A. Complete the indirect statements.
1 ‘I don’t do any sports.’
He said he ……………… any sports.
2 ‘I’m going home because I’m feeling terrible.’
He said he ……………… home because he ……………… terrible.
3 ‘I can’t find my tennis shoes.’
He said he ……………… his tennis shoes.
4 ‘I think it’ll be a lovely weekend.’
He said he ……………… it ……………… a lovely weekend.
5 ‘I’ve played against her five times but I’ve never won a match.’
He said he ……………… against her five times but he ……………… a match.
6 ‘I didn’t have any food at the restaurant because I’d already eaten.’
He said he ……………… any food at the restaurant because he ……………… .
7 ‘I was walking home last night when I found a wallet in the street.’
He said he ……………… home the previous night when he ……………… a wallet in the street.
8 ‘If you want to go out, we can go to the park.’
He said if I ……………… to go out, we ……………… to the park.
Answers
1 didn’t do 2 was going; was feeling
3 couldn’t find 4 thought; would be
5 had played; had never won
6 hadn’t had; had already eaten
7 had been walking; had found
8 wanted; could go
B. Use the indirect speech below to write the actual words the speakers used. Change the words if necessary to make them more natural. Sometimes more than one answer is possible. Write in your notebook.
1 Jane asked me if I fancied a game of tennis.
2 I told her I didn’t really want to because I was really tired and I had loads of things to do.
3 She asked me what things I had to do.
4 I said that I was going camping the following day with my family, so I needed to pack.
5 She said that it wouldn’t take long to pack. She told me to do it later because it would only take half an hour. She ordered me to come and play tennis. She said she’d booked a court and she didn’t want to play tennis by herself.
6 I reminded her that, as I had said, I was not feeling good. I said I might just have an early night that night because I had to get up early the following day. I told her that we were leaving at 6.
7 She agreed that I’d better go home. She told me to have a great time camping.
8 I thanked her and told her I’d call her when I got home the following week.
Jane: (1) Do you fancy a game of tennis?
Me: (2) Not really. I’m really tired. I’ve got loads of things to do.
Answers
Possible answers
3 What things (do you have to do)?
4 I’m going camping tomorrow with my family, so I need to pack.
5 But it won’t take long to pack. Do it later. It’ll only take half an hour. Come and play tennis! I’ve booked a court and I don’t want to play tennis by myself.
6 No. As I said, I’m not feeling good. I might just have an early night tonight. I have to get up early tomorrow. We’re leaving at 6.
7 OK, you’d better go home then. Have a great time camping.
8 Thanks. I’ll call you when I get home next week.
C. Paul is telling his friends about his interview for a job in a shop. Report the questions and imperatives from his interview.
1 ‘Come in and sit down.’
……………………………………………
2 ‘What’s your name?’
……………………………………………
3 ‘Are you good at maths?’
……………………………………………
4 ‘Please speak clearly so we can hear you.’
……………………………………………
5 ‘Do you like helping people?’
……………………………………………
6 ‘Why do you want to work here?’
……………………………………………
7 ‘Have you ever worked in a shop before?’
……………………………………………
8 ‘Would you be able to work at weekends if we needed you?’
……………………………………………
Answers
1 They told me to come in and sit down.
2 They asked m e w hat my name was / is. / They asked me my name.
3 They asked me if / whether I was / I’m good at maths.
4 They asked / told me to speak clearly so they could hear me.
5 They asked me if / whether I like / liked helping people.
6 They asked me why I w anted / w ant to work there.
7 They asked me if / whether I’d / I’ve ever worked in a shop before.
8 They asked me if / whether I’d be able to work at weekends if they needed me.
D. Complete the email on the opposite page, using the underlined information from the email below. Think carefully about the dates of the emails.
Tuesday 23 March
Hi Adrian
I went for a run last Sunday. It was terrible – I hadn’t done any exercise since last summer, so I couldn’t go very far. Last year I could run 10 km without stopping, but last Sunday I had to stop after 2 km. And then yesterday I felt so bad that I couldn’t run at all. I’m going to try again tonight – I hope I’ll be able to run a bit further. There’s a big race this summer and I’m going to try to do it. Do you want to try too?
Rob
Tuesday 30 March
Hi Pete
I got an email last week from Adrian. He said he’d been for a run 1…………………… but it had been terrible – he 2…………………… any exercise since 3…………………… . He said 4…………………… he’d been able to run 10 km without stopping, but that 5…………………… he’d had to stop after 2 km. And he said that 6…………………… he’d Felt so bad that he 7…………………… run at all! Poor Adrian! Anyway, he said he was going to try again 8…………………… and that he hoped he’d be able to run a bit further. He also said there’s a big race 9…………………… and that he’s going to try to do it. He even asked me 10…………………… to try too, but I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. What do you think?
Rob
Answers
1 the previous Sunday 2 hadn’t done 3 last summer
4 last year 5 the previous Sunday / the Sunday before
6 the previous day / the day before
7 couldn’t / hadn’t been able to 8 that night
9 this summer 10 if / whether I want / wanted
E. Report this dialogue, using indirect speech. Write in your notebook.
1 Lisa: Do you think the same would happen in another sport?
2 Gary: What do you mean?
3 Lisa: Could a woman runner beat a male runner, for example?
4 Gary: Hmmm… I don’t think so. But don’t forget, Riggs was a former champion when King beat him. I think he must have been around 50.
5 Lisa: Really? I didn’t know that.
6 Gary: Yes, so perhaps a woman runner would be able to beat a 50-year-old.
7 Lisa: You might be right. I’ve got another question for you. Are women going to catch up with male athletes? I mean, will men always be faster, or will women be just as fast one day?
8 Gary: I don’t know. I guess women will get faster, but so will men. I don’t think women will ever catch up.
1 Lisa asked Gary if he thought the same would happen in another sport.
2 Gary asked her …………………………………….
Answers
2 Gary asked her what she meant.
3 Lisa asked him if a woman runner could beat a male runner.
4 Gary said that he didn’t think so. But he told Lisa not to forget that Riggs had been a former champion when King beat him. Gary said he thought Riggs must have been around 50.
5 Lisa said that she hadn’t known that.
6 Gary said that perhaps a woman runner would be able to beat a 50-year-old.
7 Lisa told him that he might be right and that she had another question for him. She asked him if / whether women are / were going to catch up with male athletes. She asked if / whether men will / would always be faster, or if / whether women will / would be just as fast one day.
8 Gary admitted that he didn’t know. He said that he guessed that women would get faster, but that men would also get faster. He said that he didn’t think women would ever catch up.
F. Answer these questions, using indirect speech.
1 Think of a difficult question that somebody asked you. What was the question? What was your reply?
……………………………………………………..
2 Think o f a question you asked somebody this week. What was your question? What was their reply?
……………………………………………………..
3 Think o f a time that somebody told you to do something difficult. What did they ask you to do? What was your reply?
……………………………………………………..
Example: My mother asked me if I’d done my homework. I told her I had done it but I hadn’t. She didn’t believe me anyway!
Answers
your own answers
G. Circle the correct option.
1 She was …………. to be the greatest tennis player of all time.
a told b convinced c thought
2 I’ve told you many times that I …………. tennis. In fact, I hate it.
a didn’t like
b don’t like
c haven’t liked
3 Could you tell me …………. correct?
a if this is
b is this
c if is this
4 I’ve been …………. to organise the school party this year.
a asked b said c thought
5 Oh sorry – I didn’t know you …………. asleep.
a are b were c have been
Answers
1 c 2 b 3 a 4 a 5 b
Related Posts
- English Advanced Grammar Exercises – International English
- English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Informal and spoken English
- English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Formal and academic English
- English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Ellipsis and substitution
- English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Reference techniques
- English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Linking words