Key To Reported Speech Exercises

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences in reported speech.
Note whether the sentence is

a request, a statement or a question.
1. "Next week he will visit his aunt in Oslo."

Mary knew that he....would visit his..........aunt in Oslo the following week.
2. "We should tell her the truth."

He was sure that we …should tell her……the truth.
3. "Who broke the windows?"

The principle wanted to know …who had broken……the windows.
4. "Jill wants to sing at the concert next week."

He realized that Jill ......wanted to sing.......at the concert the following week.
5. "Please, explain that to me again."

Helen begged the teacher politely …to explain……that ……to her………again. (infinitive
construction)
6. "I lived in St. Paul some years ago."

Suzanne told us that …she had lived….in St. Paul…some years before…..
7. "This dress suits you very well."

Everybody maintained (that) that dress …suits/suited her………very well.
8. "Did you copy your homework?"

Mr. Clever asked the lazy boy if …he had copied his…….homework.
9. "Don't copy your homework."

Mother told us …not to copy our…..homework. (infinitive construction)
10. "I didn't tell anybody about that."

The little boy maintained that …he hadn’t told.............anybody about that
Exercise 2. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is
1. He said, "I like this song."

→ He said ..he likes/liked that song..................
2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me.

→ She asked me ...where my sister was.................
3. "I don't speak Italian," she said.

→ She said ....she didn’t speak Italian...................................
4. "Say hello to Jim," they said.

→ They asked me ....to say hello to Jim.....................................
5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he said.

→ He said ...the film had begun at seven o’clock.................................
6. "Don't play on the grass, boys," she said.
→ She told the boys ..not to play on the grass..........................................
7. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.

→ She asked him ..where he had spent his money...................................
8. "I never make mistakes," he said.

→ He said ...he never made mistakes................
9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.

→ He wanted to know ...whether/if she knew Robert.......................................
10. "Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience.
→ The stuntman advised the audience ..not to try that at home........................
Exercise 3. Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note whether the sentence is
(1) "I'm going to France next week."

He said that ..he was going ....to France ....the following/the next...............week.
(2) "They haven't spoken to their parents for six years."

She said that they ..hadn’t spoken...........to their parents for six years.
(3) "Sue doesn't want to go out with me."

He said that Sue .....didn’t want...................to go out with……him……...
(4) "You'll have to be here at 3 o'clock this afternoon."

She told me that I ...had to be there..................at 3 o'clock……that afternoon…
(5) "I moved into my flat three years ago."

I said that I ...had moved ...................into my flat three years……before………..
(6) "If I hear anything I'll phone you."

He told me that if he ....heard.......................anything he…would phone me…….
(7) "You can move into the flat as soon as you want."
She told .....them........that they ....could move.......into the flat as soon as…they wanted…
(8) "You must bring me the money tomorrow."

He told us that ...we must/had to bring..........the money……the next/following day…….
(9) "I often go to the cinema."

She told us that she often .....goes/went...............to the cinema.
(10) "I'm going to do it now if you'll let me."

She told him that she ....was going to do it then.........if he…would let her……………...
Exercise 4. Last week you met a friend of yours called Charlie; you hadn't seen him
for a long time. Here are some of the things Charlie said to you:
(1) I haven't seen Diane recently

(2) I don't know why Fred was sacked from his company
(3) I'm living in London with my parents
(4) You look much older than me
(5) You can come and stay with me if you are ever in London
(6) I'll tell Anne I've seen you here
(7) I want to go on holiday but I can't afford it
Now report Charlie’s words:
Charlie said he hadn’t seen Diane recently/lately
Charlie said he didn’t know why Fred had been sacked from his company
Charlie said he was living in London with his parents
Charlie said I looked much older that him
Charlie said I could come/go and stay with him if I ever was/were in London
Charlie said he would tell Ann he had seen me there
Charlie said he wanted to go on holiday but he couldn’t afford it
Exercise 5: Match what somebody says to you (on the left - which is the opposite of
what they said before) with your answers (on the right).
1-“That restaurant is very expensive”
2-“Ann is coming to your party”
3-“I know lots of people”
4-“I have seen this film before”
5-“I'll tell your girlfriend your little dirty secret”
1b 2a 3c 4e 5d
a. Is she? I thought you said that she wasn't coming to my party
b. Is it? But you said it was cheap
c. Do you? But you told me that you didn't know anyone!
d. Will you? But you promised you wouldn't tell it!
e. Have you? I thought you said that you hadn't seen this film
Exercise 6: The following ideas are direct speech. Change these commands into
reported speech.
1. Don't tell anyone what happened yesterday!
He commanded /told/ ordered me not to tell anyone what had happened the day
before
2. Stay in bed till you feel a bit better!
He commanded /told/ ordered me to saty in bed till I felt a bit better
3. Don't wait for me if I'm late!
He commanded /told/ ordered me not to wait for him if he was late
4. Don't forget me even if you marry Joe!
He told her not to forget him even if she married Joe
5. Don't make me any personal question!
He commanded /told/ me not to make him any personal questions
6. Speak a bit louder or I won't understand you!
He told me to speak a bit louder or he wouldn’t understand me
Exercise 7: The following ideas are direct speech. Change these REQUESTS into
reported speech.
1. Can you open your bag, please? He asked me to open my bag
2. Could you repeat what you said? He asked me to repeat what I had said
3. Do you think you could give me a hand, Tom? He asked Tom to give him a hand
4. Would you mind not making so much noise? He asked me not to make so much noise
5. Will you marry me, John? She asked John to marry her/ She asked John if he would
marry her
6. Please slow down! He asked me to slow down
Exercise 8: Here are some things that Joe said to you. Match them to your related
answers.
1. Jane has a very well- paid job
2. You shouldn't complain about your job to your boss
3. Have you told your wife that you have problems?

4. Why don't you tell Ann that you love her?
5. Don't ask me any other favour
6. What do you think about my job?
7. Could you lend me some money I need?
a. But you told me not to ask me any other favour!
b. But you asked me to tell Ann that I love her!
c. But you said Jane had a very-well paid job!
d. Again? Yesterday you also asked me what I thought about your job!
e. However you told me not to complain about my job to my boss!
f. Again? Yesterday you also asked if I told my wife that I had problems!
g. But yesterday you asked me to lend you some money you needed!
1c 2e 3f 4b 5a 6d 7g

Key To Reported Speech Exercises

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Exercise 1. Complete the sentences in reported speech.

Note whether the sentence is

1. "Next week he will visit his aunt in Oslo."

2. "We should tell her the truth."

3. "Who broke the windows?"

4. "Jill wants to sing at the concert next week."

5. "Please, explain that to me again."

6. "I lived in St. Paul some years ago."

7. "This dress suits you very well."

8. "Did you copy your homework?"

9. "Don't copy your homework."

10. "I didn't tell anybody about that."

1. He said, "I like this song."

2. "Where is your sister?" she asked me.

3. "I don't speak Italian," she said.

4. "Say hello to Jim," they said.

5. "The film began at seven o'clock," he said.

7. "Where have you spent your money?" she asked him.

8. "I never make mistakes," he said.

9. "Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know.

(1) "I'm going to France next week."

(2) "They haven't spoken to their parents for six years."

(3) "Sue doesn't want to go out with me."

(4) "You'll have to be here at 3 o'clock this afternoon."

(5) "I moved into my flat three years ago."

(6) "If I hear anything I'll phone you."

(8) "You must bring me the money tomorrow."

(9) "I often go to the cinema."

(10) "I'm going to do it now if you'll let me."

(1) I haven't seen Diane recently

(3) I'm living in London with my parents

(4) You look much older than me

(6) I'll tell Anne I've seen you here

(7) I want to go on holiday but I can't afford it

Now report Charlie’s words:

Charlie said he hadn’t seen Diane recently/lately

Charlie said he was living in London with his parents

Charlie said I looked much older that him

Charlie said he would tell Ann he had seen me there

Charlie said he wanted to go on holiday but he couldn’t afford it

1-“That restaurant is very expensive”

2-“Ann is coming to your party”

3-“I know lots of people”

4-“I have seen this film before”

5-“I'll tell your girlfriend your little dirty secret”

a. Is she? I thought you said that she wasn't coming to my party

b. Is it? But you said it was cheap

c. Do you? But you told me that you didn't know anyone!

d. Will you? But you promised you wouldn't tell it!

1. Don't tell anyone what happened yesterday!

2. Stay in bed till you feel a bit better!

He commanded /told/ ordered me to saty in bed till I felt a bit better

3. Don't wait for me if I'm late!

He commanded /told/ ordered me not to wait for him if he was late

4. Don't forget me even if you marry Joe!

He told her not to forget him even if she married Joe

5. Don't make me any personal question!

He commanded /told/ me not to make him any personal questions

6. Speak a bit louder or I won't understand you!