Reported speech

Exercise 1. Complete these sentences in the reported speech. ____

Example: "I went to shops." - John said he had gone to shops.

"It is so sad."
I said ...........................................................................................................................................................

"I've already done it."

He claimed that ..........................................................................................................................................

"I saw you at the station."

Kim told me ...............................................................................................................................................

"I can't help you."

Dan explained that .....................................................................................................................................

"I could fail the exam."

He was afraid that ......................................................................................................................................

"The Amazon is the biggest river."

He knew that ..............................................................................................................................................

"I may come a bit late."

Bill told me that .........................................................................................................................................

"I've been reading a book."

He replied that ............................................................................................................................................

"David must be on a diet."

The doctor said ...........................................................................................................................................

"You haven't written the essay."

The teacher thought that ............................................................................................................................

"I was with her."

Jim admitted that ........................................................................................................................................

"I'm texting my boyfriend."

She said ......................................................................................................................................................

"I will finish the picture."

Marion promissed ......................................................................................................................................

"I would accept it."

She said ......................................................................................................................................................

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Reported speech
Exercise 2. Choose the correct option. ________________________

"I wish you were with me."

Trevor said he wished ................................................................................................................................

a) I was with him b) I had been with him

"While I was having dinner, the phone rang."

He told me that ................................................................................................................. the phone rang.

a) while he was having dinner b) while he had been having dinner

"Fiona started her project when she had raised enough funds."

I knew that ........................................................................................ when she had raised enough funds.

a) Fiona started her project b) Fiona had started her project

"We used to work long hours."

She claimed that ...................................................................................................................... long hours.

a) they had used to work b) they used to work

"It is time we got up."

Sue suggested that it was time ...................................................................................................................

a) we had got up b) we got up

"You must be tired after work."

He said that .............................................................................................................................. after work.

a) I must be tired b) I had to be tired

"Sam may contact you."

My dad thought ..........................................................................................................................................

a) Sam may contact me b) Sam might contact me

"I'm enjoying my holiday."

Carmen says that ........................................................................................................................................

a) she is enjoying her holiday b) she was enjoying her holiday

"If I got a new job, I would move."

My friend was convinced that ...................................................................... a new job, he would move.

a) if he had got a new job b) if he got a new job

"I shall appreciate your support."

The manager informed us that ...................................................................................................................

a) he shall appreciate our support b) he would appreciate our support

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Reported speech
Exercise 3. Change the reported speech into direct speech. ______

He said that he had never seen me.

".................................................................... ," he said.

We told them that we were working on it.

"................................................. on it," we told them.

She said she lived in York.

"................................ in York ," she said.

Paul claimed that he had been exercising for several years.

"......................................................................... for several years," claimed Paul.

He said that at one o'clock he had been having lunch.

"At one o'clock .............................................. lunch," he said.

They replied that they had started on time.

"........................................... on time," they replied.

Phil said he wanted to be a lawyer.

".............................................. a lawyer," said Phil.

Mary told us she wouldn't be in her office.

"................................................... office," told us Mary.

He claimed that he had always been my friend.

"........................................................ friend," he claimed.

Betty told me that she hadn't known about the email I had sent to her.

"................................... about the email ............................................................. ," told me Betty.

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Reported speech
Exercise 4. A multiple choice test.____________________________

On Monday: "We will set off tomorrow."

A week later: They said they would set off .................................................................................
a) tomorrow b) the next day

In the morning: "I'm going to meet Greg tomorrow."

In the evening: Marion said she was going to meet Greg ............................................................
a) tomorrow b) the following day

"I don't want to put this shelf here."

Mark told me in the bedroom he didn't want to put .....................................................................
a) that shelf there b) this shelf there

On 1 June: "I invited him last week."

On 10 June: She told me that she had invited him .......................................................................
a) the previous week b) last week

On Thursday: "We went to see our grandma last week."

On Friday: They said they had gone to see their grandma ...........................................................
a) the previous week b) last week

At school: "We are writing a test today."

After school: Jim told me they were writing a test ......................................................................
a) today b) that day

"I will resign today."

Last Friday Tina announced that she would resign .......................................................
a) today b) that day

"I entered the university the day before yesterday."

Yesterday Peter said he had entered the university ......................................................................
a) two days before b) in two days' time

"I got my driving licence two years ago."

Betty told me today she had got her driving licence ....................................................................
a) two years ago b) in two years' time

Yesterday: "I'll manage to finish the project the day after tomorrow."
Today: Bob promised he would manage to finish the project ...........................................
a) in two days' time b) the day after tomorrow

"We can do it now."

My mum said we could do it ........................................................................................................
a) now b) then

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Reported speech
Exercise 5. There is always one mistake in the reported speech.
Correct it. ______________________________________________
Example:
"I have been with Jill since yesterday," said Joe on Friday morning.
On Friday morning Joe said he had been with Jill since yesterday. the day before

"We arrived last week," said Sarah when I met her in Paris.
When I met Sarah in Paris she said she had arrived last week. ____________________

"I will contact Tim the day after tomorrow," Sue told me on Sunday.
Sue told me on Sunday she would contact Tim the day after tomorrow. ____________________

"Mary used to be here nearly every day," Jim told me in the gym.
Jim told me in the gym Mary used to be here nearly every day. ____________________

"I'll take this blouse. How much is it?" said Linda in the shop.
Linda said she would take this blouse and she asked how much it was. ____________________

"I will leave tomorrow," Julie announced yesterday.

Julie announced yesterday that she would leave tomorrow. ____________________

"I'm going to do it tomorrow," Brad told me today.

Brad told me today that he would do it the following day. ____________________

"You'll write a test next month," the teacher warned us in May.

The teacher warned us in May that we would write a test next month. ____________________

"Bill graduated a year ago," said Sam when I met him at Christmas.
When I met Sam at Christmas he said Bill had graduated a year ago. ____________________

Yesterday I met Liz outside Carl's house and she said:

"He moved in this house last year."
Yesterday I met Liz outside Carl's house and she said that he had moved
in this house last year. ____________________

When Greg saw the hotel we stayed in during our holiday in 2017
he claimed: "I stayed here last year."
When Greg saw the hotel we stayed in during our holiday in 2017
he claimed that he had stayed there last year. ____________________

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Reported speech
Exercise 6. Change the reported speech into the direct speech. ___

Jim promised he would come the following day.

"......................................................................... ," promised Jim.

We told them that we had started working on it two days before.

"...............................................................................................," we told them.

Liz said she lived in a new house then.

".............................................................................," said Liz.

Joseph claimed that he had been learning French since the previous year.

"......................................................................................................," claimed Joseph.

He said that he had not eaten anything that day.

"........................................................................................... ," he said.

They replied they were going to set off in two days' time.

".....................................................................................................," they replied.

Peter pointed at the shirt and said he wanted to take that.

"...................................................," said Peter.

Marion told us she would like to join us the next day.

"..............................................................................," told us Marion.

Tim said he had worked with the company the previous month.

".............................................................................. ," said Tim.

Naomi looked around and told us she didn't know what to do there.

"................................... ......................................... ," told us Naomi.

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