.- ‘How are you going to Italy?’ – he asked me

______________________________________
______________________________________

He wondered where his coffee was. 5.- ‘Do you like classical music, Sue?’ – I asked
______________________________________
______________________________________

6.- ‘How much did you pay for that car?’ – he asked
Are you coming to my
me
party next Friday,
______________________________________
Susan?
______________________________________

7.- ‘When are you going on holiday?’ – she asked

her brother
______________________________________
______________________________________
She asked Susan if she was coming to her party the following
Friday. 8.- ‘Did you close the windows last night, Terry?’ –
his mother asked
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Did you see the match last ______________________________________
night?
9.- ‘Why are you still in bed?’ – I asked her
______________________________________
______________________________________

10.- ‘Who is that man?’ – she wondered

He asked me if I had seen the match the night before. ______________________________________
______________________________________

11.- ‘Did you buy those flowers, Mum?’ – the girl

How many miles have we asked
run? ______________________________________
______________________________________

12.- Whose CDs are these? – he wondered

______________________________________
______________________________________

She wanted to know how many miles they had run.

 ALL TYPES
EXERCISE 4

1.- ‘Do you wear a uniform at school?’ 17.- ‘Can you keep this secret, Susan?’
Peter asked me ... Susan’s friend asked her ...

2.- ‘Do these exercises for tomorrow, children’ 18.- ‘When did you sell your old car?’
The teacher told the children ... He wanted to know …

3.- Harry, don’t play with matches’ 19.- ‘Can you tell me where the station is, sir?’
His mother told Harry ... She asked the man …

4.- There is a question I want to ask’ 20.- ‘Is this today’s newspaper, Sue?’
Sue said ... Sue’s father asked her …

5.- ‘We’ll have a party next weekend’ 21.- ‘George, go to the blackboard and don’t be a
She said ... nuisance’
The teacher told George …

6.- ‘Nobody knows the answer’

He said ... 22.- ‘Those flowers are very nice. I like them’
Mary said ...

7.- ‘How many questions are there?’

John asked ... 23.- ‘Will you buy the paper on your way to work,
please?’
My mother asked me ...
8.- ‘Have you been to Italy, Mary?’
Mr. Jones asked Mary ...
24 ‘Can you buy some bread on your way back home,
please?’
9.- ‘Don’t touch any of my things, Mark’ She asked me ...
She ordered Mark ...

25.- ‘Don’t switch off the radio’

10.- ‘It’s going to rain soon’ She told me ...
I said ...

26.- ‘Where did you go on holiday?’

11.- ‘I lost my handbag yesterday’ She asked me ...
She said …

27.- Look at him. He’s playing the fool again’

12.- ‘Listen to those birds in the garden’ Susan told me ...
Susan told her friend …

28.- Open the window. It’s hot in this room’

13.- ‘Could you do me a favour?’ His mother told him…
Tom asked Susan ...

29.- ‘Give me a sandwich, please. I’m hungry’

14.- ‘Can you give me something to eat, madam?’ Tom told his mother ...
The beggar asked the woman ...

30.- Where have you been all day?’

15.- ‘How much is this box of chocolates?’ My father asked me ...
The customer asked me …

31.- ‘Don’t drop those plates’

16.- ‘This exercise is a bit difficult, but you won’t Sheila told her friend ...
have any
problem if you pay attention’
The teacher explained … 32.-‘I know what you mean’
He said ...
 ALL TYPES
EXERCISE 5

1. Are you going to study for the exam? - she

asked

2. Can you ride a horse, Sue? - he asked

21. I think she will be very happy in England -

3. Can you wait for a while, please? - he said he said

4. Did you enjoy yourself at the party last 22. I want to play with you, Sue - he said
Saturday? - she asked him

23. I won’t be able to finish it by tomorrow - he

5. Did you go shopping last Saturday? - she said
asked

24. I’ll finish soon - she told us

6. Do you know my brother Harry? - he asked
me
25. I’m going to show you something very
interesting - Susan told me
7. Don’t argue with me! - his father said

26. I’ve got up at six o’clock this morning and

8. Don’t ask me any more questions, Mary - I’m very tired - Terry said
Susan said

27. It may be too late - he said

9. Don’t laugh at him - my mother told me

28. Learn all these new words for tomorrow -

10. Don’t make plans for your holiday yet - he the teacher said
told us

29. Mary, pass me the sugar, please - Harry said

11. Don’t talk to me when I’m studying - she
told me
30. She left the office two hours ago - he said

12. Everybody is hungry - she said

31. Show me your new CDs, David - I said

13. Have you got any brothers or sisters? - I

asked him 32. Soldiers, don’t leave your position! - the
sergeant said

14. Have you seen Peter today? - the teacher

asked the students 33. Susan, stop crying - her mother said

15. How much is this sweater? - she asked the 34. The postman didn’t deliver yesterday - she
shop assistant said

16. How old is your new boyfriend, Sue? - her 35. There’s been a terrible accident at the
father asked crossroads - John said

17. I can run faster than anyone - the boy told 36. They are getting married next week - she
his friends said

18. I didn’t break it - the child said 37. This exercise is terrible. I can’t do it now -
she said

19. I haven’t finished eating yet - he said

38. Tom, the phone is ringing - she said

20. I met him here two days ago - he said

 39. We’ll go in this car - they said

40. We’ll visit you when we go to Scotland next

summer - they told me

DIRECT SPEECH

Anna told us that she had finished.

‘I’ve finished’ – Anna told us

The little girl asked Susan if she was staying there all summer.
‘Are you staying here all summer, Susan? – the little girl asked

The teacher told the children not to write on the blackboard.

‘Don’t write on the blackboard, children’ – the teacher said

EXERCISE 6

1.- Mary asked me where exactly I lived.

15.- She asked John to give her a lift to the airport.

2.- Bill said he was going to be late.

16.- She wondered if he would ask her out.

3.- David said he had to be back by 3.30.

17.- She said she had been to the doctor’s two days
before.
4.- Carol asked Ann what she had done the day
before.
18.- She asked me who I had invited to my party.

5.- Kate asked me how many books I had read.

19.- He wanted to know what had happened.

6.- My teacher asked me if I would go to school the

following day. 20.- He explained that he had been late because of
the
traffic.
7.- Helen said she was going shopping.

21.- She asked Jim if he had tried those cakes.

8.- Paul said that he wanted to make a phone call.

22.- He said that he would help me whenever I

9.- Tina told the teacher she had forgotten to do her needed it
homework.

23.- She said she had to do an important exam the

10.- She said she liked swimming but she didn’t go following day.
very
often.
24.- The firemen told us to leave the place at once.

11.- He said he had written two letters to her.

25.- I told Peter to be honest.

12.- I asked my teacher what ‘coy’ meant.

26.- She told us we had to call her Mrs. Willis

13.- I asked Sue when her birthday was.

27.- They asked me not to come in with my shoes on.

14.- My mother asked me if I had tidied my room

lately. 28.- She said her friend had just had a baby.
29.- The policeman ordered him to come out of his
car. 30.- He said that they had finished this exercise at
last.
KEY

EXERCISE 1
1. His brother ordered Kevin not to touch his things again
2. Cathy asked her mother to lend her her car for the weekend
3. The guide told us to leave our umbrellas outside the museum
4. The policeman told the man not to park there
5. The woman asked the shop-assistant to show her that blue sweater in the shop window
6. Mary asked John to go with her to Susan’s party
7. The waiter told me not to go with my dog into the restaurant
8. She told me not to say anything to my parents
9. The lawyer asked Mr Smith to send him a copy of the contract
10. She asked me to show her the photographs
11. The doctor told him to stop smoking
12. He told his assistant not to unlock that door

EXERCISE 2
1. My brother said (that) he thought there was a bus at five o’clock
2. He said she had broken the glasses when she was washing up
3. Susan said they couldn’t come because they were busy
4. The child told his mother he would do his homework the following day
5. She said they had been to Paris twice
6. She said the boys were playing in the garden then
7. She told Sheila she didn’t know her new boyfriend
8. She told me someone had brought a parcel for me the week before
9. Mary’s mother told her that her glasses were on the table
10. He said Tom was having dinner with them the following Saturday

EXERCISE 3
1. The policeman asked Mr Sallies where he lived
2. Mary asked Tom if he was busy
3. She asked me if I had seen her brother
4. He asked me how I was going to Italy
5. I asked Sue if she liked classical music
6. He asked me how much I had paid for that car
7. She asked her brother when he was going on holiday
8. Terry’s mother asked him if he had closed the windows the night before
9. I asked her why she was still in bed
10. She wondered who that man was
11. The girl asked her mother if she had bought those flowers
12. He wondered whose CDs those were.

EXERCISE 4
1. if I wore a uniform at school
2. to do those exercises the following day
3. not to play with matches
4. there was a question she wanted to ask
5. they would have a party the following week
6. nobody knew the answer
7. how many questions there were
8. if she had been to Italy
9. not to touch any of his things
10. it was going to rain soon
11. she had lost her handbag the day before
12. to listen to those birds in the garden
13. to do him a favour
14. to give him something to eat
15. how much that box of chocolates was
16. (that) the exercise was a bit difficult but they wouldn’t have any problem if they paid attention
17. to keep that secret
18. when I had sold my old car
19. where the station was
20. if that was that day’s newspaper
21. to go to the blackboard and not to be a nuisance
22. those flowers were very nice and she liked them
23. to buy the paper on my way to work
24. to buy some bread on my way back home
25. not to switch off the radio
26. where I had gone on holiday
27. to look at him. He was playing the fool again
 28. to open the window because it was hot in that room
29. to give him a sandwich because he was hungry
30. where I had been all day
31. not to drop those plates
32. he knew what I meant

EXERCISE 5
1. She asked me if I was going to study for the exam
2. He asked Sue if she could ride a horse
3. He asked me to wait for a while
4. She asked him if he had enjoyed himself at the party the Saturday befor
5. She asked me if I had gone shopping the Saturday before
6. He asked me if I knew his brother Harry
7. His father ordered him not to argue with him
8. Susan asked Mary not to ask her any more questions
9. My mother told me not to laugh at him
10. He told us not to make plans for our holiday yet
11. She told me not to talk to her when she was studying
12. She said everybody was hungry
13. I asked him if he had any brothers or sisters
14. The teacher asked the students if they had seen Peter that day
15. She asked the shop assistant how much that sweater was
16. Her father asked Sue how old her new boyfriend was
17. The boy told his friends he could run faster that anyone
18. The child said he hadn’t broken it
19. He said he hadn’t finished eating yet
20. He said he had met him two days before
21. He said he thought she would be very happy in England
22. He told Sue he wanted to play with her
23. He said he wouldn’t be able to finish it by the following day
24. She told us she would finish soon
25. Susan told me she was going to show me something very interesting
26. Tarry said he had got up at 6 o’clock that morning and he was very tired
27. He said it might be too late
28. The teacher told them to learn all those new words for the following day
29. Harry asked Mary to pass him the sugar
30. He said she had left the office two hours before
31. I told David to show me his new CDs
32. The sergeant ordered the soldiers not to leave their positions
33. Susan’s mother told her to stop crying
34. She said the postman hadn’t delivered the day before
35. John said there had been a terrible accident at the crossroads
36. She said they were getting married the following week
37. She said that exercise was terrible and she couldn’t do it.
38. She told Tom the phone was ringing
39. The said they would go in that car
40. They told me they would visit me when they went to Scotland the following summer.

EXERCISE 6
1. Where do you live exactly? 17. I went to the doctor’s two days ago
2. I’m going to be late 18. Who have you invited to your party?
3. I have to be back by 3.30 19. What’s happened?
4. Ann, what did you do yesterday? 20. I’ve been late because of the traffic
5. How many books have you read? 21. Have you tried these cakes?
6. Will you come to school tomorrow? 22. I’ll help you whenever you need it
7. I’m going shopping 23. I have to do an important exam
8. I want to make a phone call tomorrow
9. I’ve forgotten to do my homework 24. Leave the place at once!
10. I like swimming, but I do go very often 25. Be honest, Peter!
11. I’ve written two letters to you 26. You must call me Mrs Willis
12. What does ‘coy’ mean? 27. Please, don’t come in with your shoes
13. When is your birthday, Sue? on
14. Have you tidied your room lately? 28. My friend has just had a baby
15. Can you give me a lift to the airport? 29. Come out of your car, sir!
16. Will he ask me out? 30. We have finished this exercise at last!