English First
Additional
Language grade 8
Workbook
Comprehensions
Comprehension 1
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
The Man Who Measured Canada
“Never heard of him,” says Leon Charles, a young Cree and guide for our ten-day canoe trip in
the Canadian wilderness. We’re bouncing down a dirt road north of Mississippi,
, Saskatchewan, canoes strapped to our van, spewing a plume of dust into the fringe of the
primordial forest that once cloaked North America.
David Thompson, I insist, Canada’s most prolific explorer—the fur trader and surveyor who
almost single-handedly mapped the nation’s vast, unknown interior 200 years ago. He covered
80,000 miles by foot, horseback, dogsled, and canoe, defining a fifth of the continent, compiling 77
volumes of journals about its geography, biology, and ethnography. Equipped only with a brass
sextant and a courageous heart, he made maps that rival images gleaned from today’s satellites. He
was, some think, the world’s greatest land geographer.
Leon shrugs politely. This “white man’s history” rings no bells.
Thompson, I tell him, made Lewis and Clark look like tourists. He should be one of Canada’s
most heroic figures. But “David who?” is what I often heard as I followed Thompson’s restless life.
No good biography, no photograph, not even a painting exists of the man. A smallish western river,
a lonely highway, a town in Montana bear his name, but little else.
It’s true that Canada does not readily fashion heroes. Its founders were those who refused to
rebel. Its westward march was orderly, fueled by business opportunities, not buccaneering passion
as in the United States. Native Americans were colleagues in the fur business, not obstacles to
expansion. There were no six-guns, no massacres, no Davy Crocketts.
“Thompson’s sin was that he was only successful,” Ian MacLaren, a professor of Canadian
studies at the University of Alberta, told me. “There was no disaster, no horror story. He wouldn’t
have made good TV.”
Yet Thompson was the quintessential North American, a “mapmaker of the Canadian mind,” as
Victor Hopwood, a Vancouver scholar, says. He was an intellectual nurtured in the wilderness, a
man who served the British scientist’s eccentric obligation to bring order to the unknown, but he
was humbled by the spirit and grandeur of the land.
At least some of Thompson’s anonymity was his own doing. He was a difficult man who took
satisfaction in being the outsider—a white man among Indians, a Welshman among Scots, a pious
man among the colorfully profane French voyageurs. He disdained the spotlight and discouraged
casual friendships. He was no self-promoter, and thus when he wrote the narrative of his life, his
Travels, he could find no publisher.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
1.1
How many days will they spend in the Canadian Wilderness?
(1)
1.2
What kind of vehicle are they travelling with in the first paragraph?
(1)
1.3
What is David Thompson famous for?
(1)
1.4
How many books did David Thompson write about Canada?
(1)
1.5
How many years ago did David Thompson travel across Canada?
1.6
What equipment did David Thompson use. Mention two things.
(1)
(2)
1.7
Quote a sentence which shows that Leon has never heard of David Thompson.
(1)
1.8
Quote a sentence which shows people don’t know what David Thompson looks like.
1.9
What in Canada is named after David Thompson?
1.10
What is the name of the story that David Thompson wrote about his own life?
1.11
(1)
Say whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE. Quote a sentence to give a reason for you
answer.
(1)
(1)
Canada builds huge statues for its heroes.
1.12
(2)
Say whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE. Quote a sentence to give a reason for your
answer.
Thompson did not like to be in the spotlight, he did not like to be known by everyone.
(2)
1.13
Is there a good biography written about the life of David Thompson. Answer YES or NO.
(1)
[15]
Comprehension 2
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. You do not have to answer in full sentences, only
when the answer is not just one word.
Xenophobia
1. Nafeesa smiled at Nick. “Congratulations, Morgan,” she said, turning to him, “I heard that you have
been chosen for the junior debating team and you have to speak in a debate against Greenvale
High next week.”
2. “Thanks, Nafeesa. Pity my dad is away at the moment. He is covering a refugee story in Ethiopia in
North Africa. I really need him to be here to help me with the debate because the topic is about
xenophobia and he knows so much about it.”
3. “Zen-a-what?” asked Nick and Candy together.
4. “Xenophobia. It’s a words which comes from the ancient Greek word, xenos, which means
stranger. And you know what phobia means, don’t you?”
5. “Yes,” said Candy. “A phobia is a fear of something!”
6. “That’s right. So, xenophobia means a fear of strangers, or a deep dislike for foreigners,” explained
Morgan.
7. “So, what has that got to do with your debate, Morgan?” asked Candy, who because she was born
in Taiwan, often felt like a foreigner.
8. “Well, the topic for the debate is ‘South Africa should allow foreigners to live and work here’. Our
team is proposing.”
9. “ ‘Propose’ means to ask someone to marry you! Who is your team marrying?” said Nick, collapsing
with laughter.
10. “It means that we have to argue that foreign people or aliens should be allowed to come to South
Africa,” explained Morgan, patiently.
11. “And aliens are funny creatures from outer space. Of course we don’t want any of those here! I
have seen them on TV.” Walking stiffly and speaking in a computer voice, he said, “Me Nicholas. I
come flying saucer. I like earth.”
12. “You are such a clown, Nick,” laughed Nafeesa.
13. “An alien is a person who is not a South African and does not have the same rights as a South
African has.”
14. “You mean like Morgan? He is from Zimbabwe. He does not look like an alien to me. He looks just
like a South African, don’t you, Morgan?” asked Nick.
15. “No, Nick, Morgan is a refugee,” said Nafeesa. “He is allowed to be here because his father has
been granted asylum. It is not safe for him to return home to Zimbabwe. We are talking about
people who come here because they can get better jobs and better education here. Or because
they can earn more money to send back to their families in other countries. There are many people
who have come to live in South Africa because it is a beautiful country.”
16. “That is right, Nafeesa. We have to debate whether those people should be allowed to work and
bring their families to live here,” said Morgan.
17. “Well, why shouldn’t other people come here?” asked Nick. “I mean, if they want to work, let
them.”
18. “Because they take away the jobs that South African people could do, and they take places in the
hospitals and schools that South Africans should have,” argued Morgan. Morgan could see both
sides of the argument. This was what debating was all about.
19. “I see,” replied Nick. “In that case they should all be sent home to find jobs in their own countries.”
Nick raised his voice.
20. “But what about me, Nick?” asked Candy quietly. “I am from Taiwan and my parents live and work
here. You do not want us to go away, do you?”
21. “Well, no, but I mean what would happen if everyone from Taiwan came to South Africa? There
would be no room for South Africans. Soon there would be millions of Chinese people all over the
place and …” Nick stopped when he saw he was upsetting Candy.
22. “That is right, Nick. Just keep to the topic. Do not attach the person. My dad always says to me
when I start shouting during an argument: ‘Do not raise the level of your voice; raise the level of
your argument.’ Anyway, this conversation is helping me plan the arguments for and against the
motion. It’s going to be great fun. I am counting on you guys to support us on the floor.”
23. “I am not sitting on the floor,” protested Nick.
QUESTION 1
1.1
Why is Nafeesa congratulating Morgan?
(1)
1.2
Why does Morgan wish his dad was not away?
(2)
1.3
From which Greek word does xenophobia come?
(1)
1.4
What does “Zen-a-what?” refer to?
(1)
1.5
Why is “Zen-a-what?” written with a “z”?
(1)
1.6
What is the meaning of xenophobia?
(2)
1.7
Why does Candy feel like a foreigner?
(1)
1.8
What is a “foreigner”?
(2)
1.9
What two meanings do the word “propose” have?
(2)
1.10
Write down another word for “foreigner” from the passage. (Not stranger).
(1)
1.11
Why do they say Morgan is an alien?
(2)
1.12
According to the passage why should foreigners be allowed to come to South Africa?
(2)
1.13
According to the passage why shouldn’t foreigners be allowed to come to South Africa?
(2)
[20]
Comprehension 3
Read the article below, taken from the Cape Argus, and answer the questions on it.
Facing up to a new life with fresh optimism
Latoya Newman
July 16 2009
Tsasane Selata was resigned to the fact that he would die with a deformed face, ostracised
by his community because of how he looks. But now Selata, who lost most of his face to
cancer five years ago, has renewed hope.
"I had lost hope because I did not have money (for medical assistance). So I just left it until
I die - but now I am very happy and I have regained my confidence," he said yesterday.
Through the combined efforts of Lesotho Flying Doctors, Partners in Health, Operation
Smile South Africa and the Durban University of Technology's (DUT) dental sciences
department, Selata is undergoing specialist reconstructive treatment.
Selata, 31, has no nose, his eyes are damaged, and he has a slight hole and scarring on
his forehead and towards the centre of his face.
He lives with his two sisters in rural Phamong, and first discovered a cancerous growth in
2000. After an operation in 2004, he began to lose parts of his face.
"The community did not take it well. I felt bad because they are scared of me, so I started
bandaging my face (to hide the damage).
"The first operation cost me a lot of money, so I am very relieved to get this help.
"My sisters will be very pleased to see a different person," he said.
DUT dental technician Peter Furber will manufacture a maxillofacial prosthesis for Selata
this week.
"I have already sculpted his nose, and probably from Monday we will start mixing colour to
suit the patient's skin," said Furber, who has made a public appeal.
"There is only so much that we can do. I have provided the prosthesis, and DUT has
provided Mr Selata's meals and accommodation. But he has come all the way out here and
it must be like a concrete jungle for him," Furber said.
"We are appealing, in the spirit of Mandela Day on Saturday, for a seSotho-speaking family
in Durban to host Mr Selata for the weekend, to help him feel more at home," he added.
Anyone wanting to arrange a family stay for Selata can contact DUT's Bhekani Dlamini on
031-373-2845 or 083-299-7972.
Questions
1.
Having read the whole article, explain the pun in the headline.
(2)
2.1
What caused the damage to Selata’s face?
(1)
2.2
How did his community react?
(1)
2.3
What action did Selata take?
(1)
3.
What impact does Selata believe this intervention will have on his life?
(3)
4.1
What appeal has Furber made?
(1)
4.2
Explain: it must be like a concrete jungle for him.
(2)
4.3
Identify and name the figure of speech in: it must be like a concrete jungle for him (2)
5.
Why is this appeal being made “in the spirit of Mandela Day”?
6.
Give the meanings of:
6.1
ostracised
6.2
prosthesis
7.
You phone Dlamini to offer a family stay. Write what you say in no more than 30 words.
Use dialogue format, even though there is only one speaker.
(3)
(2)
(2)
[20]
Punctuation
Punctuation Rules
Full Stop / Period (.)
This is the most popular punctuation mark because you simply cannot
write even a single sentence without using it. So, there are two most
common uses of a full stop: to indicate the end of a sentence, or to
follow an abbreviation.
For example:


We feed this cat every evening.
Mr. Brown does not agree with these new rules.
Comma (,)
A comma is often used to separate different ideas in a sentence.
However, it has many other uses as well, and it is important to
remember them as well. Some of the most common comma rules
follow.
1) A comma separates two sentences when putting a full stop between
them seems to create an unnecessarily long pause.
For example:

Mark went by bus, and Allison took a train.
2) Commas separate items in a list.
For example:

We bought apples, peaches, grapes, and oranges in the fruit
market.
3) A comma is used after an introductory word or phrase, such as at
the end of the day, however, in contrast, etc.
For example:

Nevertheless, we managed to get home until sunset.
4) If you have a tag question at the end of your sentence, you also
need to use a comma to distinguish it from the rest of the sentence.
For example:

You are going to the party this weekend, aren’t you?
5) If you are directly addressing someone, you need a comma.
For example:

James, what are you doing tomorrow after school?
Question Mark (?)
A question mark, as its name suggests, needs to go at the end of
every interrogative sentence instead of a full stop.
For example:


How old are you?
Do you remember what I told you about yesterday?
Exclamation Mark (!)
An exclamation mark added at the end of a sentence shows emphasis.
Depending on the meaning of the sentence, it can indicate anger,
happiness, excitement, or any other strong emotion.
For example:



Leave me alone!
I’m so happy to see you!
I can’t wait to go to Paris!
Quotation Marks / Speech Marks (” “)
As their name suggests, quotation marks indicate direct quotations.
You can also use them to show that a word or a phrase is being used
ironically, or for titles of articles, book chapters, episodes of a TVshow, etc.
For example:


“You’ll never believe what happened last night,” Jerry said.
In his article “How To Succeed in Everything You Do”, Mary Smith
gives her readers three valuable pieces of advice.
Apostrophe (‘)
An apostrophe has two very important uses. Firstly, it can be used in
contractions in place of omitted letters. Secondly, it can show
possession.
For example:


You don’t have to go to the supermarket if you don’t want to.
We need to invite both of Sally’s sisters to the party.
Hyphen (-)
Even though it looks very similar to a dash, a hyphen has very
different uses. It’s most commonly used to create compound words.
For example:


He is a very self-confident person.
Due to various factors, Susan decided to work part-time this
summer.
Dash (– or —)
There are two different dashes, the en dash and the em dash, the
first being slightly shorter than the second one. The en dash is usually
used to show a connection between two things, as well as a range of
numbers, years, pages, etc.
For example:


London–Paris flight takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
For tomorrow’s lesson, I need to read pages 45–78 of the textbook.
The em dash can replace a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. You can
also use it to put emphasis on the ending of your sentence.
For example:


This year, Mark has traveled to quite a few countries—Poland,
Germany, Lithuania, Georgia, and Greece.
Her answer was loud and clear—No!
Colon (:)
A colon is a punctuation mark you will come across very often in
different circumstances. It can introduce an example, a list, an
explanation, or a quotation. Or, you can also use it to emphasize a
certain point.
For example:


There are two things you can do: continue being miserable or move
on with your life.
There’s only one person in the world who can tell you what you
should do: you.
Semicolon (;)
A semicolon is a punctuation mark that creates a longer pause than a
comma but a shorter pause than a full stop. So, it can be used to
create a pause between two independent clauses that are still closely
related to each other.
For example:

My mother is a doctor; my father is an accountant.

Jane has spent the whole morning trying to figure out what to
wear; she ended up choosing the first outfit out of all that she
tried on that day.
Parentheses ()
In most cases, you will see additional information in parentheses.
Usually, it can be omitted without creating any confusion for the
reader.
For example:

My young daughters (aged 5 and 7) just love playing with our
neighbors’ dogs.
Brackets []
Brackets are, in a way, similar to parentheses. However, they are
mostly used in academic writing and when presenting quotes. For
instance, the writer can add extra information or fix mistakes in
brackets, without changing the original quotation.
For example:

The witness said, “I could hear him [the policeman] but I couldn’t
see him”.
Ellipsis (…)
An ellipsis creates an intriguing and mysterious atmosphere in the
text. In addition, it can be used to show that some letters or even
words are omitted.
For example:


So… what happened next?
She was smart, funny and pretty but… something still felt wrong.
Slash (/)
You might need to write a fraction, a measurement, or to suggest
alternatives in your text. These are just three of the instances where
you will have to use a slash.
For example:


For this recipe, you will need 1/2 glass of water and 3/4 glass of
flour.
The car was going as fast as 120 km/h.

You need to press the On/Off button.
Worksheet 1
Activity 1
Re-write each sentence below and add the correct punctuation mark.
I am so excited to see you I am so excited to see you!
1. What day of the week is your favorite ______
2. It is important to complete your homework on time ______
3.Wow ______ What a great play ______
4. Do you think it will rain tomorrow
Activity 2
Decide if the following sentences should end with a period,
question mark,
or exclamation point.
Example: I am so excited right now
.?!
1) I feel good today . ? !
2) Hey! Can you hear me . ? !
3) I like oranges . ? !
4) What time did you go to the movie last night . ? !
5) Where are we going . ? !
6) I wonder how old he is . ? !
7) Hey everybody, look at me . ? !
8) Doesn’t anybody want to come with me . ? !
9) I think we can go now . ? !
10) I am so excited! Our team scored a point . ? !
11) When are you going to take out the trash . ? !
12) Hello, how are you . ? !
13) Didn’t you go to the store yesterday . ? !
14) I think it’s supposed to snow tomorrow . ? !
15) Yay! I am finished with the quiz . ? !
Activity 3
Read the paragraphs. Rewrite all the sentences. Correct the
writing mistakes.
1.did you no that bats are mammals. we no they are mammals
just lik us becaus they are warm blooded they are the only
mammals that no how to fly bats are Nocturnal which means
thay sleep during the day and are awak at nite? bes are
intresting anumals. the honey be can fly at a sped of 15 miles
per houre a hive of honey bees has about 40,000 bees in it?
the honey bee has five eyes! a worker bee willmak 1/12th of a
teespoon of honey over it’s lifetime? Bees have been makeing
honey forabout 150 million years
2. did you no that a person can live with out food for more
than a hole month a person can only live four about won
week with out water we need water more then we need
food. 97 %
of earths water is in the oceans. Just 3 % of the earths water
can bee used four drinking water. 75 % of the worlds fresh
water is frozen in the North and South polar ice caps?
3.January 21, 1976 was an historic day. On that day, two
supersonic Concorde aircraft made there first flights. One
took of from London and the other from paris. Later that
year,the first Concorde flew to New York. The flight from
London to New York took about three ours. Other planes
took twice the time to make that flight! The fleet of
Concorde's was retierd in 2003. Over the years, the planes
had carryed more then 2.5 million passengers.
Parts of speech
8 Parts of Speech in English
NOUN
A
noun names a person, place, things or idea.
Examples: dog, cat, mouse, student, cucumber, apple, Lucy and etc.
ADVERB
An adverb tells how often, how, when, where. It can describe a verb, an adjective or an
adverb.
Examples: loudly, always, never, late, soon etc.
VERB
A
verb is a word or group of words that describes an action, experience.
Examples: realize, walk, see, look, sing, sit, listen and etc.
ADJECTIVE
An
adjective describes a noun or pronoun.
Examples: blue, tall, thin, long, short, red, beautiful, sour, sweet and etc.
PREPOSITION
A preposition is used before a noun, pronoun, or gerund to show place, time, direction in a
sentence.
Examples: at, in, on, about, to, for, from and etc.
CONJUNCTION
Conjunctions join words or groups of words in a sentence.
Examples: and, because, yet, therefore, moreover, since, or, so, until, but and etc…
PRONOUN
Pronouns replace the name of a person, place, thing or idea in a sentence.
Examples: he, she, it, we, they, him, her, this, that and etc.
INTERJECTION
Interjections express strong emotion and are often followed by an exclamation point.
Examples: Bravo! Well! Aha! Hooray! Yeah! Oops! Phew!
Active and Passive voice
Active Voice: A verb is said to be in the Active Voice when its subject acts or when the
emphasis is on the doer or the subject.
Example:


Mohan sang a song.
Here, the subject Mohan is acting.
Passive Voice: A verb is in the Passive Voice when the subject is being acted upon or when the
emphasis is on the object or the work done.
Example:


A song was sung by Mohan.
Here, the subject is being acted upon.
The sentence must-have objects. If there is no object then there must be a question word who
asks the object. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of passive sentences.
The word ‘by’ is used before the subject in sentences in the passive voice. 3rd form of Verb is
always used as the main verb in sentences of passive voice for all tenses.
The places of subject and object are interchanged i.e. the object shifts to the place of subject
and subject shifts to the place of the object in the passive voice.
Auxiliary verbs are used in passive voice according to the tenses.
Change of pronouns:
Active and Passive voice in the simple present tense.
Active
Passive
I
Me
We
Us
You
You
He
Him
She
Her
It
It
They
Them
Active and Passive voice in simple past tense.
Active and Passive voice in the simple future tense.
Active and Passive voice in simple future tense.
Active and Passive voice in the present continuous tense.
Active and Passive voice in the past progressive tense.
Active and Passive voice in present perfect tense.
Active and Passive voice in past perfect tense.
Active and Passive voice in future perfect tense.
WORKSHEET 2
Activity 1
naming parts of speech
The PalaceReigningOfMonarchWestminsterOpenedInFormally1852-
Theactivity 2
putting prepositions back
The clock is famous _____ its reliability, which can be
attributed to one _____ its designers, the horologist Edmund
Beckett Denison. The tower was completed _____ 1859, so
Denison had time to experiment and invented the double
three-legged gravity escapement which provided the best
separation _____ pendulum and clock mechanism. The
pendulum is installed _____ an enclosed windproof box sunk
_____ the clockroom. It is 3.9m long,weighs 300 kg and beats
every two seconds. The clockwork mechanism _____ the room
below weighs five tons.
Activity 3
– substituting pronouns
1. The Palace of Westminster site was strategically important
during the Middle Ages, as The Palace of
Westminster site __________was located on the banks of the
River Thames.
2. The Royal Commissioners chose Charles Barry's plan for a
Gothic-style palace in 1840. The Royal
Commissioners __________ asked Charles Barry __________ to
complete the plan for a Gothic-style palace
__________ by 1847, though Charles Barry __________ did not
actually satisfy The Royal Commissioners
__________ until 1860.
3. Sir Charles Barry's design for the Palace of Westminster
uses the Perpendicular Gothic style. The Perpendicular
Gothic style __________ was popular during the 15th century
and returned during the
Gothic revival of the 19th century. Barry was a classical
architect, but he was aided by the Goc architect
Augustus Pugin. Famously, Pugin and Barry __________ fought
over the symmetrical layout designed by
Barry. Pugin commented to Barry __________: "All Grecian,
sir; Tudor details on a classic body".
Activity 4
finding adverbs
From 1939, the chimes rang on the quarter hours
continuously, but the clock face was darkened at night to
prevent attack by the heavily armed Zeppelins. Though the
clock functioned perfectly during the war and up to 1962,
heavy snow and ice that New Year’s Eve caused the
pendulum to abruptly detach from the clockwork to avoid
damaging seriously the sensitively-tuned mechanism. The 1963
New Year was ten minutes late. Not often silent, the Great
Clock shut down for 26 separate days in 1976 and 1977 due to
‘torsional fatigue’; however popular myth has it that the
clock got fed up with the exceptionally hot summer of 1976
and gave itself a holiday too. May 2005 briefly saw a shutdown, also attributable to hot weather.
Worksheet 3
Activity 1
Write a synonym and antonym for the following words.
Synonym Antonym
1. courageous ___________________ ___________________
2. copy ___________________ ___________________
3. funny ___________________ ___________________
4. homely ___________________ ___________________
5. rise ___________________ ___________________
6. evil ___________________ ___________________
7. tiny ___________________ ___________________
8. unite ___________________ ___________________
9. playful ___________________ ___________________
10. work ___________________ ___________________
11. capture ___________________ ___________________
12. center ___________________ ___________________
13. sorrowful ___________________ ___________________
14. devious ___________________ ___________________
15. filthy ___________________ ___________________
Activity 2
Write the synonym and antonym for each word in the word
box.
Synonym Antonym
1. calm ___________________ ___________________
2. rise ___________________ ___________________
3. skinny ___________________ ___________________
4. agree ___________________ ___________________
5. clear ___________________ ___________________
6. repair ___________________ ___________________
7. decrease ___________________ ___________________
8. save ___________________ ___________________
Activity 3
Write “Synonym” or “Antonym” to indicate whether the
words are synonyms or antonyms.
1. moment – instant ___________________
2. heavy – light _______________________
3. expand – contract ____________________
4. join – connect _______________________
5. show – display ______________________
6. trust – doubt ________________________
7. grown-up – immature _________________
8. annoy – bother ______________________
9. frozen – thawed _____________________
10. vision – dream _____________________
11. desire – wish ______________________
12. boast – brag _______________________
13. easy – simple ______________________
14. attend – concentrate _________________
15. error – mistake ____________________
16. lead – follow ______________________
17. choice – preference _________________
18. border – edge ______________________
Connotation vs. Denotation
Denotation is the actual definition of a word. You’ve been
looking up the denotation of words for MANY years now!!
But connotation is different. You may have noticed that
some words generate emotions for you. In that case, you are
reacting to a word’s connotative meaning. Connotation is the
emotion that a word generates in addition to the actual
meaning.
Example
Denotation Connotation House: A building in which
someone lives
neutral Home: A place of warmth, comfort and positive
affection
Shanty: A small, crudely built shack. Negative
Worksheet 4
Activity 1
For most people, 10 of the following words have favorable
connotations, and 10 have unfavorable ones. Mark the words
with favorable connotations with an asterisk (*), and
underline those that are unfavorable.
1. dessert 11. Monday
2. flu 12. weekend
3. monster 13. T.V.
4. music 14. murder
5. worm 15. war
6. progress 16. daughter
7. jewels 17. debt
8. success 18. traffic
9. gang 19. springtime
10 circus 20. Liar
Activity 2
Read each of the following sentences. Decide from the
context whether the speaker is showing approval or
disapproval of the topic.
Then circle the best word to put into the sentence.
1. “The sooner we move out of this (home, dump),” said Jack,
“the happier I’ll be.”
2. This cell phone is (expensive, overpriced), but I don’t mind
paying extra because it has so many useful features.
3. You’re lucky to have Wilma on your committee. She has lots
of (original, crazy) ideas.
4. Boss Reed and his (cronies, employees) have controlled the
politics in this city for more than twenty years. I certainly
hope the
other party wins this year!
5. It was a beautiful spring day, and the (stench, scent) of
apple blossoms filled the whole yard.
6. I hope I don’t have to share an office with Janice. Sandra
told me how (curious, nosy) she can be.
7. “I think Fay is an excellent president,” said the principal.
“She really knows how to (manage, meddle).”
8. Will you please turn your stereo off? I can’t concentrate
with all that (music, noise).
9. I love going camping and getting in touch with nature. The
woods are filled with so much (vermin, animal life).
10. What makes Jim such an excellent storyteller is his knack
for (invention, lying).
11. Mr. Benton had better watch out for that new assistant
of his. He’s a (clever, crafty) one.
12. I have a lot of respect for Jenny’s father. He’s rather
(reserved, antisocial) and dignified.
13. My brother can’t stand his mother-in-law. She’s practically
a millionaire, but she’s about as (thrifty, miserly) as a person
can get.
14. This coffee is very (bitter, strong) – just the way I like it!
15. Can you please ask the new saleswoman not to be so
(enthusiastic, pushy)? She is scaring away the customers.
Direct and Indirect speech
Basic Rules
Before proceeding ahead, it is mandatory to memorize these rules:
Changes in Person of Pronouns:

1st Person pronouns in reported speech are always changed
according to the subject of the reporting speech.

2nd Person pronouns in reported speech are always changed
according to the object of the reporting speech.

3rd Person pronouns in reported speech are not changed.
Changes in Verbs:

If the reporting speech is in present tense or future tense, then
no change is required to be made in the verb of reported
speech. This verb could be in any tense i.e., present, past, or
future. For example:
Direct Speech: He says, “I am ill.”
Indirect Speech: He says that he is ill.
Direct Speech: She says, “She sang a song.”
Indirect Speech: She says that she sang a song.
Direct Speech: You say, “I shall visit London.”
Indirect Speech: You say that you will visit London.


If the reporting verb is in past tense, then reported verb will be
changed as per the following criterion:
Present indefinite tense is changed into past indefinite tense.
For example:
Direct Speech: They said, “They take exercise every day.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they took exercise every day.

Present continuous is changed into past continuous tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They are taking exercise every day.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they were taking exercise every day.

Present perfect is changed into the past perfect tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They have taken exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken exercise.

Present perfect continuous tense is changed into past perfect
continuous tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They have been taking exercise since
morning.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had been taking exercise since
morning.

Past indefinite is changed into past perfect tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They took exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken exercise.

Past continuous tense is changed into past perfect continuous
tense.
Direct Speech: They said, “They were taking exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had been taking exercise.

No changes are required to be made into past perfect and past
perfect continuous tenses.
Direct Speech: They said, “They had taken exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they had taken exercise.

In Future Tense, while no changes are made except shall and will
are changed into would.
Direct Speech: They said, “They will take exercise.”
Indirect Speech: They said that they would take exercise.
Worksheet 5
Activity 1
Sentences are given in direct speech. Change them into indirect
speech.
1. ‘When are you leaving for Chennai?’ Shyam asked me.
2. ‘Was there a big crowd at the meeting?’ asked the man.
3. ‘Is Mohan present in the room?’ the teacher asked.
4. ‘Do you expect to get a raise this year?’ my wife asked me.
5. Lakshmi said, ‘I’m leaving.’
6. He said to Raju, ‘Please wait here till I return.’
7. ‘Don’t spend all your money on gadgets,’ Mrs. John told her son.
8. ‘When did you leave school?’ the man asked the boy.
9. ‘Will you buy my hair?’ Della asked Madame.
10. ‘Where have you been all day?’ the father asked his daughter.
Activity 2
Write in reported speech.
1.She said “I´ve found my keys!”
2.They asked me “Did you see Tom at the cinema last night?”
3. He asked me “Do you know where the post office is?”
4. “Her parents are getting married next Friday” she assured us.
5. The news said “There has been a big earthquake in Japan”.
6. “Stop making so much noise!” the mother said to the children.
7. “Pam visited us yesterday” Pete said.
8. I told them “I was late for work this morning”.
9. The criminal confessed “Yes, I lied to the police”.
10. Their friends told them “We are going to be a bit late next
Monday”.
Activity 3
Rewrite these statements in reported speech starting as shown.
1. “We liked Paris very much”. The American couple said …
2. “Can you do me a favour tonight?”. Jim asked me ….
3. “I can´t go to your birthday party next Saturday”. Sylvia told us…
4. “It will probably snow later today”. The weather forecast said that
…
5. “My husband hasn´t booked the hotel yet”. Mrs Taylor said that…