REPORTED SPEECH: EXERCISES
1.- INDIRECT SPEECH: STATEMENTS
1. ‘I have something to show you,’ I said to her. I said to her that I had something to show
her.
2. ‘Nothing grows in my garden. It never gets any sun,’ she said. She said that nothing
grew in her garden because it never got any sun.
3. ‘I’m going away tomorrow, mother,’ he said. He told his mother that he was going away
the following day.
4. ‘I’ve been in London for a month but so far I haven’t had time to visit the Tower,’ said
Rupert. Rupert said that he had been in London for a month but so far he hadn´t had time to
visit the Tower.
5. ‘It isn’t so foggy today as it was yesterday,’ I remarked. I said that it wasn´t so foggy that
day as it had been the day before.
6. ‘The new underpass is being officially opened the day after tomorrow,’ said the BBC
announcer. The BBC announcer said that the new underpass was being officially opened in
two days.
7. ‘We have moved into our new flat. We don’t like it so much as our last one,’ said my
aunt. My aunt said that they had moved into their new flat and they didn´t like it so much as
their previous one.
8. ‘We have a lift but very often it doesn’t work,’ they said. They said that they had a lift but
very often it didn´t work.
9. ‘From one of the windows of my flat I can see the Eiffel Tower,’ he said. He said that
from one of the windows of his flat he could see the E. T.
10. ‘I’ve no idea what time it is but I’ll deal 8081 and find out,’ said his daughter. His
daughter said that she had no idea what time it was but she would deal 8081 and find out.
11. He said, ‘My wife has just been made a judge.’ He said that his wife had just been made
a judge.
12. ‘I’ll come with you as soon as I’m ready,’ she replied. She said that she would come with
me as soon as she was ready.
13. ‘I have a German lesson this afternoon and I haven’t done my homework yet,’ said the
small boy. The small boy said he had a German lesson that afternoon and he hadn´t done his
homework yet.
14. ‘If you let the iron get too hot you will scorch your clothes,’ I warned her. I warned her
not to let the iron get too hot because she would scorch her clothes.
15. ‘You haven’t given me quite enough. The bill is for 14€ and you’ve paid me only 13€,’
he pointed out. He pointed out that I hadn´t given him quite enough because the bill was for 14€ and
I´ve paid him only 13€.
16 Ann said, 'Englishmen make good husbands because they are nearly always willing to help in the
house.'
17. “I’ll see Mary on Sunday”, she said. She said that she would see Mary on Sunday
18. “I met her about three months ago”, he said. He said that he had met her about three months ago
21. I'll sit up till she comes in, but I hope she won't be late,' he said. He said he would sit up till she
came in but she hoped that she wouldn´t be late.
22. “Pete and Sue are getting married tomorrow”, she said. She said that Pete and Sue were getting
married the next day
23. “We’ll see her next summer” they said. They said that they would see her the following summer
24.“Stephen’s bringing some records to the party tomorrow”, she said. She said that Stephen was
bringing some records to the party the next day
25. 'I must go out to post a letter,' she said. She said that
26 'I'm going fishing with mother this afternoon,' said the small boy. 'and we are going into the garden
now to dig for worms.' (Omit now). The small boy said he was going fishing with his mother the
following day and that they were going into the garden then to dig for worms.
27. Motoring report: The new Rolls Royce runs so quietly that all you can hear is the ticking of the
clock. Managing director of the Rolls Royce company: In that case we'll have to do something about
the clock.
2. INDIRECT SPEECH: SAY OR TELL? Use the correct form of “say” or “tell” in these
sentences:
1. She ____ me she didn't agree.
2. 'I think I've met you before,' he ____.
3. I ____ them I wasn't happy with their work.
4. She ____ me a story about her parents.
5. He ____ , 'Are you feeling OK?'
6. She smiled, and ____ to me, 'I'm very pleased to meet you.'
7. I didn't hear: what did she ____ ?
8. Could you ____ me the time, please?
9. They ____ me they were going to a meeting.
10. I ____ the policeman my address.
11. I ____ I wanted to buy a magazine.
12. He ____ he wasn't interested in politics.
13. Could you ____ me your name again, please?
14. Do you think he's ____ the truth?
15. Would you ____ them to come early tomorrow?
16. If he ____ that again, there'll be trouble.
17. I ____ them it was dangerous to swim there.
18. Did you ____ anything to him about your problems at work?
19. ____ me what happened.
20. I think he's ____ lies.
3.- REPORTED SPEECH: QUESTIONS.
You have come as a new student to a British college and the other students are asking you
questions. Imagine that you report these questions later to an English friend.
1. Bill asked me what country I came from.
2. Ann asked me how long I had been there.
3. Peter asked me if (hoặc whether) I was working as well as studying.
4. Bill wanted to know if / whether I had got (hoặc had gotten) a work permit.
5. Ann asked me what I was going to study.
6. Peter asked me if / whether I had enrolled for more than one class.
7. Bill asked me if / whether I wanted any second-hand books.
8. Ann asked me if / whether I had seen the library.
9. Peter asked me if / whether I played rugby.
10. He went on asking me if / whether I would have time to play regularly
11. Bill asked if I had played for my school team.
12. Ann asked if I was interested in acting.
13. She asked if I would like to join their Drama Group.
14 Peter asked what I thought of the canteen coffee.
4.- REPORTED SPEECH: QUESTIONS.
1. 'Where has John left his bicycle?' I said
2. 'When did David buy his new car?' Peter wanted to know
