Reported Actions. Worksheet on Direct/Indirect Speech
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Keep into mind that, when changing from the direct to the indirect speech, a number of changes
must be made in the original sentence depending on who is making the report (the person), when
(tense transformations: back-shift) and how (the adverbs, tomorrow= the day after).
Transforations in time expressions:
Today-that day
Now-then, at that time/moment
Yesterday/the day before/the previous day
Last night- the night before/the previous night
A week ago- a week before
Tomorrow- the following day/the next day/the day after
Next week- the following week
The day before yesterday- two days before
The day after tomorrow- in two days
Now practise the direct and the indirect speech from Mihai Zdrenghea, Anca Greere, A Practical
English Grammar (with exercises), Cluj, Clusium, 1997:
EXERCISE P.497-1 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Give short answers to the following questions:
1. Can you drive a lorry?
2. Have you met my wife?
3. Are you enjoying yourself?
4. Will you come with us to the cinema?
5. Have you been to the Opera recently?
6. Did you meet my brother yesterday?
7. May I smoke here?
8. Are you reading?
9. Has Tom gone home?
10. Did you eat it all?
EXERCISE P.497-2 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Give short answers to the following questions:
1. Who used to live in this old house?
2. How many of you ought to write another assignment?
3. Who’ll come with me to the theatre?
4. Which is better, this one or that one?
5. Who can answer my question?
6. Which of you knows how to make Irish stew?
7. Who opened the window?
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Reported Actions. Worksheet on Direct/Indirect Speech
8. Who’s taken my pen?
9. Which cost more, these or those?
10. How many of you can play football?
EXERCISE P.498-1 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Agree with the following remarks:
1. That music sounds pleasant.
2. Perhaps she is right.
3. He’ll probably be arrested.
4. You’ve spilt some ink on the table cloth.
5. He can speak French very fluently.
6. She speaks English better than I do.
7. They must do what I tell them.
8. The shop is closed.
9. They must return the books they borrowed.
10. I expect you can give me a cigarette, can’t you?
EXERCISE P.499 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Add to the remarks made using the subjects suggested in brackets:
1. You can come whenever you like. (your friend)
2. He shouldn’t make such a mistake. (you)
3. She knows you quite well. (her husband)
4. I haven’t any more money. (my wife)
5. John didn’t stay to supper. (Harry)
6. I can’t eat any more. (my small brother)
7. My daughter lives in London. (her sister)
8. They must do as they are told. (you)
9. I have never been to Paris. (my wife)
10. Sally sent me a greeting card. (her friend)
EXERCISE P.500-1 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Add a contradictory statement to the following remarks using the subjects suggested in
brackets:
1. You were very late. (your friends)
2. He was pleased to see me. (Mary)
3. I don’t like films. (my sister)
4. I haven’t met them. (Bob)
5. They won’t leave tomorrow. (we)
6. He can smoke if he wants to. (his sister)
7. My friends never used to object. (my mother)
8. The windows are open. (the door)
9. I know her very well. (my brother)
10. Peaches are very expensive now. (bananas)
EXERCISE P.500-2 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Add question tags to the following remarks:
1. They weren’t very happy.
2. You’ve broken it.
3. We can’t cross the street here.
4. It’s not a very big house.
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Reported Actions. Worksheet on Direct/Indirect Speech
5. He can have another cup of tea.
6. There isn’t enough for us all.
7. We shall see you tomorrow.
8. She’s very fond of her mother.
EXERCISE P.501 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Agree with the following negative remarks using a question-tag:
1. They gave us a lovely dinner.
2. Your new dress is very lovely.
3. We can’t invite them all.
4. We haven’t achieved very much.
5. Tom is very good at English.
6. You’re getting fat.
7. There isn’t enough for all of us.
8. She can’t cook so well as her mother.
9. It rained hard last night.
10. Such a person shouldn’t be invited.
EXERCISE P.503 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Supply say or tell in the blank spaces:
1. He ...... he hoped we would meet again.
2. “This tower is two hundred years old”, the guide ...... us.
3. Ruth ...... her father that she had found his glasses.
4. John ...... it was too dark to read.
5. “This looks like something interesting”, he ...... himself.
6. Janet ...... , “No one ...... us that it wasn’t safe to bathe here.”
7. What he ... to the journalist did not correspond with what he...us.
8. Tom ...... that he would not ...... his friends where he had been.
9. He ...... them all to get there before nine, and ...... the show would
begin punctually.
10. “It’s not worth buying a tent now”, Chris ...... .
11. He raised his hat and ......, “Good morning.”
12. Mrs. Allen ...... Jill to run out quickly and buy some fruit.
EXERCISE P.504 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the sentences into indirect speech using the following verbs:
hope, explain, protest, beg, congratulate, interrupt, warn, greet, introduce, remark, invite,
threaten, point out, insist, offer, refuse, accept, curse, advise, assure, agree, admit
1. “Please, please, do as I say,” I said.
2. “Miss Jones, this is Miss Allen. Miss Allen, Miss Jones,” he said.
3. “Have a cigarette,” he said.
“No, thanks,” I replied.
4. “Could you come to dinner tomorrow night,” said Mrs. Brown.
“Thanks very much. I’d love to,” I answered.
5. “Happy Christmas,” said Tom.
“Thank you, the same to you,” she said.
6. “Curse the map. It’s led me wrong again,” he said.
7. “I’ll pay,” said Tom.
“Oh no, you mustn’t,” replied Ann.
“I insist on paying”.
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Reported Actions. Worksheet on Direct/Indirect Speech
8. “Let’s wait here till the rain stops,” she said.
9. “Naughty boy, ”said his mother. “You’ve been fighting again.”
10. He said, “Good morning.”
EXERCISE P.507 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into reported speech:
1. “I shall ask them what they have been doing”, said Tony.
2. “I haven’t found my bag yet”, said Sarah.
3. “I didn’t want to wash my face, mother”, said the little boy.
4. “When John comes back, he will ring up at once”, his sister promised.
5. “I can’t think where my umbrella is”, said Peggy.
6. “The highest mountain in Britain is Snowdon”, Mr. Holmes told the pupils.
7. “The engine has been running for more than ten minutes”, Jack said to the mechanic.
8. Mary said, “The goldfish has jumped out of its bowl and I can’t find it anywhere.”
9. “If you are short of money I can lend you fifty pounds”, said my aunt, “and you can take your time
about paying it back.”
10. He said, “I am quite a good cook and I do all my own washing and mending, too.”
11. “If you give me some wire, I’ll mend the fuse for you”, said my cousin.
12. “I have something to show you”, I said to her.
13. “I am living with my parents at present”, she said, “but I hope to have a flat of my own shortly.”
14. “From one of the windows of my flat I can see the Tower”, said I.
EXERCISE P.510 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into the reported speech:
1. There’s been an accident, and the road is blocked”, said the policeman, “It won’t be clear for some
time. You’d better go round the other way.”
2. “It’s high time you passed your test; I’m tired of driving round with an L-plate in front of the car”,
my sister said.
3. “If you want to smoke, you’ll have to go upstairs”, said the bus conductor.
4. If the loosed screw hadn’t been discovered then, there might have been a bad accident”, the foreman
said.
5. “I was thinking of going by bus”, said Paul.
“You shouldn’t go by bus”, said his aunt, “It’s an awfully bad service.”
6. “You’d better take sleeping bags; you may have to sleep out”, he warned us.
7. This used to be a lovely quiet street”, he said, “but now it is impossible. When summer comes
you’ll have to keep the windows shut all the time because of the noise.”
8. “I know the umbrella belongs to you, but I thought it would be all right if I borrowed it”, said my
nephew, “ because you aren’t going out tomorrow and I am.”
9. I couldn’t get into the house because I had lost my key, so I had to break a window”, he said.
10. “The puppy can sleep on our bed”, said Tom.
“I’d rather it slept in a basket”, said his wife.
11. “You must listen carefully to the evidence”, the judge said to the jury.
12. He said, “There must be someone in the house; there’s smoke coming from the chimney.”
13. ”Don’t jump off trees” said mother.
EXERCISE P.512 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into indirect speech:
1. “Will you be here for the next ten minutes?” she said.
“Yes”, I answered
2. “Haven’t you got a TV set?” he asked.
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Reported Actions. Worksheet on Direct/Indirect Speech
“No”, I said, “nobody in our village has got one.”
3. “Can I lose five kilos in one week?” the fat woman asked.
“No”, said the doctor.
4. “Wouldn’t you like to look ten years younger?,” said my hairdresser.
“No,” I replied.
5. “Have you ever been convicted of driving under the influence of drink?” she asked him.
“No,” he said.
6. “I’ve just received my son’s school report; would you like to see it?” he asked.
“No,” I said.
7. “Did you hear a terrible crash about 3 a.m. this morning?” said my host.
“Yes,” I said. “What was it?”
8. “Shall I have to do the whole exam again if I fail in one paper?” said the student.
“Yes,” said the teacher.
9. “Would you like a cigarette?” said Peter.
“No, thanks,” said John. “I don’t smoke.”
10. “It’s ridiculous to take three suitcases for a weekend,” I said.
“Couldn’t you manage with two?”
“No,” she said.
11. “Did you ring me up last night?” said Mary.
“Yes,” I said.
12. “Are you going away for the weekend?” asked my father.“Yes,” I said.
EXERCISE P.513 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Make the following questions indirect questions:
1. She said, “Where do you live?”
2. Peter said, “Have you been to town today?”
3. “Can you tell me where I can find the British Council?”, Paul asked a policeman.
4. “How much did you pay for those tomatoes?”, asked my wife.
5. “Do you know the way to the station?”, a passer-by asked me.
6. She said, “Can you lend me twenty pounds? Do you think you
can trust me?”
7. “Do you speak English? Do you think you can learn it in a year?”, asked the little boy.
8. “How far is it to the National Theatre? Can I walk it in ten minutes or must I take a taxi?”, asked
Mary.
9. Mother to son: “How many times have I told you not to do that?”
10. My brother said, “Who called while I was out? Did she leave a message?”
11. “Do you want to see the museum?”, said the guide.
12. “Don’t you want to see the lions?” Sally asked her small cousin.
13. “Do you mind my smoking?” my fellow-traveller asked.
14. “Can you swim a long way?” Kim asked Joe.
15. “What is your new house like?” I asked them.
EXERCISE P.514 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into indirect speech:
1. “Shall I ever understand women?” he asked himself.
2. What shall I do with your mail when you are away?”, asked the landlady, “Shall I forward it?”
3. “Shall I like the concert?” Sally asked herself.
4. “Shall I give you the money now?”, asked Bob.
5. “Will you have another cup of tea?” said my aunt.
6. Martin said, “Shall I be in your way?”
7. “Could you wait a moment?” he said.
8. “Shall I hurry on and get the tickets?” asked Thomas.
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Reported Actions. Worksheet on Direct/Indirect Speech
9. “Shall I send the report to you by post?” asked my adviser.
10. “Will you post this for me?” said Nelly
11. She said, “Shall I remember your name next time?”
12. “Shall I lay the table now?”, said my wife.
13. Mary said, “Shall we know the answer tomorrow?”
14. “Will you have lunch with me tomorrow?” she said.
15. “Will you help me or shall I ask someone else?” he said.
EXERCISE P.516 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into the indirect speech:
1. “Kindly leave your umbrella here, madam,” said the porter.
2. “Shut the door after you, Jimmy,” said Mrs. Sharp.
3. “Hurry, Jane, or we’ll miss the concert,” said Jack.
4. “Don’t move till the policeman waves you on,” said the driving instructor.
5. “You’d better not leave your money lying about,” said one of the students.
6. “Show me all the fish you have caught,” the gamekeeper said to the poacher.
7. “Don’t shelter under a tree in a thunderstorm,” he said. “The tree might be struck by lightning.”
8. “Have confidence in me,” urged the doctor.
9. “Please pay at the desk,” said the shop assistant.
10. “Be careful; the steps are slippery,” I warned him.
EXERCISE P.517 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into indirect speech:
1. “Whistle if you hear a noise,” Tom said to Bill.
2. “When you see your teacher, don’t forget to take your cap off,” said the mother to the little boy.
3. She said, “If he arrives before I get back give him something to drink.”
4. “If anyone rings up,” she said, “say I’ll be back shortly.”
5. “If you go out, leave the key under the mat,” she said.
6. “If you feel lonely any time, ring me up,” he said.
7. “If the lift stops between two floors, press the emergency button,” he said.
8. “When the bell rings, take the meat out of the oven,” my sister said.
9. “If I’m not back by this time tomorrow, take this letter to the police,” he said.
10. She said, “If you think the room is cold, shut the windows.”
EXERCISE P.518 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into indirect speech:
1. “Would you like a glass of wine?” said Jack.
“No, thanks,” said John. “I never drink wine.”
2. “Let’s give a party,” said Ann.
“Let’s not,” said her husband.
3. “Would you mind getting out of the car, ”said the driver. “I have to change a wheel.”
4. “Let the nations forget their differences and work together for peace,” said the speaker.
5. “Let me stay up a little longer tonight, mother,” begged the child.
6. “What about going for a swim?” he said. “It’s quite fine now.”
7. “Would you mind taking off your hat? I said to the woman in front of me.
“But the theatre is almost empty!” she said. “Why don’t you move along a bit.”
8. “Tom made this mess. Let him clear it up,” said his father.
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Reported Actions. Worksheet on Direct/Indirect Speech
EXERCISE P.519 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following exclamation into indirect speech:
1. “Ugh! There is a slug in my lettuce. Waiter!” he cried.
2. “How delicious your soup tastes, Mary,” said her husband.
3. “Hurray, I’ve passed the exam!” he cried.
“Congratulations,” I said.
4. “Oh dear, I’ve laddered my stocking!” said Betty.
5. “What an exciting time we’ve had today!” said Charles.
6. “How beautiful the sunset looks tonight!” said Mr. Morgan.
7. “Oh, I am tired!” said Mrs Lewis.
8. “My goodness, you look beautiful tonight, Joan!” said Allen.
9. He said, “Curse the fog.”
10. “Liar!” she shouted at me.
REVISION P.520 / DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
Put the following sentences into indirect speech:
1. “You pressed the wrong button,” said the mechanic. “Don’t do it again. You might have a nasty
accident.”
2. “Would you mind cooking your own supper tonight?” said my landlady.
3. “It’s seven,” he said. “She’ll be at home now. What about ringing her up?”
4. “Shall I go and get a candle?” said Ann when the light went out suddenly.
“I’d rather you got another bulb,” said Mr. Jones.
5. “Why don’t you go and see that film? It may help you to understand the book,” I said.
“But the book is quite different from the film,” Ann pointed out.
6. “Shall I start tomorrow?” I said.
“I’d rather you stated today,” said Tom.
7. “Curse that zip-fastener! It’s stuck again,” she exclaimed.
8. “Don’t touch the wet paint, Susan,” said her father.
9. “Finish typing these letters, Miss Green, and then you can go home,” said Mr. Taylor.
10. “Do you know that the shoes you are wearing aren’t a pair,” said Mary.
“Yes, but I was in a hurry this morning and these were the only ones I could find,” he said.
11. “You mustn’t forget to put the stamp on or your friend will have to pay double postage,” he told
me.
12. “I needn’t get up till nine tomorrow,” I said.
13. “Shall I ever see him again?” she wondered.
14. “I must go to the dentist tomorrow,” he said. “I have an appointment.”
15. “Don’t put sticky things in your pockets,” said his mother.
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