Exercise 5

B: After a reporting verb in the past, the verb in direct speech in the past tense changes to the past perfect or stays the same.

Example:

• “He played in the team”, she said.

• She said that he had played / or She said that he played in the team.

1. “I was early for the meeting”, she said.

2. “While I was staying in Madrid, I met Pedro twice”, she mentioned.

3. “I saw her yesterday”, the boy said.

4. “A lot of English words were borrowed from other languages”, the teacher told us.

5. “I saw the film you recommended last night”, he said to me.

6. He said, “My mother was watching TV while the father was reading a book”.

7. My friends told me, “If I are you I would apologies”.

8. He said, “You had better help me”.

9. The doctor said, “I prescribed her those pills last week”.

10. The newspaper reported, “A foreign delegation left Russia”.

11. The applicant said, “I lose my last employment a year ago”.

12. “I graduated from Oxford”, the manager informed the Board of

13. directors.

14. She said, “She paid the electricity bill”.

15. “I phoned you many times, but nobody answered”, he said.

Future in the past

Exercise 6

After a reporting verb in the past the verb in direct speech in the future tense changes to the Future-in-the-Past.

Example:

• He said, “I’ll pick you up at 6 p.m.”.

• He said (that) he would pick me up at 6 p.m.

That is what some people said to Sally today:

The manager of the bank where Sally works: “You’ll get a pay rise later in the year”.

An optician: “There is nothing wrong with your eyes, you don’t need to wear glasses”

Sally’s boyfriend Peter: “I’d like a big family. I want at least five children”.

Sally’s father: “I’ve done the shopping. I’ll be home at about seven”.

Sally’s driving instructor: “You drove very well. You are making good progress”.

A man who works in a dry-cleaner’s: “Your skirt will be ready on Saturday”.

It is evening now and Sally is telling her mother about her day. Complete what Sally says using reported speech.

M – mother, S – Sally

S:I went to the dry-cleaner’s at lunch time. The man there saidmy skirt

would be ready on Saturday.

M:And what about the optician. What did she say?

S:Oh, she told me _____(1) eyes and that I _____(2) glasses.

M:Oh, that’s good. And what about your driving lesson? How did that go?

S:Oh, fine. My instructor told me that I _____(3) and that I _____(4)

progress.

M:That’s very good. And what about Peter? Did you see him today?

S:No, but he phoned me at work. He said that he _____(5) and that he

_____(6) children.

M:Five! Well, I hope you can afford them.

S:Oh, yes. That reminds me. I was speaking to the manager at work and

she said that I _____(7).

M: Oh, that’s good.

S:Yes, and before I forget, Dad phoned. He said he _____(8) and that he

_____(9).

Reporting in the past tense

Exercise 7

After a reporting verb in the past, there is usually a tense change. But sometimes the verb in direct speech stays in the same tense if the words are still true when some one reports them.

Example:

• “Dolphins are mammals”, he said.

• He said that dolphins are mammals.

Even if the words are still true, we can always change the tense into the past after a past tense reporting verb.

Example:

• “Dolphins are mammals”, he said.

• He said that dolphins were mammals.

First state if the following sentences are true (T) or false then turn them from Direct into Reported (Indirect) Speech.

Example:

Penguins can swim, he said. He said (that)penguins can swim. ………………………………………………………………………...	T
“The earth is flat”, the old man said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world ”, she said. …………………………………………………………………………
“A train goes faster than a plane”. He said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“Dolphins are less intelligent than sharks”, he said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“Man does not love forever”, she said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“Paris is the capital of France”, said the teacher. ………………………………………………………………………...
“Greece is hotter than England”, said George. ………………………………………………………………………...
“There 6 vowels in the English Alphabet”, said the pupil. ………………………………………………………………………...
“It’s hot at the South Pole”, he said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“The Sahara desert is the largest desert in the world”, she said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“Whales are mammals”, she said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“Ostriches can fly”, he said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“British weather is always wonderful”, she said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“The Baikal is the deepest lake in the world”, they said. ………………………………………………………………………...
“The USA is a constitutional monarchy”, the reporter said. ………………………………………………………………………...