8. Direct/Reported speech

Exercise 8.1. Rewrite the sentences using reported speech.

1. "My friend lives in Moscow", said Alex. 2. "You have not done your work well", said the teacher to me. 3. The cadets answered: "Good morning, comrade teacher". 4. "You didn’t pass the test", said the teacher. 5. "This man spoke to me on the road", said the woman to the policeman. 6. "I can't explain this rule to you, ask the teacher", said my classmate to me. 7. The teacher said to the class: "We shall discuss this subject tomorrow". 8. Mike said: "We have bought these books today". 9. She said to me: "Now I can read your translation". 10. Our teacher said: "Thackeray's novels are very interesting". 11. She said: "I’m not fond of tennis". 12. Max said: "I read 'Jane Eyre' last year". 13. Oleg said to his sister: "Put the letter into an envelope". 14. Jane said to us: "Please tell me all you know about it". 15. "Please help me with this work, Henry", said Robert.

Exercise 8.2. Rewrite the sentences using direct speech.

1. I asked if they had taken the sick man to hospital. 2. I asked my friend if he had a headache. 3. I wanted to know when he had fallen ill. 4. I wondered if he had taken his temperature. 5. I asked him if the doctor had given him some medicine. 6. I asked him if he was feeling better now. 7. I asked the man how long he had been in St. Petersburg. 8. I asked him if he was going to a health-resort. 9. We asked the girl if her parents were still in Moscow. 10. I asked the girl where her father serves. 11. He said that he would wait for me. 12. The teacher said that the earth is round. 13. He said that he had bought me some flowers. 14. She said that he had arrived the previous week. 15. He asked what time it was.

Exercise 8.3. Choose a reporting verb and turn the following from direct into reported speech.

advised, asked, ordered, suggested, explained, warned, promised, begged, offered, refused

Example: "I think you should take more exercises", the doctor said to me. –

The doctor advised me to take more exercises.

1. "I will not answer your questions", the actor said to him. 2. "I really will phone this evening", he said. 3. "Do you know where I’ve put my hat?" he said to her. 4. "What have you bought me for Christmas?" the little boy said to to his parents. 5. "Go to your room now and do your homework", the mother said to her son. 6. "You will be paid twice a month", her boss said. 7. "Whould you like me to drive you into town?" she said to me. 8. "Let’s go for a walk!" he said. 9. "Please let me come with you", she said to her mother. 10. "Let’s play in the garden", Ted said. 11. "The sun is bigger than the earth", Mary said to the children. 12. "Don’t go near the fire because it’s dangerous", she said to Ben. 13. "Let’s have steak for dinner", said June. 14. "I promise I’ll write to you as soon as I arrive, Mary", said John. 15. "Please, don’t shoot me!" he said to the robber.

Exercise 8.4. Write the exact words a teacher said to her students.

Example: Don’t talk when I’m talking.

A teacher told her students not to talk when she is talking. She told them to give their homework to her at the end of each lesson. She asked them not to write on the desks. Then she told them to put their hands up if they had a question. She also asked them not to eat in the classroom. She told them to write everything in pen and asked them to throw their rubbish into the wastepaper bin. Finally she told them not to leave the classroom without permission.

Exercise 8.5. Choose the correct item.

1. John said, "I’m sorry to disturb you, Eliza".

a) John told that he was sorry to disturb Eliza.

b) John told Eliza he was sorry to disturb her.

c) John said to Eliza he had been sorry to disturb her.

2. He said, "Where is Jill going?"

a) He askes where was Jill going.

b) He askes where Jill went.

c) He askes where Jill was going.

3. "If I had any instructions, I would know what to do", said Mag.

a) Mag said that if she had had any instructions she would have known what to do.

b) Mag said if she had any instructions she knew what to do.

c) Mag said that if she had any instructions she would know what to do.

4. "Will you be free tomorrow?" Colin asked Richard.

a) Richard asked would Colin be free the next day.

b) Colin asked Richard if he would be free the following day.

c) Colin asked if Richard will be free tomorrow.

5. "Why hasn’t he locked the car door?" the policeman said.

a) The policeman asked why he hadn’t locked the car door.

b) The policeman asked why hadn’t he locked the car door.

c) The policeman asked why he didn’t lock the car door.

6. The students said, "We wish our exams were over".

a) The students said they wished their exams had been over.

b) The students said that they wished their exams have been over.

c) The students said they wished their exams were over.

7. Tom said, "Jerry has been my best friend since our early childhood".

a) Tom told Jerry that he had been his best friend since their early childhood.

b) Tom said that Jerry has been my best friend since our early childhood.

c) Tom told Jerry that he had been his best friend since their early childhood.

8. "Where is the nearest bus stop?" the old man addressed a policeman.

a) The old man asked where was the nearest bus stop.

b) The old man asked a policeman where the nearest bus stop was.

c) The old man told a policeman where the nearest bus stop was.

9. The teacher said to us, "Be quiet, please".

a) The teacher asked us to be quiet.

b) The teacher told us to be quiet.

c) The teacher said to us to be quiet.

10. "If I were you, I’d stop smoking", Jeff said.

a) Jeff said that if he were him he would have stopped smoking.

b) Jeff said that if he had been him he would stop smoking.

c) Jeff advised him to stop smoking.