Practice and Improve Your Grammar part 2

motorway and two bikers in black leather jackets stopped and offered me to help. I explained them that I can't get the wheel off. One of them told that it was 'no problem' and assured that it wouldn't take long. He even suggested me to stand behind the car for safety and warned me watch out for broken glass on the ground. They fixed it really quickly and joked the small wheels on my little car. I spoke them thanks. They refused take any money when I offered pay them. They were like angels. Actually, it said on their jackets that they were 'Hell's Angels'.

EXERCISE 16. Complete each sentence with a meaning similar to the one above it.

1	'Simon, I'm looking for cheaper flat.' Fraser mentioned ……..
2	'Bridget, I'll look after you.' Murk assured ……..
3	'Fiona, you can stay at my place.' Malcolm invited ……..
4	'Andrew, take off your dirty boots!' Andrew's mother ordered ……..
5	'Don't go there after dark.' She warned ……..
6	'I'm not paying for the tickets.' Jason refused ……..
7	'You should buy a rail pass.' Melvin suggested ……..

EXERCISE 17. Complete this text with appropriate forms of one pair of verbs in each space.

ask/become be/remind encourage/give join/persuade promise/provide volunteer/work

A charity is an organization that helps people in need such as the poor, the homeless, children and refugees. Some people …volunteer to work… for a charity while others (1) …….. support with money or other gifts. Many charities

(2) …….. well-known people, such as film stars, …….. a representative for their organization in the hope that they will (3) …….. others …….. the organization

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or (4) …….. them …….. money to the charity. Charities not only help people, they also (5) …….. those who have a comfortable life …….. generous to those who have much less.

EXERCISE 18. Correct the twelve mistakes in these sentences.

1If you disagreed with what I was proposing, why didn't you say me earlier that you didn't like it?

2At first he argued me that his answer was correct, but then I convinced that it wasn't.

3My sister reminded that I had supported her in a similar situation and she urged not to give up.

4He offered me to pay the bill himself, but I suggested him to split it between us.

5The doctor recommended me to lake one aspirin with a glass of warm water every morning.

6He was always complaining his problems at the school and once threatened burn it down.

7They didn't deny to be responsible for the damage and they were even boasting what they had done.

REPORTING STATEMENTS AND QUESTIONS Reporting statements

In formal uses, we usually include that after reporting verbs when we report a statement (1), but in informal uses we often omit that (2).

1 The prime minister said that she would consider it. • The police report that crime is down.

2 She said _ she'd think about it. • I told him _ I was leaving. • He agreed _ it was a good idea.

We usually include that after verbs that describe the speaker's intention 132

(complain, deny, etc.) (3), the manner of speaking (4), phrasal verbs (5) and when we include other information between the reporting verb and the that- clause (6).

3 They complained that they had been left out. • He denied that he was responsible.

4 She whispered that she had to go. • The poor man shouted that he was innocent.

5 One student pointed out that the date was wrong. • She called out that dinner was ready.

6 He said in last week's meeting that we were wrong. • We agree with the critics that it's old.

We can use nouns such as announcement and response before a that-clause containing indirect speech to report statements. After these nouns, we usually include that.

7 'Classes are cancelled.' -> Did you hear the announcement that classes were cancelled?

8 'I worked hard.' -> His response that he worked hard isn't true. (not His response he worked ...)

Other nouns used like this include: argument, claim, comment, explanation, report, statement

We can also report statements by using a noun with be and a that-clause containing indirect speech.

9 'It'll cost a lot.' • Her only comment was that it would cost a lot.

Reporting questions

We begin reported questions (or indirect questions) with wh-words (10), if or whether (11).

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10 'Who is she?' -> He asked who she was. • 'What does she do?' -> He asked what she did.

11 'Is she a doctor or a nurse?' -> He wanted to know if/whether she was a doctor or a nurse.

We form indirect questions with the subject before the verb and no question mark (12). We don't change the word order when a wh-word is the subject of the question (13).

12 'Where are the keys?' -> I asked where the keys were. (NOT I asked where were the keys?)

13 'Who has the keys?' -> I asked who had the keys. (NOT I asked who the keys had.)

We can report some wh-questions with should (about the right thing to do) by using an infinitive.

14 'When should I come and what should I do?' -> I asked them when to come and what to do.

Note that why is not used in this way: I asked them why I should do it. (NOT ...

why to do it.)

We begin indirect yes/no questions with if or whether.

15 'Are you a nurse?' -> I asked if/whether she was a nurse. (NOT I asked if was she a nurse?)

We use whether (not if) after a preposition (16), before an infinitive (17) and after the verb question (18). Whether or not can be used as a phrase, but not if or not (19).

16 'Is it okay to use a dictionary?' -> Someone inquired about whether it was okay to use a dictionary. (NOT Someone inquired about if it was okay to use a dictionary.)

17 'Should I wait for him?' -> She's wondering whether to wait for him.

(NOT... if to wait for him.)

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18 'Are they really terrorists?' -> The reporter questioned whether they were really terrorists.

19 'Did he win or not?' -> I asked whether or not he won. (OR I asked whether/if he won or not.)

EXERCISE 19. Complete each sentence using indirect speech in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the sentence above it.

1'I'm not guilty!' called out one of the defendants. One ……..

2It really surprised us when she said she'd been adopted. Her statement ……..

3The students' argument is that the cost of tuition has increased too much and I agree.

I agree ……..

4He claimed, 'I'm not a thief!', but no one believed him. No one believed his ……..

EXERCISE 20. Choose an ending (a–d) for each beginning (1–4) and add the words that, where, whether or who.

1Some of them were arguing about (...)

2The teacher is trying to find out (...)

3I asked another student (...)

4We heard one report (...)

a… isn't here.

b… the weather was going to be bad. с … to leave or stay there for another day.

d… to find the library.

EXERCISE 21. Rewrite these sentences after correcting the mistakes.

1One of the visitors asked about if will there be a fridge in the hotel room?

2He asked me why to do that and I pointed out it was part of my job.

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3She asked me what do next and my response that she gets some more chairs.

4Her explanation no one asked her if or not she has a degree was incredible.

EXERCISE 22. Change these statements and questions to indirect speech and add them to the text.

'There is a "monster" under my bed.'			'Why aren't you sleeping?'
'Have you seen the monster?'		'I haven't, but I know it has big teeth.'
'What is a "monster"?'	'Where did it come from?'

One time when I was babysitting for some friends, their five year-old daughter got out of bed and came into the living room. I asked her (1) …….. . She climbed on to the sofa beside me and whispered (2) …….. . I started to ask her

(3) …….., then I realized that she meant 'monster'. I asked her (4) …….. . She said (5) …….. . I asked her (6) …….. . She didn't know, but it had really big eyes and sharp teeth. We eventually both fell asleep on the sofa and, luckily for us, the monster stayed in the bedroom.

EXERCISE 23. Complete each sentence with one dialogue pair in indirect speech.

'I have ten cats' – 'I prefer dogs!'

'Who broke the window?' – 'I don't know.'

'I have too much work to do.' – 'You did nothing yesterday!'

'Where do you think he hides his money?' – 'I don't think he has any.'

1Corinne was complaining that she had too much work to do until her mother pointed out (1) ……..

2I asked him (2) …….. and he mumbled (3) ……..

3When my sister told Paul during dinner last night (4) …….. , his only comment was (5) ……..

4They wanted Stan's wife to tell them (6) …….. but her response was (7) …….

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EXERCISE 24. Using a dictionary if necessary, complete each definition with one of the nouns and one of the quoted sentences in indirect speech.

admission	'Some facts have been kept secret.'
explanation	'You must pay attention to something before you make a
	decision!'
statement	'Something will happen in the future!'
warning	'Why is someone behaving in a way that is difficult to
	understand?'

1A caveat is a ……..

2A disclosure by the government is a public ……..

3A prophecy is a ……..

4A rationalization is a logical ……..

EXERCISE 25. Rewrite this dialogue using indirect speech.

'How do you feel?' - 'I'm angry.'

'Why didn't you say anything earlier?'- 'You didn't allow anyone else to speak.' 'Can you tell me what's wrong?' - 'You're ignoring a dangerous situation.' 'Have you read my report or not?' ~ 'I haven't had time!'

Mrs. Hawkins asked ...how I felt… and I had to tell her (1) …….. She wanted to know (2) ……..

I explained to her (3) ……..

Then she apologized and asked (4) …….. I told her(5) ……..

I then asked her (6) …….. Her reply was (7) ……..

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REPORTING ORDERS, REQUESTS, ADVICE AND OPINIONS

Reporting orders and requests

We usually report orders using tell with an object and an infinitive.

1 'Don't touch it.' -> He told us not to touch it. • 'Be quiet!' -> She told everyone to be quiet.

Other less common verbs used to report orders include: command, direct, instruct, order

We can also report orders in a that-clause with the modals have to or must (2). After verbs such as demand and insist, a subjunctive is sometimes used in more formal situations (3).

2 'Stop arguing!' -> Their mother told them that they had to/must stop arguing.

3 'Do it yourself!' -> He insisted that I had to do it myself. OR He insisted that I do it myself.

We usually report requests using ask with an object and an infinitive (4). When we report requests by speakers about their own actions, we don't include an object before the infinitive (5).

4 'Please don't smoke.' -> I asked him not to smoke. • 'Come in.' -> He asked me to come in.

5 'May I leave?' -> She asked to leave. • 'Can I go?' -> He asked to go. (NOT

He asked me to go.)

Other verbs used to report requests include: beg, plead with, request

We can also report requests in an if-clause with the modals could or would.

6 'Please help me.' -> The old man asked (us) if we could/would help him.

Reporting advice

We can report advice by using verbs such as recommend or suggest followed by a that-clause with should (7) or a subjunctive in more formal uses (8). We can

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also use a gerund for the suggested action when we don't want to mention who will perform the action (9).

7 'You should go by train.' -> He recommended that we should go by train.

8 'You should take the express train.' -> He suggested that we take the express train.

9 'You should drive.' -> He recommended driving. (NOT He recommended us driving.)

We can use the verb advise with an object and an infinitive (10) or with a that- clause or a gerund (11).

10 'Wait a few days.' -> She advised him to wait a few days. (not She suggested him to wait.)

11 She advised (him) that he (should) wait a few days. • She advised waiting a few days.

We can use different reporting verbs such as remind and warn with that-clauses to introduce different kinds of reported advice.

12 'A taxi will be much faster.' -> She reminded him that a taxi would be much faster.

13 'You must be careful.' -> She warned them that they must/had to be careful.

We can also report a warning by using an infinitive: She warned them to be careful.

Reporting opinions

We use 'thinking' verbs with that-clauses to report opinions.

14 'Oh, it's nice!' -> She thought that it was nice. • 'I'll win.' -> He believes that he'll win.

Other verbs used like this include: expect, feel, imagine, reckon, suppose, suspect

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We can use the verbs say and tell in the continuous to report general opinions in informal situations.

15 The students were saying that the test was unfair. • Teachers are telling us there's a problem.

We can also report opinions and feelings with nouns (16) and adjectives (17) before that-clauses.

16 'Girls mature earlier than boys.' -> It is her view that girls mature earlier than boys.

Other nouns used like this include: belief, conclusion, diagnosis, hypothesis, opinion, theory

17 'It's a mistake.' -> I was sure that it was a mistake. OR She is certain that it is a mistake.

Other adjectives used like this include: aware, convinced, doubtful, positive, sorry, worried

EXERCISE 26. Complete each sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the sentence above it.

1Professor to her students: 'Please do not eat or drink during lectures.' The professor asked ……..

2Guard to the prisoner: 'Stand up when the judge comes in.' The guard ordered ……..

3Worker to his boss: 'Can I leave early on Friday?' The worker asked ……..

4Scott's mother to Scott: 'You should apply to several universities.' Scott's mother recommended ……..

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