CHUYÊN ĐỀ: CÂU TRẦN THUẬT

1. Say/ tell
2. Reported statements (tense change)
3. Reported statements (other change)
4. Reported questions
5. Indirect questions
6. Reported commands/ requests/ suggestions
7. Introductory verbs (Reporting verbs)
8. Punctuation in Direct Speech

CÂU TRẦN THUẬT (REPORTED SPEECH)

Direct Speech is the exact words someone said. We use quotation marks in Direct Speech.
 “I won’t be back before 7:00,” he said.
Reported Speech is the exact meaning of what someone said but not the exact words. We do not use
quotation marks in Reported Speech.
 He said he wouldn’t be back before 7:00.

1. Say / Tell / Ask

We can use the verbs say and tell in direct and reported speech.
⮚ Say is used with or without a personal object. When used with a personal object, it is always followed
by the preposition to (said to me).
 (Direct Speech) He said to me, “I can fix it.” -> (Reported Speech) He said (that) he could fix it.

⮚ Tell is always followed by a personal object (told me).

 (Direct Speech) “I can do it,” he said to me. -> (Reported Speech) He told me he could do it.

⮚ Ask is used in reported questions and commands. Ask is also used in direct questions when it is
followed by the person the words were spoken to.
 He said to me, “Please, don’t go!” -> He asked me not to go.
 He asked, “Are you OK?” -> He asked me if I was OK.

Expressions with “say” say good morning / evening, etc., say something / nothing, etc., say a few
words, say so, say no more, say for certain, etc.

Expressions with “tell” tell the truth, tell a lie, tell (sb) the time, tell sb one’s name, tell a story, tell
a secret, tell sb the way, tell one from another, tell sb’s fortune, tell sb so,
tell the difference, etc.

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 Expressions with ask a favour, ask the time, ask a question, ask the price, etc.
“ask”

2. Reported statements
When we tell others what somebody has said, we can quote their words directly (direct speech) or report them
indirectly (reported speech).
⮚ In direct speech, what somebody has said is not changed anyway.
 ‘I don’t think they will come here tomorrow.’ => He said: ‘I don’t think he will come here
tomorrow.’
⮚ In reported speech, some elements of what somebody has said may change:
 ‘I don’t think they will come here tomorrow.’ => He said he didn’t think they would come there the
following day.
⮚ We usually change tenses and also other references like people, places and times.

STATEMENTS are usually reported with a past tense verb (like said and told) and an optional that.
The form of the verb that follows then “moves back” in time. This is sometimes called backshift.
Compare direct speech and reported speech:

You met some friends. Here are some of the Later you tell somebody what your friends said.
things they said in direct speech: You use reported speech:
Present simple: Past simple:
“We work for the town council.” -> They said they worked for the town council.
Present continuous: Past continuous:
“I’m doing the washing.” -> She said she was doing the washing.
Past simple: Past perfect:
“We decided to leave earlier today.” -> He said they had decided to leave earlier that day.
Past continuous: Past perfect continuous:
“I wasn’t telling the truth.” -> She admitted she hadn’t been telling the truth.
Present perfect simple: Past prefect simple:
“My guests haven’t arrived yet.” -> She said her guests hadn’t arrived yet.
Present perfect continuous: Past perfect continuous:
“We’ve been waiting for ages!” -> They complained (that) they had been waiting for
ages.
Be going to: Was/were going to:
“They’re going to stay at home tonight.” -> They said they were going to stay at home that night.
Most modal verbs: Could, would, had to:
“I can’t say any more.” -> He added that he couldn’t say any more.
“The result will be available later.” -> He said that the result would be available later.
“You must stop writing!” -> She said we had to / must stop writing.
“I may call you.” -> He said (that) he might call us.”
“When shall I come?” (asking for advice) -> He asked when he should call.
“Shall I help you?” (expressing offers) -> He offered to help me.

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 “You needn’t pay in cash.” -> He said that I needn’t / didn’t need ti / didn’t have to
pay in cash.

NOTE:
⮚ Some verb forms don’t change:
 Past perfect: “I hadn’t met your sister before.” -> He said (that) he hadn’t met my sister before.

⮚ Would, could, might, should, ought, had better, used to, mustn’t do not change. Must does not
change when it expresses a logical assumption.
 “I might talk to her,” Danny said. -> Danny said (that) he might talk to her.
 “You must be tired,” Paul told Susan. -> Paul told Susan (that) she must be tired.

⮚ The verb tenses can either change or remain the same in reported speech:
When the situation or feelings / opinions in the original speech are still true:
 “My three sisters have bright red hair.” -> He told me his three sisters have bright red hair.
 “I really like your friend.” -> She said she really likes you.
When reporting a general truth or law of nature:
 The teacher said, “Paris is the capital of France.” -> The teacher said (that) Paris is/was the
capital of France.

⮚ The tenses do not change in reported speech when the reporting verb (say, tell, ask) is in the Present,
Future or Present Perfect tense.
 “The stations is far from here,” he says. -> He says the station is far from here.

⮚ The Past simple changes into the Past Perfect or can remain the same.
 “I was early for the meeting,” she said. -> She said she was / had been early for the meeting.

⮚ When the reported sentence contains a time clause, the tenses do not change.
 “While I was staying in Madrid, I met Pedro twice,” she said. -> She said she had met / met Pedro
twice while she was staying in Madrid.

⮚ If the reported sentence deals with the unreal past, type 2 or 3 conditionals or wishes, the tenses
remain the same.
 “It’s time we went,” he said. -> He said it was time they went.
 “If I were you, I would apologise,” he said. -> He said that if he were me, he would apologise.

3. Other changes in Reported speech

We usually change pronouns and time and place words in reported speech:
PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE
direct reported
I he / she
me him / her
my his / her
mine his / hers
you i / we
your my / our
yours mine / our
we they
us them
our their
ours theirs

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 WORDS FOR TIME AND PLACE
today that day
tonight that night
tomorrow the next day; the following day
next (week, month, etc.) the next / the following (week, month, etc.)
ago before
yesterday the day before / the previous day
last (week, month, etc.) the last / the previous (week, month, etc.)
now then
here there
this (place/ time) that (place/ time)
this / that + noun the + noun

 Paul said, “I arrived here an hour ago.” -> Paul said he had arrived there an hour before.
 Angelique and Etienne said, “We’re starting our course at the college next month.” -> They said
they were starting their course at the college the following month.
 “My car has had two punctures this week,” Tom said. -> Tom said (that) his car had had two
punctures that week.
 “This bag is expensive,” he said. -> He said (that) the bag was expensive.

4. Reported questions
⮚ We can report questions with verbs like ask, wonder and want to know.
⮚ We do not use auxiliary “do”, “does”, “did” in reported questions.
⮚ We do not use questions marks in reported questions.
⮚ The word order in a reported question is like a normal statement (with the subject before the verb).
 e.g. “Where do you live?” he asked. -> He asked me where I lived. (NOT where did I live)
 “Do you live in Athens?” he asked. -> He wanted to know if I lived in Athens. (NOT If I did live)

Wh- questions Yes/No questions

(using When, What, Why, etc.) (Do you, Did you, Are you, etc.)

We use the same question word We use “if” or “whether”

 “Where is the bus station?” she asked.  “Does the London train stop here?” she asked.
-> She asked where the bus station was. -> She asked me if the London train stopped
(NOT where was the bus station) here.

 “What are you doing?” he asked.  “Did you speak to Rachel?” he asked.
-> He wanted to know what I was doing. -> He wanted to know whether I had spoken to
Rachel.
 “Why did you go there?” she asked.
-> She wondered why I had gone there.  “Are you a student?” she asked.
-> She asked me if I was a student.
 “Where have you come from?” he asked.

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 -> He asked me where I had come from.

5. Indirect questions
We use:
indirect questions reported questions
to ask for information/advice to report someone else’s questions, suggestions, offers or requests.

⮚ Indirect questions are introduced with: Could you tell me ...?, Do you know...?, I wonder..., I want to
know..., I doubt etc. and their verb is in the affirmative.
⮚ If the indirect question starts with I wonder ..., I want to know... or I doubt..., then the question mark
is omitted.
⮚ Question words (what, who, where, etc.) or whether can be followed by an infinitive in the reported
sentence.

Direct questions  He asked me, “Shall I phone her?”

 He asked me, “What time is it?”
 He asked me, “Where can I put it?”
Reported questions  He asked me whether he should phone her.
 He asked me what time it was.
 He asked me where he could put it. / He asked me where to put it.
Indirect questions  I wonder whether to phone her / whether I should phone her.
 Could you tell me what time it is?
 Do you know where I can put it? / Do you know where to put it?

6. Reported commands/ requests/ suggestions

To report orders (commands), requests, suggestions or instructions, we use an introductory verb (advise,
ask, beg, instruct, urge, offer, order, suggest, tell, etc.) followed by a to-infinitive, an -ing form or that-
clause according to the introductory verb.

Reporting orders, instructions

⮚ We can report commands, requests and advice with a reporting verb + infinitive with “to”.
⮚ These reporting verbs all need an object.
⮚ We usually report instructions and orders with “tell”.
 “Touch your toes,” he said to us. -> He told us to touch our toes.
 “Don’t lie down,” he said to us. -> He told us not to lie down.
 “Get out of the car,” the police officer shouted. -> The police officers ordered us to get out of the
car.
 “Put all the ingredients in the bowl,” she told him. -> She told him to put all the ingredients in the
bowl. (instructions)
Reporting requests
⮚ We usually report requests with “ask”.
⮚ We can use “beg” for a strong request.
 “Can I go out?” he said. -> He asked to go out. (request)
 “Please, lend me some money,” he said to her. -> He asked her to lend him some money. (request)
 “Please, please, forgive me!” she said. -> She begged me to forgive her. (beg)
Reporting advice
⮚ We report advice with “advise”, “tell”, “warn”.
 The doctor said, “I think you should go to a gym.” -> The doctor advised me to go a gym.
 The teacher said, “You should all take the exam.” -> The teacher told all the students to take the

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 exam.
 Dad said, “Be careful – there’s ice on the roads.” -> Dad warned me to be careful because there
was ice on the roads.
 “Let’s play football,” he said. -> He suggested playing football.
 The doctor suggested (that) all the the students should take the exam.
Reporting negative orders, requests and advice.
⮚ We report negative instructions, orders, requests and advice with verb + not + infinitive with to:
⮚ We can also use warn in a situation where there is some danger.
 “Please don’t bring food into the shop.” -> The assistant asked us not to bring food into the shop.
 “I wouldn’t buy a new car if I were you.” -> My father advised me not to buy a new car.
 “Don’t lie down,” he said to us. -> He ordered us not to lie down.
 “Don’t swim beyond the rocks.” -> He warned us not to swim beyond the rocks.
 “Don’t do too much exercise at once.” -> The doctor warned me not to do too much exercise at
once.

7. Introductory verbs (Reporting verbs)

There are different ways of reporting speech, with different verbs:

Introductory verb Direct speech Reported speech

+ to - inf He agreed to lend me the money.
agree “Yes. I’ll lend you the money.” He claimed to have seen the robbers.
claim * “I saw the robbers.” He demanded to be given the money.
demand “Give me the money.” He offered to help me.
offer “Would you like me to help you?” He promised to return the book to me soon.
promise * “I’ll return the book to you soon.” He refused to call her.
refuse “No. I won’t call her.” He threatened to punish her if she didn’t stop
threaten * “Stop shouting or I’ll punish you.” shouting.
+ sb + to - inf
advise “You should eat more fruit.” He advised me to eat more fruit.
allow “You can go to the party.” He allowed me to go to the party.
ask “Could you do me a favour?” He asked me to do him a favour.
beg “Please, please don’t hurt me.” He begged them not to hurt him.
command forbid “Put your hands up.” He commanded them to put their hands up.
invite “You mustn’t stay out late.” He forbade me to stay out late.
order “Will you come to my wedding?” He invited me to (go to) his wedding.
remind * “Go to your room!” He ordered me to go to my room.
warn “Don’t forget to buy some milk.” He reminded me to buy some milk.
“Don’t touch the iron.” He warned me not to touch the iron
+ -ing form He accused her of committing/having
accuse sb of “You committed the crime.” committed the crime.
admit (to) * “Yes, I gave away your secret.” He admitted (to) giving/having given away
apologise for “I’m sorry I’m late.” my secret.
boast about/of * “I’m the best student in my class.” He apologised for being late.
complain to sb of * “I have noisy neighbours.” He boasted about/of being the best student in
deny * “No, I didn’t use your computer.” his class.
insist on * “You must finish by Friday.” He complained of having noisy neighbours.
suggest * “Let’s go out to dinner.” He denied using/having used my computer.
He insisted on me/my finishing by Friday.
He suggested going out to dinner.
Explain to sb + “That’s how it works.” He explained to us how it worked.

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how
+ that – clause She explained that she didn’t like him
“I don’t like him because he’s rude.” because he was rude.
explain “The results will come out tomorrow.” He informed us that the results would come
inform sb “What a glorious day!” out the next day.
exclaim/remark He exclaimed/remarked that it was a
glorious day.
NOTE: The verbs marked with an asterisk (*) can also be followed by a that - clause in reported speech.
 He claimed that he had won a prize.
 He boasted that he was very rich.
 He promised that he would call.
 He complained that he didn’t earn enough money.
 He threatened that he would leave.
 He denied that he had taken the money.
 He reminded me that I had a meeting that afternoon.
 He insisted that I (should) work on Saturday.
 He admitted that he was wrong.
 He suggested that we (should) take out a loan.

8. Punctuation in Direct Speech

⮚ We put the speaker’s words in quotation marks and we capitalise the first word of the direct speech.
⮚ When the speaker is mentioned before the direct speech, we put the comma outside the quotation marks.
⮚ When the speaker is mentioned after the direct speech, we put the comma inside the quotation marks.
 He said, “I love Paris in the winter.”
 “I love Paris in the winter,” he said.
⮚ If the direct speech is a question and the person being spoken to comes after it, we put a question mark
and not a comma.
 “Shall we go now?” he asked her.
 He asked her, “Shall we go now?”

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 BÀI TẬP

A. SAY – TELL – ASK

I. Underline the correct answer.
1. I can only help you if you say / tell me the problem.
2. My mother said / told dinner will be ready soon.
3. My dentist told / said me to eat less chocolate.
4. Tom told / said he would be home late.
5. The teacher said / told us to do the exercise.
6. Can you tell / say the difference between these two pictures?

II. Fill in the gaps with “say” or “tell” in the correct tense.
A. “This sugar-free chocolate is delicious,” (0) ...said... Sandra. “I can’t (7) ………………………… the
difference between this chocolate and the one containing sugar.” “I like it too,” (8) …………………………
Mark. “I wish someone had (9) ………………………… me about it sooner. I could have lost so much
weight!” “To (10) ………………………… you the truth, I don’t think you should lose weight,” (11)
………………………… Sandra. “I like you just the way you are,” she (12) ………………………… him.

B. “I saw Paul in town today,” Steve (13) ………………………… Louise. “I (14) …………………………
good afternoon to him and I noticed that he’d had his hair cut. I should have (15) …………………………
something about it, but it looked awful, so I didn’t mention it.” “You did the right thing,” Louise (16)
………………… him. “It’s better to (17) …………………… nothing than to (18) …………………… a
lie.”

C. At Alison’s wedding reception, her father stood up and (19) ………………………… the guests that he
would like to (20) ………………………… a few words. He started to (21) ………………………… a story
about when Alison was young. Alison felt embarrassed, but she didn’t (22) ………………………… so.
Then, her father (23) ………………………… the guests some jokes, which everyone found very funny.
Finally, he (24) ………………………… a prayer for the happy couple.

III. Fill in: “say, tell, ask” in the correct form.

When I arrived at school that morning, I (0) …said… good morning to my classmates and sat down at
my desk. Then our teacher came into the room and (25) ………………………… us that we were having a
special visitor after lunch. All morning, even though our teacher (26) ………………………… us to continue
working, we were too excited to do our exercises. No one could (27) ………………………… for certain
who it would be, but we all had guesses.
Suddenly, we heard a knock at the door. It was Steve Long, a local TV news presenter who had gone to
our school years ago. He (28) ………………………… a few words about his time at the school and then
(29) ………………………… us about his life as a TV presenter. Afterwards, we (30)
………………………… him a few questions. It was a very interesting day!

B. REPORT STATEMENTS
I. Choose the correct answer.
1. John said, “Paul is ill.” -> John told the teacher that …………..
A. Paul is B. Paul were C. Paul was D. Paul are
2. My teacher said, “You are very good at music!” -> My teacher told me that …….. very good at
music!
A. she is B. I were C. she was D. I was
3. Mary said, “I have a twin sister.” -> Mary said that ………….. a twin sister.
A. I have B. she had C. we have D. I had

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 4. Ken and Tom said, “We like basketball very much.” -> Ken and Tom told the teacher that
………….. basketball very much.
A. they liked B. we liked C. he liked D. he likes
5. My dad said, “I will take you both to the beach.” -> This morning my dad told us that ………….. us
both to the beach.
A. he will take B. he would take C. he takes D. he took
6. Jack said, “I’ve got a stomach ache.” -> Jack told Mrs Lane that ………….. a stomach ache.
A. I had got B. I have got C. he had got D. he has got
7. Sue said, “I am 12 years old.” -> Sue told her teacher ………….. 12 years old.
A. she was B. I am C. she is D. I was
8. Mrs Gill said, “Tomorrow we will go to the museum.” -> Mrs Gill told the class ………….. go to
the museum the next day.
A. they will B. they would C. we will D. we would
9. Sam said, “I write emails to my pen-friend every week.” -> Sam told me ………….. emails to his
pen-friend every week.
A. I wrote B. he write C. I write D. he wrote
10. Tom said, “My parents play tennis on Saturdays.” -> Tom told the teacher ………….. tennis on
Saturdays.
A. her parents played B. his parents played C. my parents played D. my parents play
11. My little brother shouted, “I’m hungry.” -> My little brother shouted that ………….. hungry.
A. he was B. I am C. I was D. he is
12. Mr Smith said, “My family has a house by the seaside.” -> Mr Smith told us ………….. a house by
the seaside.
A. her family had B. my family had C. my family have D. his family had

II. Turn the following sentences into reported speech.

13. “I’m very tired,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
14. “I’ll see them soon,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
15. “I’m going to the cinema,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
16. “I see the children quite often,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
17. “I’m having a bath,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
18. “I’ve already met their parents,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
19. “I stayed in a hotel for a few weeks,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
20. “I must go home to make the dinner,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
21. “I haven’t been waiting long,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
22. “I’m listening to the radio,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
23. “I’ll tell them the news on Saturday,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
24. “I like swimming, dancing and playing tennis,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................

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 25. “I can drive,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
26. “I walked home after the party,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
27. “I’m going to be sick,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
28. “I must go out to post a letter,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
29. “I spoke to Jane last week,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
30. “I’m trying to listen to the music,” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
31. “I’ll phone the office from the airport,” she said.
..........................................................................................................................................................
32. “I can’t speak any foreign languages.” he said.
..........................................................................................................................................................

III. Turn the following sentences into reported speech.

33. “I will see you tomorrow,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
34. “I saw her today,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
35. “I don’t like this film,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
36. She said, “We went swimming today.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
37. “I’ll see Mary on Sunday,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
38. “I met her about three months ago,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
39. “Pete and Sue are getting married tomorrow,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
40. “Stephen’s bringing some records to the party tonight,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
41. “I really like this furniture,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
42. “My parents are arriving tomorrow,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
43. “We visited her this morning,” they said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
44. “We’ll see her next week,” they said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
45. “They were here three months ago,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
46. “I’m meeting them at four o’clock today,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
47. “I can see you tomorrow,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
48. “This is a very famous statue,” the tour guide told us.
.............................................................................................................................................................

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 49. Frank said, “That’s the house where I was born.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
50. Those are the boys who chased me,” Sarah said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
51. “There is too much violence on TV,” said Grandad.
.............................................................................................................................................................

IV. Turn the following sentences into reported speech.

52. “I have to tidy my bedroom now,” Toby said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
53. “I should have bought her a present.” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
54. Mr Collins says, “You needn’t work late this evening.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
55. “You ought to go to the doctor’s,” she said to her son.
.............................................................................................................................................................
56. “We might go to the cinema tonight,” they said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
57. Mum always says, “You should wear warmer clothes.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
58. “I can’t afford to buy this dress.” said Sally.
.............................................................................................................................................................
59. “I may be a little late this evening,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
60. “You’d better clean up this mess,” Mum said to Claire.
.............................................................................................................................................................
61. “We must go home now,” said the man to his children.
.............................................................................................................................................................

V. Turn the following sentences into reported speech.

62. “What would you do if you had three days off ?” I asked him.
.............................................................................................................................................................
63. “I would have come to see you if I had known your address, Jim,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
64. “I’m sure she will help you if you ask her,” he told me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
65. She said to me, “If I were you, I wouldn’t tell her about this.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
66. “There would not be enough seats if a lot of guests came,” they said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
67. The boy said: “I won’t be strong if I don’t swim everyday.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
68. “What would you do if you saw a snake?” Nam asked Nga.
.............................................................................................................................................................
69. “We’ll have lunch outside in the garden if it’s not cold,” Mr John said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
70. “Tom would win more races if he trained hard,” the man said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
71. “I will be surprised if Mary doesn’t pass the exam,” our teacher said.
.............................................................................................................................................................

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 72. “If I knew her hobbies, I could let you know,” he said to me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
73. “If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car,” the man said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
74. “If you had listened to my advice, you wouldn’t have made such a big mistakes.”
Julia said to Lyly.................................................................................................................................

VI. Report the statements. Don’t change the tense unless it is necessary to do so.
75. “I’m planning to set up my own business.”
Paul says that ......................................................................................................................................
76. “When the project started, there was a lot of interest in it.”
Joan said that.......................................................................................................................................
77. “I was living in France when I met Nora.”
Josh said that.......................................................................................................................................
78. “It’s pouring with rain here.”
Ali tells me that...................................................................................................................................
79. “I was hoping to meet you for lunch but my car broke down.”
Natalie said that...................................................................................................................................
80. “The taxi had already arrived when I rang you.”
Maria told me that...............................................................................................................................

VII. Turn the following sentences into reported speech. *

81. “A lot of English words are borrowed from other languages,” the teacher said to us.
.............................................................................................................................................................
82. “China is a densely populated country,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
83. “It’s time they moved to a new house,” Ann said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
84. “Water freezes below 0°C,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
85. “I was reading the children a story last night when the lights went out,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
86. “I didn’t understand the meaning of the film,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
87. “You can come to me if you have any problems,” she said to him.
.............................................................................................................................................................
88. “I saw the film you recommended last night,” he said to her.
.............................................................................................................................................................
89. “I’ve applied for several jobs this week,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
90. The instructions say, “The camera needs two batteries.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
91. “Pandas live in China,” the teacher said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
92. Dad says, “It’s time for bed.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
93. The article says, “There has been an increase in the number of university students.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
94. Mr Brown says, “My son is going to work abroad.”
.............................................................................................................................................................

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 95. “I’m never going to have a pet,” my sister always says.
.............................................................................................................................................................
96. Alison says, “The taxi is here.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
97. “Coal is found underground,” he said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
98. They said, “We’ve never travelled by plane before.”
.............................................................................................................................................................
99. “I used to have long hair,” Laura said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
100. “I can’t stay long because my friends are coming at six,” Stephen said.
.............................................................................................................................................................

C. REPORT QUESTIONS
I. Write these sentences as reported questions.
~ “Do you like Marlon Brando?” she asked. -> She asked if I liked Marlon Brando.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked. -> He asked whether I was enjoying myself.
1. “Do you have a shower every morning? she asked him.
.............................................................................................................................................................
2. “Have you met Danny before?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
3. “Does your brother live in London?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
4. “Do you know who broke the window?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
5. “Did they tell you when they were leaving?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
6. “Did you lend them your camera?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
7. “Will you help me carry the box, please?” Dad asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
8. “Can you play the guitar?” he asked her.
.............................................................................................................................................................
9. The boss asked me, “Have you finished those reports?”
.............................................................................................................................................................
10. John asked Sam, “Do you like computer games?”
.............................................................................................................................................................
11. “Will you give me a lift to work, please?” he asked her.
.............................................................................................................................................................
12. “Are you going by bus?” my teacher asked.
My teacher wanted to .........................................................................................................................
13. “Has Emily talked to Jessica?” my sister asked me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
14. “Shall we take anything to eat?” Tom asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
15. “Shall I take clean blankets?” she asked Bill.
.............................................................................................................................................................
16. Christopher asked me, “Do you want to dance?”
.............................................................................................................................................................
17. Mandy: “Can I help you?”

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 Mandy wanted to know ......................................................................................................................
18. Andrew asked me, “Will Mandy have lunch with Sue?”
.............................................................................................................................................................
19. Anne: “Must I do the shopping?”
.............................................................................................................................................................
20. “Would you be willing to work at weekends?” Mr Roberts asked Frank.
.............................................................................................................................................................

II. Write these sentences as reported questions.

21. “What is your name?” he asked me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
22. “Where are your parents?” Uncle Bill asked us.
.............................................................................................................................................................
23. “What time will you be home?” Mum asked me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
24. “Who was at the door?” David asked Janet.
.............................................................................................................................................................
25. “Where is the post office?” they asked us.
.............................................................................................................................................................
26. “When will you do your homework?” Meg asked me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
27. “Where is your jacket?” she asked him.
.............................................................................................................................................................
28. “Where can I get some tissues?” she asked.
She asked ...........................................................................................................................................
29. “When are you going to visit us?” he asked us.
He asked..............................................................................................................................................
30. “Why is everybody looking at me?” I asked.
I wanted...............................................................................................................................................
31. “What sports do you do at college?” Joe asked me.
Joe asked.............................................................................................................................................
32. “What has your brother decided to do?” I asked her.
I wanted...............................................................................................................................................
33. “How did you get to the beach?” I asked them.
I asked ................................................................................................................................................
34. “How long have you been here?” they asked us.
They asked .........................................................................................................................................
35. “Who won’t be here next week?” the tennis coach asked.
The tennis coach wanted.....................................................................................................................
36. “How much did you pay for your ticket?” she asked him.
She asked ...........................................................................................................................................
37. “How often do your cousins stay with you?” I asked her.
I asked ................................................................................................................................................
38. “Where’s Kate?” I asked.
I wanted...............................................................................................................................................
39. “What time shall we get back?” she asked.
She asked ...........................................................................................................................................
40. Where did you go last weekend?
She asked him ....................................................................................................................................

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D. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
I. Which is right? Choose the correct answer.
1. A. Do you know what time the film starts?
B. Do you know what time does the film start?
C. Do you know what time starts the film?
2. A. Why Amy does get up so early every day?
B. Why Amy gets up so early every day?
C. Why does Amy get up so early every day?
3. A. I want to know what this word means.
B. I want to know what does this word mean.
C. I want to know what means this word.
4. A. I can’t remember where did I park the car.
B. I can’t remember where I parked the car.
C. I can’t remember where I did park the car.
5. A. Why you didn’t phone me yesterday?
B. Why didn’t you phone me yesterday?
C. Why you not phoned me yesterday?
6. A. Do you know where does Helen work?
B. Do you know where Helen does work?
C. Do you know where Helen works?
7. A. How much it costs to park here?
B. How much does it cost to park here?
C. How much it does cost to park here?
8. A. Tell me what you want.
B. Tell me what you do want.
C. Tell me what do you want.

II. Turn the following into indirect questions. Omit question marks where necessary.
~ Where’s the post office? (Do you know ...) -> …Do you know where the post office is?...
9. What have you told her?
I wonder .............................................................................................................................................
10. Are we going out tonight?
I want to know....................................................................................................................................
11. Is this correct?
I doubt ................................................................................................................................................
12. Whose car is this?
I wonder..............................................................................................................................................
13. Does this train stop at Leeds?
Could you tell me................................................................................................................................?
14. Is this their latest CD?
Could you tell me ...............................................................................................................................?
15. How much does it cost?
Do you know ......................................................................................................................................?
16. Are they going to do a tour soon?
Do you have any idea .........................................................................................................................?
17. Where are they going to play?
Can you tell me...................................................................................................................................?
18. Will they be at any of the festivals next summer?
Do you know ......................................................................................................................................?
19. Why did their drummer leave?

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 I wonder..............................................................................................................................................
20. Have they found a new drummer yet?
Do you know ......................................................................................................................................?
21. Are they as good as they used to be?
Do you think ......................................................................................................................................?
22. When is their next CD coming out?
Do you have you any idea ..................................................................................................................?
23. Was David the first to arrive?
Do you know ......................................................................................................................................?
24. How well can she swim?
Could you tell me................................................................................................................................?
25. What can’t we bring onto the plane?
Could you tell me................................................................................................................................?

E. REPORTED COMMANDS, REQUESTS, SUGGESTIONS – INTRODUCTORY VERBS

I. Fill in the gaps with a verbs from the list below in the simple past.
advise ask suggest beg order

1. “Open the door, please,” she said to William.

She …………………………….. William to open the door.
2. “Let’s go to the shopping centre,” Sarah said.
Sarah …………………………….. going to the shopping centre.
3. “Please, please don’t tell Lisa about her surprise birthday party,” he said to me.
He …………………………….. me not to tell Lisa about her surprise birthday party.
4. “Get out of the car,” Josh said to the man.
Josh …………………………….. the man to get out of his car.
5. “You should always lock the door at night,” his father told him.
His father …………………………….. him to lock the door at night.

II. (Report commands) Write these sentences in indirect speech, using the words given. Some words
may have to be changed.
6. “‘Sit down Mary.” (he told)
.............................................................................................................................................................
7. “Don’t go near the sea, children.” (the children’s mother warned)
.............................................................................................................................................................
8. “Don’t be late, Tim.” (Tim’s father told)
.............................................................................................................................................................
9. “Be quiet, children.” (the librarian told)
.............................................................................................................................................................
10. “Don’t shoot, men!” (the officer ordered)
.............................................................................................................................................................
11. “Have your tickets ready, please.” (the inspector told us)
.............................................................................................................................................................
12. “Don’t use the telephone after eleven o’clock.” (the landlady told us)
.............................................................................................................................................................
13. “Leave your keys on the desk, please.” (the receptionist told us)
.............................................................................................................................................................
14. “Have your passports ready, please.” (the customs officer told us)
.............................................................................................................................................................
15. “Finish the job tonight, please.” (my boss told me)
.............................................................................................................................................................

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 16. “Run!” (the general ordered the soldiers)
.............................................................................................................................................................
17. “Open the door, please.” (my mother told me)
.............................................................................................................................................................
18. “Don’t spend too much money on your holiday.” (my father told me)
.............................................................................................................................................................
19. “Hurry up.” (he told me)
.............................................................................................................................................................
20. “Don’t be frightened.” (she told me)
.............................................................................................................................................................

III. (Report requests) Write these sentences in indirect speech.

21. “Would you pass my suitcase, please?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
22. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
23. “Would you take the children to school for me?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
24. “Would you sit down, please?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
25. “Would you talk more quietly, please?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
26. “Would you like a lift into town?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
27. “Would you like to go out at the weekend?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
28. “Would you turn on the radio, please?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
29. “Would you move your car, please?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
30. “Would you like to eat in the hotel or in a restaurant?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
31. “Would you pass my cup, please?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
32. “Would you check the oil for me, please?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
33. “Would you turn the car engine off, please?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
34. “Would you like to stay with us?” she asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................
35. “Would you check the bill for me, please?” he asked.
.............................................................................................................................................................

IV. (Report suggestions) Write these sentences in indirect speech.

36. Ellie, “Let’s watch a comedy.”
Ellie suggested ...................................................................................................................................
37. Lucas, “Let’s move to Canada.”
Lucas suggested .................................................................................................................................
38. Michael, “Let’s buy you a new computer.”
Michael suggested ..............................................................................................................................

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 39. Daisy, “Let’s help my mother with the kitchen.”
Daisy suggested .................................................................................................................................
40. My mother, “Let’s tidy up the flat together.”
My mother suggested .........................................................................................................................

V. (Introductory verbs) Complete the sentences.

41. “You should spend more time studying.”
The teacher advised ............................................................................................................................
42. “Don’t forget to lock the door before you leave.”
Sam reminded ....................................................................................................................................
43. “I’m sorry I forgot to call you.”
Jim apologised ...................................................................................................................................
44. “You never listen to me, Stuart.”
Mary complained ...............................................................................................................................
45. “Shall we go bowling this evening?”
Mark suggested ..................................................................................................................................
46. “You mustn’t play near the road.”
Father forbade ....................................................................................................................................
47. “This man stole my wallet!”
Mr Brown accused .............................................................................................................................
48. “I’m the best basketball player in the school.”
Steve boasted .....................................................................................................................................
49. “Yes, I took the letter.”
Claire admitted ...................................................................................................................................
50. “You must stay for lunch, Sarah.”
Mrs Stamp insisted .............................................................................................................................
51. “Please, please, let me borrow your bicycle.”
Martin begged ....................................................................................................................................
52. “Don’t touch the oven. It’s hot.”
Mother warned ...................................................................................................................................

VI. (Introductory verbs) Fill in the gaps with one of the introductory verbs from the list below in the
past simple.
deny accuse encourage suggest warn boast agree
insist advise wonder threaten remind promise complain

53. “I’m the fastest runner on the team.” he said.

He …………………………….. about being the fastest runner on the team.
54. “I didn’t take your jacket,” he said to her.
He …………………………….. taking her jacket.
55. “You should go to the doctor’s,” Mum said to me.
Mum …………………………….. me to go to the doctor’s.
56. “I’ll call you next week,” she said to him.
She …………………………….. to call him next week.
57. “Yes, I’ll set the table for dinner,” he said to her.
He …………………………….. to set the table for dinner.
58. “He always forgets my birthday,” she said.
She …………………………….. that he always forgot her birthday.
59. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said.
She …………………………….. going for a walk.

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 60. “Leave, or I’ll shoot,” the man said to them.
The man …………………………….. to shoot them if they didn’t leave.
61. “Don’t forget to feed the cat,” she said to him.
She …………………………….. him to feed the cat.
62. “You broke my CD player,” she said to him.
She …………………………….. him of breaking her CD player.
63. “Don’t go near the edge of the cliff,” Dad said to them.
Dad …………………………….. them not to go near the edge of the cliff.
64. “You must do your homework before you go out,” she said to us.
She …………………………….. on us doing our homework before we went out.
65. “Go ahead! Apply for the job!” he told Fiona.
He …………………………….. Fiona to apply for the job.
66. “Where did I leave my wallet?” he asked himself.
He …………………………….. where he had left his wallet.

VII. (Introductory verbs) Turn the sentences into reported speech using an appropriate introductory
verb. *
67. “No, I won’t do your homework for you,” she said to me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
68. “You lied to me,” Dennis told Ann.
.............................................................................................................................................................
69. “I promise I won’t tell anyone your secret,” Tara said to Diana.
.............................................................................................................................................................
70. “Don’t forget to post the letters,” Mum said to me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
71. “I’m sorry I ruined your shirt,” Sarah told Frances.
.............................................................................................................................................................
72. “No, I didn’t use Tim’s computer,” George said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
73. “Don’t get too close to the fire,” Mike said to the children.
.............................................................................................................................................................
74. “Let’s have a party,” Simon said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
75. “I’ll punish you if you behave badly,” Mum told the twins.
.............................................................................................................................................................
76. “It was me who broke the vase,” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
77. “Could I use your phone, please?” David asked me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
78. “Yes, I’ll help you with the washing-up.’ Sandra told me.
.............................................................................................................................................................
79. “Everyone stop talking!” Mr Jones told the class.
.............................................................................................................................................................
80. “Please, please, don’t tell anyone about this,’ he said to us.
.............................................................................................................................................................
81. “You should go to the dentist’s,” she told her brother.
.............................................................................................................................................................
82. “Children, sit down!” the school bus driver said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
83. “Throw down your weapons!” the policeman said to the robbers.

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 .............................................................................................................................................................
84. “No, you may not stay out late tonight.” Dad said to Louise.
.............................................................................................................................................................
85. “You must wash your hands before eating dinner,” she told the children.
.............................................................................................................................................................
86. “That’s the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen!” Amanda said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
87. “Would you like me to help you make the cake?” she said.
.............................................................................................................................................................
88. “This is how to make the paste sauce,” she told him.
.............................................................................................................................................................
89. “Let’s go to the park,” he proposed.
.............................................................................................................................................................
90. “The newspaper report’s not true,” said the Prime Minister.
.............................................................................................................................................................

F. PUNCTUATION IN DIRECT SPEECH

I. Punctuate the following, making any other necessary changes.
~ shall we play tennis on Saturday she asked. -> “Shall we play tennis on Saturday?” she asked.
1. would you like a drink she asked me
.............................................................................................................................................................
2. shall we go out tonight Bill asked
.............................................................................................................................................................
3. David said shut the door please
.............................................................................................................................................................
4. why are you crying Steve asked Jenny
.............................................................................................................................................................
5. I’m sorry I’m late he said I was stuck in traffic
.............................................................................................................................................................
6. Rachel said I’m afraid I can’t help you
.............................................................................................................................................................
7. I don’t want eggs she said to her mother I’d rather have a steak
.............................................................................................................................................................
8. we have to leave in five minutes Sally said can you call us a taxi
.............................................................................................................................................................
9. did you go to the library today Sean asked me
.............................................................................................................................................................
10. Daniel said stop talking I can’t concentrate
.............................................................................................................................................................

II. Turn the following sentences into direct speech.

11. He threatened to tell the headmaster if we didn’t behave properly.
.............................................................................................................................................................
12. She invited me to go to the cinema with her.
.............................................................................................................................................................
13. He offered to help me clean the house.
.............................................................................................................................................................
14. We explained that we were late because we had missed the bus.
.............................................................................................................................................................
15. She advised me to see a professional.
.............................................................................................................................................................

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 16. She admitted to reading my diary.
.............................................................................................................................................................
17. She agreed to help me interview the candidates.
.............................................................................................................................................................
18. He accused me of breaking his glasses.
.............................................................................................................................................................
19. We apologised for missing their dinner party.
.............................................................................................................................................................
20. Edward complained that the children were always disturbing him.
.............................................................................................................................................................
21. Tom apologised for forgetting my birthday.
.............................................................................................................................................................
22. Frank admitted to breaking the window.
.............................................................................................................................................................
23. The teacher explained to us how to do the experiment.
.............................................................................................................................................................
24. He denied having stolen the money.
.............................................................................................................................................................
25. Steve begged his father to buy him a car.
.............................................................................................................................................................
26. The headmaster accused him of cheating on the test.
.............................................................................................................................................................
27. Lisa claimed to have travelled around China.
.............................................................................................................................................................
28. Malcom suggested that they go fishing that afternoon.
.............................................................................................................................................................
29. The man demanded to speak to his lawyer.
.............................................................................................................................................................
30. He asked her to write to him while she was away.
.............................................................................................................................................................

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