Grammar Reported Speech and the sequence of tenses

Reported statements

Ex.66 Rewrite each sentence as reported speech.

1. ‘I get up every day at 6.30,' she said.

She……………………………………………………………….

2. ‘I forgot to phone the doctor,' he said.

He………………………………………………………………...

3. ‘Everybody likes comedy films,' he said.

He………………………………………………………………...

4. ‘I'm thinking about it,' he said.

He…………………………………………………………………

5. ‘I was reading the paper,' she said.

She………………………………………………………………..

6. ‘Scientists don't understand everything,' she said.

She………………………………………………………………..

7. ‘I've decided to look for a new job,' he said.

He…………………………………………………………………

8. ‘I can swim 5,000 metres,' he said.

He…………………………………………………………………

9. ‘I'm going to have a baby,' she said.

She………………………………………………………………..

10. ‘I'll phone on Friday,' he said.

He…………………………………………………………………

Ex.67 Fill in the gaps with say or tell in the correct tense.

A ‘This sugar-free chocolate is delicious,’ 1) said Sandra. ‘I can’t 2)_________the difference between this chocolate and the one containing sugar.’ ‘I like it, too’, 3)_________ Mark. ‘I wish someone had 4)_________ me about it sooner. I could have lost so much weight!’ ‘To 5)_________ you the truth, I don’t think you should lose weight,’ 6)_________ Sandra. ‘I like you just the way you are,’ she 7)_________ him.

B ‘I saw Paul in town today,’ Steve 1)_________ Louise. ‘I 2)_________ good afternoon to him and I noticed that he’d had his hair cut. I should have 3)_________ something about it, but it looked awful, so I didn’t mention it’. ‘You did the right thing,’ Louise 4)_________ him. ‘It’s better to 5)_________ nothing than to 6)_________ a lie.’

C At Alison’s wedding reception, her father stood up and 1) _________ the guests that he would like to 2) _________ a few words. He started to 3) _________ a story about when Alison was young. Alison felt embarrassed, but she didn’t 4) _________ so. Then, her father 5) _________ the guests some jokes, which everyone found very funny. Finally, he 6) _________ a prayer for the happy couple.

Ex. 68 Read the information about Heinrich Schliemann. Then complete the text by writing said or told in each space.

Heinrich Schliemann - an interview in the 1860s

Heinrich Schliemann was a German archaeologist who excavated a city in Turkey in 1871 and decided that it was ancient Troy. He found evidence of destruction by war, and also discovered some gold objects. Nowadays archaeologists believe that his methods of excavation were unscientific, and they also believe that some of his discoveries were false.

Recently many experts have a.. ..said.....that Schliemann had a habit of not telling the truth, and this has raised doubts about his work. For example, he b……………….. everyone he was a US citizen, but in fact this wasn't true. He also c……………………. he had a degree from the University of Rostock, but in fact the university rejected his thesis. He d………………….. he had found gold jewellery at Hissarlik, but some people believe these were modern pieces. In fact, his servant later e……………………. people that no jewellery had been found in the places that Schliemann claimed to have found it. He also f…………………….. the authorities in Turkey that he was an archaeologist, but he didn't have any qualifications. When he talked about his work, he always g………………………. people that he had dreamed of finding Troy when he was a small boy, but many people feel that he invented this story later. However, although many archaeologists at the time h…………………………. that his work was inaccurate, we have to remember that archaeology was not a science in Schliemann's time. He may not have always i………………………… the truth, but he brought a lot of energy to the discovery of the ancient world, and devoted his life and his wealth to his excavations.

Ex.69 Rewrite each sentence about Schliemann as reported speech.

1. 'I have always been interested in the story of Troy,' he told journalists.

……He told the journalists that he had always been interested in the story of Troy………

2. ‘My father read the stories to me when I was a child,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. ‘I have always believed that Troy was a real place,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. ‘At an early age I decided to discover the site of the city,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. ‘For many years I worked as a merchant in the USA and Russia,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. 'I am a wealthy man and I have retired from business,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

7. 'I first went to the site at Hissarlik in 1868,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. ‘Since then I have spent a lot of my own money on the excavation,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. ‘I am working with a British archaeologist,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

10. ‘We are hoping to prove that Hissarlik is the site of ancient Troy,' he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Ex.70 Read the statement from a news conference held at an archaeological site. Then answer the questions.

'Good morning everyone, my name is Julia Richmond, and I'm the director of this dig. Thank you for coming to this news conference. First I want to explain how we found this site, and what we've been doing here. I'm sure you have read the publicity handout, so you know something about this. It's important to give you the latest information. Then I'm going to give a description of some of the interesting discoveries we have made here. I’ll give you a general account of the project, and I’ll show some slides of the site. Then there will be a chance for all of you to look at some fascinating objects. We've brought some of the more spectacular finds. They are waiting for you in the room next door, and you will be able to take photographs. You've been very patient. So now let's begin ...

What did the archaeologist say about ...

1. ... her job?

She told the journalists……………(that) she was the director of the dig………………………..

2. ... finding the site?

She said …………………………………………………………………………………………...

3. ... the publicity handout?

She told ……………………………………………………………………………………………

4. ... the latest information?

She said ……………………………………………………………………………………………

5. ... interesting discoveries?

She told ……………………………………………………………………………………………

6. ... a general account of the project?

She said ……………………………………………………………………………………………

7. ... slides?

She told ……………………………………………………………………………………………

8. ... fascinating objects?

She said …………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. ... spectacular finds?

She told …………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. ... the room next door?

She said ……………………………………………………………………………………………

10. ... photographs?

She told ……………………………………………………………………………………………

11. ... being patient?

She said ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Ex.71 Turn the sentences into reported speech. In which of the following sentences do the tenses not change? In which do they not have to be changed? Why?

1. The instructions say, ‘The camera needs two batteries.’

The instructions say (that) the camera needs two batteries.

The tenses do not change because the introductory verb is in the present simple.

2. ‘I’ve finished the letters you asked me to write,’ Jill said.

……………………………………………………………………………

3. ‘Pandas live in China,’ the teacher said.

……………………………………………………………………………

4. Dad says, ‘It’s time for bed.’

……………………………………………………………………………

5. ‘I have to tidy my bedroom now,’ Toby said.

……………………………………………………………………………

6. The article says, ‘There has been an increase in the number of university students.’

……………………………………………………………………………

7. Mr Brown says, ‘My son is going to work abroad.’

……………………………………………………………………………

8. ‘I should have bought her a present,’ he said.

……………………………………………………………………………

9. ‘I’m never going to have a pet,’ my sister always says.

……………………………………………………………………………

10. Alison says, ‘The taxi is here.’

……………………………………………………………………………

11. Mr Collins says, ‘You needn’t work late this evening.’

……………………………………………………………………………

12. ‘I’ll pick you up at eight o’ clock,’ she told me.

……………………………………………………………………………

13. ‘Coal is found underground,’ he said.

……………………………………………………………………………

14. ‘You ought to go to the doctor’s,’ she said to her son.

……………………………………………………………………………

15. ‘It is raining hard today,’ she said.

……………………………………………………………………………

16. They said, ‘We’ve never travelled by plane before.’

……………………………………………………………………………

17. ‘We might go to the cinema tonight,’ they said.

……………………………………………………………………………

18. Mum always says, ‘You should wear warmer clothes.’

……………………………………………………………………………

Reported questions

Ex.72

a. Complete the reported yes / no questions.

1. 'Have you done your homework?'

The teacher asked me…………if I had done my homework……………………………………...

2. ‘Are we starting a new lesson?'

I asked the teacher …………………………………………………………………………………

3. 'Are you paying attention?'

The teacher asked me ………………………………………………………………………………

4. 'Do I have to write it down?'

I asked the teacher ………………………………………………………………………………….

5. 'Are you feeling all right?'

The teacher asked me ………………………………………………………………………………

b. Rewrite the sentence as direct speech. Include necessary punctuation.

1. I asked the teacher if she had a spare pen.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

2. The teacher asked me if I was going to start.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

3. I asked the teacher if it was all right to use a pencil.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

4. The teacher asked me if I knew the answer.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

5. I asked the teacher if it was the end of the lesson.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Ex.73 Complete the reported questions with or without past time shift.

1. ‘How many colours are there in a rainbow?’

The teacher asked us …….how many colours there are in a rainbow…………………………

2. ‘What did Marie Curie discover?’

The teacher asked us …………………………………………………………………………….

3. ‘How do fish take oxygen from the water?’

The teacher asked us ……………………………………………..…………………………….

4. ‘How many stomachs does a cow have?’

The teacher asked us ……………………………………………..…………………………….

5. ‘What did Edison do in 1877?’

The teacher asked us …………………………………………………………………………….

6. ‘What do scientists mean by gravity?’

The teacher asked us ……………………………………………………………………………

7. ‘When did the Second World War begin?’

The teacher asked us …………………………………………………………………………….

8. ‘What does a tadpole turn into?’

The teacher asked us ……………………………………………....…………………………….

9. ‘Why did Romeo drink the poison?’

The teacher asked us …………………………………………………………………………….

10. ‘What was Gregor Mendel famous for?’

The teacher asked us …………………………………………………………………………….

Ex.74 Turn the questions into reported speech. Begin each one with I asked the ... and give the name off the person who does the job, as in the example.

1. Do I need another filling?’

……I asked the dentist if I needed another filling……

2. ‘How much does this blouse cost?’

………………………………………………………………………….....

3. ‘How many tablets should I take each day?’

…………………………………………………………………………….

4. ‘Can I borrow the book for another week?’

……………………………………………………………………………

5. ‘Will it cost very much to repair the television?’

……………………………………………………………………………

6. ‘May I look at the menu, please?’

……………………………………………………………………………

7. ‘What do I have to do for homework?’

……………………………………………………………………………

8. ‘When will the report be typed?’

……………………………………………………………………………

9. ‘Will you be able to deliver the flowers today?’

……………………………………………………………………………

10. ‘Can I make an appointment to have my hair cut?’

……………………………………………………………………………

Ex.75 Yesterday, Simon interviewed a famous actor. He asked him the following questions.

Turn them into reported questions.

1. ‘Do you enjoy being famous?’

……Simon asked him if/whether he enjoyed being famous……

2. ‘What is the best part of your job?’

……………………………………………………………………………

3. ‘What do you find difficult about acting?’

……………………………………………………………………………

4. ‘How many films have you starred in?’

……………………………………………………………………………

5. ‘What is your favourite film?’

……………………………………………………………………………

6. ‘Have you met many other famous people?’

……………………………………………………………………………

7. ‘Where would you most like to make a film?’

……………………………………………………………………………

8. ‘Have you visited many interesting places?’

……………………………………………………………………………

9. ‘What are your plans for the future?’

……………………………………………………………………………

10. ‘Are you happy with your life?’

……………………………………………………………………………

Ex.76 Choose the correct answer.

1. She said that it was going to be a wonderful party.

a ‘It was going to be a wonderful party.’

b ‘It’s going to be a wonderful party.’

2. He said the bus might be a little late that day.

a ‘The bus was a little late today.’

b ‘The bus might be a little late today.’

3. She told him that he should study harder.

a ‘You should study harder.’

b ‘You should have studied harder.’

4. He said that the fire had done a lot of damage to the building.

a ‘The fire had done a lot of damage to the building.’

b ‘The fire has done a lot of damage to the building.’

5. He said that Michael was the best student he had ever taught.

a ‘Michael is the best student I have ever taught.’

b ‘Michael was the best student I have ever taught.’

6. She told us that the new furniture had been delivered the day before.

a ‘The new furniture had been delivered yesterday.’

b ‘The new furniture was delivered yesterday.’

7. They said that the manager would inspect the office the following day.

a ‘The manager will inspect the office the following day.’

b ‘The manager will inspect the office tomorrow.’

8. He said that if we hadn’t acted so quickly, the accident would have been even worse.

a ‘If you hadn’t acted so quickly, the accident would have been even worse.’

b ‘If you haven’t acted so quickly, the accident would be even worse.’

Reported commands, requests, suggestions

Ex.77 Complete the reported requests or commands.

1. 'Fill the jar with water, John.'

The teacher ……….told John to fill the jar with water………………………………………….

2. 'Please help him, Angela.'

The teacher ………………………………………………………………………………………

3. 'Michael, don't spill the water!'

The teacher ………………………………………………………………………………………

4. 'Please pour a little water into here, Alison.'

The teacher ………………………………………………………………………………………

5. 'Light the gas, Steve.'

The teacher ………………………………………………………………………………………

6. 'Don't touch it with your finger, Alan.'

The teacher ………………………………………………………………………………………

7. 'Sarah, heat the water gently until it boils.'

The teacher ………………………………………………………………………………………

8. ‘All of you, please watch the water carefully.'

The teacher ………………………………………………………………………………………