Exercises:

1. A. Change the sentences into reported speech according to the model.

Model: Miranda says, “I work for a small publishing house.” – Miranda says (that) she works for a small publishing house.

1. I’m going to work in England next year. 2. I’m their marketing manager. 3. The company has opened an office in London. 4. Up till now I’ve been very successful in my career. 5. I’ve been chosen to run the new office in London. 6. I’m studying English in the evenings. 7. I don’t have much time to enjoy myself. 8. I haven’t had lunch with a friend for ages. 9. I hope my friends will come and visit me in London. 10. I went there last week with my secretary. 11. We didn’t have much time for sightseeing. 12. I have to get back to work now.

B. Tell your friend what Miranda said.

2. Change the sentences into indirect speech. Use the verbs in brackets.

1. Smile, and say Cheese! (ask) 2. Now then, darling, don’t cry! (beg) 3. Never trust a stranger! (advise) 4. Freeze! Dismiss! (command) 5. Never, never answer me back! (order) 6. Don’t let’s stand here in the middle of the road. (offer) 7. Open your mouth wide and say R! (ask) 8. Don’t cheat like a crook. (warn) 9. Don’t pull the cat’s tail! He may scratch you. (order) 10. Make haste slowly. (advise) 11. Relax, it’s not the end of the world. (recommend) 12. Now don’t get me wrong. (warn) 13. Never say “never”. (advise) 14. Welcome to Jurassic Park. (invite)

3. A. You’ve been away for a while and have just come to your home town. You meet Gerry, a friend of yours. He asks you a lot of questions. (Change them into reported speech.)

1. - How are you? – He asks me how I am.

2. Where have you been?

3. How long have you been back?

4. What are you doing now?

5. Where are you living?

6. Why did you come back?

7. Are you glad to be back?

8. Do you have any plans to go away again?

9. Can you lend me some money?

B. Now you tell another friend what Gerry asked you.

4. Translate into English.

1. Интересно, который сейчас час. 2. Кто-нибудь может сказать мне, в чём дело? 3. Сейчас уже никто не может вспомнить, чья это была идея. 4. Пожалуйста, скажите мне, куда идёт этот автобус. 5. Интересно, чем он зарабатывает на жизнь. 6. Мы должны спросить кого-нибудь, где находится вокзал. 7. Тебе придётся сказать нам, каковы твои ближайшие планы. 8. Ты можешь объяснить мне, что тебе нужно? 9. В деканате вам скажут, когда заканчивается семестр. 10. Полиция не знает, чья это машина. Она без номеров. 11. Спроси кого-нибудь, какой сегодня день. 12. Вы не понимаете, как это серьёзно.

5. A customer came to a Mercedes showroom in a very old Fiat. There was an old lady in the back of the car. Look at some of the things the customer and the salesman said. Then re-write the sentences in reported speech. (This is based on a true story.)

1. The customer said, “I’m thinking about buying a new car’.

2. The salesman said, ‘The new S 500 is very good value’.

3. The customer said, ‘I bought a Mercedes in 1985 and I liked it a lot’.

4. The salesman said, ‘You can take it for a test drive’.

5. The customer said, ‘I don’t have any identification …

… but the woman in the car is my grandmother’.

6. The salesman said, ‘That will be fine’.

7. Two hours later, the salesman said, ‘Your grandson is taking a long time’.

8. The woman said, ‘He isn’t my grandson …

… He offered to drive me to the shops. I have never seen him before’.

1. The customer said that he was thinking about buying a new car.

2. The salesman said that __________________________________________________

3. The customer said that __________________________________________________

4. The salesman said that __________________________________________________

5. The customer said that __________________________________________________

but that ______________________________________________________________

6. The salesman said that __________________________________________________

7. Later on, the salesman said to the woman that _______________________________

8. The woman said that ___________________________________________________

and that ______________________________________________________________