Alejandro

English Teacher

Reported speech exercises

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

1) Choose the best verb underlined in the direct speech sentence.

a) Helen asked me if I liked visiting old buildings.

‘Do you like/Did you like visiting old buildings?’ asked Helen.
b) Bill asked Mary if she had done anything the previous
weekend. ‘Have you done anything/Did you do anything last
weekend?’
c) The policeman asked me if the car belonged to me.
‘Does this car belong/Did this car belong to you?’ asked the policeman.
d) Fiona asked me if I had seen her umbrella anywhere.
‘Did you see/Have you seen my umbrella anywhere?’ asked Fiona.
e) Joe asked Tina when she would get back.
‘When will you get/have you got back?’ asked Joe.
f) Eddie asked Steve who he had been to the cinema with.
‘Who did you go/had you been to the cinema with?’ asked Eddie.
g) My parents asked me what time I had got home the night before.
‘What time did you get/have you got home last night?’ my parents asked.
h) David asked a passer-by if it was the right road for
Hastings. ‘Is this/Was this the right road for Hastings?’
asked David.

2) Rewrite each sentence as direct speech.

a) Graham told Ian he would see him the following day.

b) Pauline told the children their swimming things were not there.

c) David told me my letter had arrived the day before.

d) Shirley told Larry she would see him that evening.

e) Bill told Stephen he hadn’t been at home that morning

f) Margaret told John to phone her on the following day.

g) Tim told Ron he was leaving that afternoon.

h) Christine told Michael she had lost her lighter the night before.

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

3) Put a form of either say, tell or ask in each space.

a) I you that you had to be on time. Why are you late?

b) When you if she’d work late, what did she ?
c) I think that Alan us a lie about his qualifications.
d) When I him what he was doing there, he told me it was none of my business.
e) I I would help you, so here I am.
f) Did you hear what Sheila about her new job?
g) What did Carol you about her holiday?
h) There, you see! I you the bus would be on time.

4) Put a form of one of the verbs listed into the space in each sentence.

accuse agree decide insist refuse admit apologise deny

offer remind advise confess doubt promise suggest

a) ‘No, it’s not true, I didn’t steal the money!’

b) Jean stealing the money.
that she had stolen the money.
c) ‘Why don’t we go to the cinema this
evening?’ Peter going to the cinema.
that they went to the cinema.
d) ‘Yes, of course. I’ll give you a lift,
Helen.’ Liz to give Helen a lift.
that she would give Helen a lift.
e) ‘I’ve broken your pen. I’m awfully sorry,
Jack.’ David for breaking Jack’s pen.
f) ‘Don’t forget to post my letter, will you,
Sue?’ Diana Sue to post her letter.
g) ‘Let me carry your suitcase, John.’
Harry to carry John’s suitcase.
h) ‘All right, it’s true, I was nervous.’
The leading actor
to being nervous.
that he had been nervous.
i) ‘I don’t think Liverpool will win.’
Vanessa whether Liverpool would win.
j) ‘If I were you, Bill, I’d buy a mountain bike.’
Stephen Bill to buy a mountain
bike.
k) ‘Don’t worry, Martin, I’ll bring your book back.’
Leslie to bring Martin’s book
back.
Martin he would bring his book back.
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 Alejandro
English Teacher

l) ‘You murdered Lord Digby, didn’t you, Colin!’

The inspector Colin of murdering Lord Digby.

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

m) ‘No, no, you really must have another drink!’

Dick on my having another
drink.
that I should have another drink.
n) ‘It was me who stole the money,’ said
Jim. Jim to stealing the money.
o) ‘Right, I’ll take the brown pair.’
Andrew to take the brown pair.
p) ‘No, sorry, I don’t want to lend you my
camera.’ Alex to lend me his camera.

5) Rewrite each sentence as indirect speech, beginning as shown.

a) ‘You can’t park here.’

The police officer told Jack
b) ‘I’ll see you in the morning, Helen.’
Peter told Helen
c) ‘I’m taking the 5:30 train tomorrow evening.’
Janet said
d) ‘The trousers have to be ready this afternoon.’
Paul told the dry-cleaners
e) ‘I left my umbrella here two days ago.’
Susan told them
f) ‘The parcel ought to be here by the end of next week.’
Brian said
g) ‘I like this hotel very much.’
Diana told me
h) ‘I think it’s going to rain tonight.’
William said
i) ‘What time does the film start, Peter?’
I asked
j) ‘Do you watch television every evening, Chris?’
The interviewer asked
k) ‘Why did you apply for this job’ asked the sales manager.
The sales manager asked me
l) ‘Are you taking much money with you to France?’
My bank manager wanted to know
m) ‘When will I know the results of the examination?’
Maria asked the examiner
n) ‘Are you enjoying your flight?’
The stewardess asked me
o) ‘How does the photocopier work?’

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

I asked the salesman

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

p) ‘Have you ever been to Japan, Paul?’

Sue asked Paul
q) ‘Sue, can you remember to buy some bread?’
Paul reminded
r) ‘I don’t really think it’ll snow tomorrow.’
I doubt
s) ‘I’m sorry I didn’t phone you earlier.’
Jill apologised
t) ‘I really think you should see a doctor, Chris.’
William advised
u) ‘No, I’m sorry, I won’t work on Saturday. Definitely not!
Catherine refused
v) ‘Let’s go out to the pub for lunch, shall we?
Wendy suggested
w) ‘It’s not true! I have never been arrested.’
Larry denied
x) ‘If you like, I’ll help you do the decorating, Bob.’
Ann offered
y) ‘I’ll definitely take you to the park on Sunday, children.’
Tom promised the
z) ‘Yes, all right, I’ll share the bill with you, Dave.’
Brenda agreed
aa) ‘A lot of English words are borrowed from other languages.’
The teacher
bb) ‘China is a densely populated country.’
She said
cc) ‘You’re always forgetting to shut up the fridge door.’
She complained to
dd) ‘Don’t play near the road, Jimmy.’
Jimmy’s mother asked
ee) ‘It’s time they moved to a new house.’
Ann said
ff) ‘Let’s paint the walls blue!’
My little brother suggested
gg) ‘The exam papers are still being marked, Jane.’
The teacher informed
hh) ‘Get off the grass immediately!’ he said to the kids.
He ordered
ii) ‘I’m teaching Jane’s class as she’s on holiday this week.’
He said

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

6) Rewrite each sentence as indirect speech without any help.

"I can't believe what you're saying," Paul told me.

"Would you like a cup of tea? she said to the girls.

"What time did you arrive in London?" he asked.

"I'm sorry to be late, but I missed the bus" she said.

"Thank you for the postcard you sent me," she said to Jane.

"What were you doing last night at 9.30?" he asked.

"I'll show you when I finish," he said.

"The film had already started when Peter arrived," she said.

"I was having a shower when the phone rang," she said.

"You must finish the report today," my boss told me.

Then Pierce Brosnan says: "My name's Bond. James Bond."

"Did they enjoy the party?" she asked.

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

"Alright then, we'll meet after the lesson," she said.

"No way! I won't tell them," he said.

"Open your books and start reading, children," the teacher said.

"Would you like to come to my party, John?" she said.

"Let's go to the park!" she said.

"You should be more careful in the future," he said.

"Did you pass the exam?" I said to Joe.

"I'm doing my homework," the boy said.

"What were you doing when the lights went off?” she asked me.

"Do you mind closing the window, please? It's getting cold" she said to the man.

"Did you enjoy the meal?" she said to me.

"Would you like another biscuit, John?" he said.

"Remember to check the tyres before leaving," they said to us.

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 Alejandro
English Teacher

"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you" she said.

"You'd better go to the doctor, Paul" she said.

"How about rating a canoe?" he said.

"They saw the vase was broken when they opened the parcel," I said.

"You must be prepared for the worst," the doctor said.

"Do you understand French?", she asked me.

"We're meeting John next weekend," she said to me.

"Can you pass me the bread, please?" she said to me.

"Let's go for a swim!" he said.

"You should tell the truth," they said to us.

"Would you like to go to Parets?" she said.

"Have you finished the homework, Paul?" she said.

"No way! I won't phone Mary," he said.

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