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REPORTED SPEECH - exercises (in: English Grammar in Use) –
Check the solutions at the bottom of the page, but do the exercises first !
STATEMENTS – exercise 1
Yesterday you met a friend of yours, Charlie. Charlie told you a lot of things...
1. I’m thinking of going to live in Canada.
2. My father is in hospital.
3. Nora and Jim are getting married next month.
4. I’ll tell Jim I saw you.
5. I haven’t seen Bill for a while.
6. I’ve been playing tennis a lot recently.
7. I don’t know what Fred is doing.
8. I hardly ever go out these days.
9. Tom had an accident last week but he wasn’t injured.
10. I saw Jack at a party a few months ago and he seemed fine.
Later that day you tell another friend what Charlie said. Use reported speech.
1. Charlie said (that) ______________________________________________________________
2. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
3. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
4. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
5. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
6. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
7. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
8. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
9. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
10. He said (that) __________________________________________________________________
exercise 2
In this exercise someone says something to you which is the opposite of what they said before… You have
to answer : I thought you said…
Example: “That restaurant is expensive.” – “I thought you said it wasn’t expensive.”
1. “Ann is coming to the party.”  “I thought you said she _________________________________________
2. “Bill passed his examination.”  “I thought you said ___________________________________________
3. “Ann likes Bill.”  “I thought you said _______________________________________________________
4. “I’ll be here next week.”  “I thought you said ________________________________________________
5. “I can afford a holiday this year.”  “I thought you said _________________________________________
QUESTIONS – exercise:
1. “What caused the explosion?”  The journalist asked_____________________________________________
2. “Has Bill passed his examination?”  Tom asked _______________________________________________
3. “Where did you play last Sunday?”  She asked us _____________________________________________
4. “Will you be here next week?”  Jim asked Ann ________________________________________________
5. “What are you doing with your mobile?”  The teacher asked me _________________________________
___________________________________________
ORDERS , REQUESTS , ADVICE (conselhos) – exercise:
1. “Shut the door but don’t lock it”, she said to us.
She told ______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. “Will you please tell Sam I miss him?”, Susan asked me.
Susan ______________________________________________________________________________________
3. “Can you please speak more slowly ? I can’t understand what you are saying ”, the foreign girl said to
Jim.  The foreign girl ____________________________________________________________ , because
________________________________________________________________________________________
4. “Why don’t you make your presentation in power point instead?”, the teacher said to us.
The teacher advised ________________________________________________________________
Solutions:
Statements - Exercise 1
1. Charlie said (that) he was thinking of going to live in Canada.
2. He said his father was in hospital.
3. He said Nora and Jim were getting married next month (the following month).
4. He said he would tell Jim he had seen me /… he saw me.
5. He said he hadn’t seen Bill for a while.
6. He said he had been playing tennis a lot recently.
7. He said he didn’t know what Fred was doing.
8. He said he hardly ever went out these days. (‘those’ wouldn’t be as logical as ‘these’ in this case)
9. He said Tom had had an accident last week (= the previous week) but he hadn’t been injured // = Tom
had an accident last week but he wasn’t injured
10. He said he had seen Jack at a party a few months ago (= before) and he had seemed fine. // = … he
saw Jack … and he seemed fine.
Statements - Exercise 2
1. I thought you said she wasn’t (coming to the party).
2. I thought you said Bill hadn’t passed his examination.
3. I thought you said Ann didn't like Bill.
4. I thought you said you wouldn't be here next week.
5. I thought you said you couldn't afford a holiday this year.
Questions
1. The journalist asked what had caused the explosion.
2. Tom asked if Bill had passed his examination.
3. She asked us where we had played last Sunday.
4. Jim asked Ann if she would be there next (the following) week.
5. The teacher asked me what I was doing with my mobile.
Orders and requests
1. She told us to shut the door but not to lock it.
2. Susan asked me to tell Sam she missed him.
3. The foreign girl asked Jim to speak more slowly, because she couldn’t understand what he was
saying
4. The teacher advised us to make our presentation in power point (instead).
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