STRUCTURES PRACTICE – REPORTED SPEECH
1) Turn the following into Reported Speech. Make all the changes.
*: Change the introducing verb. ( G5 )
a) My friend said: “I tried to call you yesterday. Where were you?”
My friend told me that he had tried to call me the day before and asked (me ) where
I had been .
b) Mother *said to her children: ”Don’t walk on this lake! The ice is too thin.”
Mother told her children not to walk on that lake because the ice was too thin .
c) Stewart said: “ I don’t want a dessert. I’m full.”
Stewart said that he didn’t want a dessert because he was full.
d) He said: “ We would love to come but we have already been invited for tonight.”
He said that they would love to come but they had already been invited for that
night.
e) Peter *said to the old lady: “I can help you carry your bags.”
Peter offered to help the old lady carry her bags.
f) My friend *said: “ Let’s go for a drink next week..”
My friend suggested going for a drink the following week.
2) Put the following into complete Reported Speech sentences. Use an appropriate
introducing verb where it isn’t given. Change time and place indications.
Change pronouns where appropriate.
a)
“Don’t interrupt me!”
She told him not to interrupt her.
b)
He said:” I didn’t steal your money!”
He denied stealing his money.
c)
He said: ”Why didn’t you go to the party last night?”
She wondered why he ( … ) hadn’t gone to the party the night before.
d)
She said to them: “ I haven’t seen you here for a long time.”
She told them that she hadn’t seen them there for a long time.
3) Put the following into Reported Speech. Change the introducing verb / Don’t use
‘said’. Choose a different introducing verb for each sentence. Change structures
where necessary. Change time and place indications.
a) He said to me:' Don't walk on the ice.'
He told me not to walk on the ice.
b) He said to her: 'I'll give you £500 to keep your mouth shut.'
he promised her ( / promised to give her ) £500 to keep her mouth shut.
c) She said: ‘What is your brother doing now?'
She asked ( him / … ) what his ( … ) brother was doing at the moment.
d) He said to her: ‘You should really take part in the competition.” He encouraged her to
take part in the competition.
e) He said,' If I were you, I'd report this to the police.'
He advised me to report it ( / that ) to the police.
f) She said: ‘I can help you with your homework if you wish.’
She offered to help him ( … ) with his ( … ) homework if he ( … ) wished.
4) Put the following sentences into Reported Speech. Use appropriate introducing
verbs in the Past Tense ( some are given)
a) 'Are you going to give me the money or not?'
She ( … ) asked him ( … ) if ( / whether ) he was going to give her ( … ) the money or
not.
b) 'Where did you get such a lovely pullover?'
She ( … ) wondered where I ( … ) had got such a lovely pullover.
c) 'I would go to the doctor's if I were you.' (advise)
She ( … ) advised me ( … ) to go to a doctor
d) 'Why don't we go for a walk?' (suggest)
She ( … ) suggested going for a walk.
e) 'Don't listen to that man!' (warn)
They ( … ) warned me not to listen to that man.
f) 'I didn't commit the crime.' (deny)
He ( … ) denied committing the crime.
g) 'I haven't seen her for weeks.' (claim)
He ( … ) claimed that he hadn’t seen her for weeks.
h) ‘I sent her a present last week.’
He ( … ) said that he had sent her a present the week before.
5) Translate. Watch Out:
A) Use appropriate verb patterns.
B) German: Subjunctive ( ‘’sei’ / ‘habe’ etc. ) – English: Adjust tenses!
C) Be careful about punctuation.
Key: note that sometimes other translations are possible!
a) Ich habe dir gesagt, du sollst die Türe schliessen.
I have told you to close the door.
b) Sie gab zu, das Bild gestohlen zu haben. Er fragte, wo es sei.
She admitted stealing the picture. He asked where it was..
c) Er erzählte uns, was geschehen war und warnte uns davor, das Haus zu verlassen.
He told us what had happened and warned us not to leave ( warned us of / against
leaving ) the house. .
d) Er schlug vor, auszugehen.
He suggested going out.
e) Der Lehrer glaubte, er habe uns Hausaufgaben gegeben und fragte uns, ob wir ihm
nicht zugehört hätten.
The teacher thought that he had given us homework and asked us if he we hadn’t
listened to him.
f) Er ermunterte uns, am Wettbewerb teilzunehmen, und schliesslich willigten wir ein, (es )
zu versuchen.
He encouraged us to take part in the competition, and finally ( / eventually / in the
end ) we agreed to try.
g) Er behauptete, dass er unschuldig sei. Er beklagte sich, dass die Polizei sehr
unfreundlich gewesen sei. Er stritt weiterhin ab, die alte Dame beraubt zu haben.
He claimed that he was innocent. He complained that the police had been very
unfriendly ( / impolite ). he kept denying that he had robbed ( robbing ) the old lady.
6) Turn into Reported Speech
a) 'I can't type,' I told them.
I told then that I couldn’t type.
b) They always ask me, ' Are you English?'
They always ask me if ( / whether ) I’m English.
c) 'Where are you going?', I asked her.
I asked her where she was going.
d) 'Could you speak more slowly?', he asked her.
I asked her to speak ( / if/whether she could speak ) more slowly.
e) 'Don't touch the wire,' he warned me.
he warned me not to touch ( / of ( … ) touching )the wire.
f) 'I was on holiday last month,' he told her.
He told her that he had been on holiday the month before.
g) 'What time did you get home?' they asked him.
The asked him what time he had got home.
h) 'Did you enjoy the film?', I asked her.
I asked her if / whether she had enjoyed the film.
7) Turn into Reported Speech. Find appropriate introducing verbs.
Key: note that other pronouns are possible, too.
a) 'I have something to show you.'
He said that he had something to show me .
b) 'I've been in London for a month now, but so far I haven't had time to visit the Tower.'
He told me that he had been in London for a month ( then ), but so far ( / up to then )
he hadn’t had time to visit the Tower.
c) 'Why are you looking through the keyhole?'
She inquired why he was looking through the keyhole.
d) 'Who put salt in my coffee?'
He asked angrily who had put salt into his coffee.
e) 'Did they understand what you said to them?'
She wondered whether they had understood what he had said to them.
f) 'Climb in through the window.'
They told him to climb in through the window.
g) 'We have moved into our new flat. We don't like it nearly as much as our last one.'
They told us that they had moved into their new flat and added that the didn’t like it
as much as their last one.
h) 'Don't go near the water, children.'
She warned the children not to go near the water.
i) 'What shall I do with your mail when you are away?'
She asked him what she she should do with his mail while he was away.
j) 'Smell this. Do you think it has gone bad?'
She told me to smell that and asked whether I thought it had gone bad.
k) 'Have you any idea where Peter has gone? I'm getting worried.'
She enquired whether I had any idea where Peter had gone and explained that she
was getting worried.
8) Use the verbs to put the direct speech sentences into reported speech. Not all the
verbs are used.
ask / beg / refuse / offer / boast / advise / order / promise / complain /
invite
a) 'Would you like to spend the weekend with us?' the Browns said to the Taylors.
The browns invited the Taylors to spend the weekend with them.
b) 'Could you open the window, please?' the teacher said to the student.
The teacher asked the student to open the window.
c) 'I won't lend you any money,' Jim said.
Jim refused to lend him any money.
d) 'You never help me with my homework,' Jimmy said to his sister.
Jimmy complained to his sister that she never helped him with his homework.
e) 'I'll help you from now on,' his sister answered.
She promised to help him from then on (/ in the future ).
f) ' I was one of the most intelligent students in my class,' his father said.
His father boasted that he had been one of the most intelligent students in his class.
g) 'You really should paint professionally,' said Gill to Henry. 'You're really good at it.'
Gill advised Henry to paint professionally because he was really good at it.