Test

Direct Speech vs. Indirect speech

I. Complete the gaps with the words you consider necessary:

A. Our class master
1____________ us to
come earlier to school
the following day as he
wanted to take us on an
outing and we were not
going to be back before
noon. We 2_____
_______his idea with
great enthusiasm
3__________ that
it had always been
our idea of
spending some
pleasant hours in
his company. He
was 4___________ to hear that we loved him and
thanked us warmly.
B. When 5 _______________ by my class master about
the disappearance of a picture from the classroom two
days before, I flatly denied having had anything to do
with it and 6___________ that on that day I was
missing as I had to
stay at home with my
little sister as my
mother was away for
some days.
C. I asked her to lend me
her bicycle, which she
7__________ to do,
somewhat reluctantly, 8_______________ that I
brought it back as soon as I came home.
Points: 8*2.5= 20 p Your Score: *2.5=

II. Turn into

1. Indirect speech:
A. “I’ve been waiting for half an hour”, said she, “and
I’m not going to stay another minute”
 ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
________________________________________
B. “I wish you’d seen his face”
___________________________________________
_________________________________________
C. “Would you mind taking off your hat?” I said to the
woman in front of me. “But the theater’s almost
empty!” she said. “Why don’t you move along a bit?”
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
_____________________________________
D. “Let me explain”, he said. “Don’t try to do
it”_________________________________________
_________________________________________
E. “You mustn’t play with sharp objects”, mother
pointed out.
___________________________________________
_________________________________________
Points: 5*10 = 50 p Your score *10 =

2. Direct speech:
A. He said that the expert investigation couldn’t find out
what had happened.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
________________________________________
B. My friend told me he had heard the previous previous
week that the local Music Society was thinking of
putting on an opera if enough support could be found.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
_______________________________________
C. He said that if I didn’t like that dress I could choose
another one. I thanked him and said that I would take
the one I had chosen.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
_______________________________________
 D. She asked me if I’d like to have some cakes and I
thanked her and said that I had already had some and
liked them very much.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
_______________________________________
Points: 4*10=40 p Your score: *10=

III. Be the text:

Joan worked in a shop selling gramophone records. One day a

middle-aged woman came in, sat on a stool in front of the counter
and beamed at Joan. Addressing Joan familiarly, she said she
wanted a record – one she head heard on the radio that morning.
Joan asked her what the record was called. The woman shook her
head, and said she didn’t remember, though she would know it if
she heard it. She suggested that Joan should play her some, and
settled herself more comfortably on her stool. Joan pointed out that
they had hundreds of records in stock, and that it would take a very
long time to play her even a little of each. She asked the lady if she
could hum it to her. The woman giggled, and replied that she
couldn’t sing “God Save the Queen” in tune. They would get into a
worse muddle if she started humming. She looked very depressed,
but suddenly her face brightened. She had just remembered
something, she said; it came from a play in which there was a
woman who spoke very badly, but who after learned to talk very
beautifully. Joan asked if would be “My Fair Lady”. The woman
exclaimed that that was it. She wished Joan had thought of it earlier
instead of wasting time asking silly questions. She supposed Joan
was new to the job.
Adapted from the Cambridge Lower Certificate Oral Examination,
December 1959
1. Answer the following questions:
A. What did the woman answer when Joan asked her
what the record was called?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
________________________________________
B. What did Joan suggest? And what was the lady’s
reaction?
___________________________________________
 ___________________________________________
___________________________________________
_______________________________________
C. How was the lady’s reaction when she remembered
something about the play?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
_______________________________________
D. What was the woman’s reaction after Joan gave her
the answer?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
_______________________________________
E. Do you agree with such a reaction? Why (not)?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
________________________________________
Points: 5*5 =25 p Your Score: *5=
2. Turn questions 1.D and 1.E and your answers to them into
indirect speech.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Points: 2*5 = 10p Your score: *5=
3. Turn the underlined parts of the text into direct speech.
Make note that sometimes from 2 ore more sentences you
can form one statement.
Points: 8*7.5=60 p Your score: *7.5=
+100 p for solving the test
Scoring: divide the result by 3 and then by 10
Key1:

I.
A.1) Told/asked, 2) accepted, 3) saying, 4) delighted
B.5) questioned/asked, 6) added
C. 7) agreed, 8) on condition that
II.
1. A.She said that she has been waiting for half an
hour and she isn’t going to stay another minute.
B. He / said that he/she whished I had seen his face.
C. I asked the woman in front of me if she would
you mind taking off her hat. She replied that the
theatre was almost empty and suggested me to
move along a bit.
D. He begged her to let her explain and asked her
not to try.
E. Mother pointed out that you must mot play with
sharp objects.
2. A “The expert investigation couldn’t find out what
happened”
B. “Last week I heard that the local Music Society has
been thinking of putting on an opera if enough support
can be found”, my friend told me
C. “If you don’t like the dress, you could choose
another one”. “Thank you but I will take the one I
have already chosen”
D. “Would you like some cakes?” “Thank you but I
have already had some. They were delicious”.
III. 1.A. The lady said she didn’t remember, though she would know it if she
heard it.
B. Joan asked the woman if she could hum the song to her, but she replied she
couldn’t sing God Save the Queen in tune and that they would be in a worse muddle if
she would do that.
C. Her face brightened when she remembered.
D. She wished that Joan had thought of it earlier instead of asking silly questions and
she supposed Joan was new to the job.
E . Student’s personal answer
2. I was asked which was the lady’s reaction after Joan had given her an answer and I
answered that she had wished that Joan had thought of it earlier instead of asking silly
questions and she had supposed Joan was new to the job.
The teacher asked if I agreed with the lady’s reaction, and I answered …….. student’s
personal answer.
1
To exercises II and III various solutions may be possible
“ I want a record that I heard on the radio this morning” said the woman

“How is it called?” asked Joan

“I don’t remember, but I will know when I hear it. Why don’t you play me some?”

“We have hundreds of records in stock, it will take a very long time to play you even
a little of each. Could you hum it to me?”

“I can’t sing “God Save the Queen” in tune. We will get into a worse muddle I start
humming” said the woman giggling.

“I have just remembered something, it has came from a play in which there is a
woman who speaks very badly, but who after learns to talk very beautifully.”

“Would it be My Fair Lady?”

“Yes, that’s it! I whish you have thought of it earlier instead of wasting time asking
silly questions. I suppose you are new on the job.”