Indirect statements They said their son was flying. Put the events in order. a The police found Kevin. j b Mr Green said, ‘I'm sorry. : ¢ The police found the balloon d MrGreen phoned the police. e Mr Green made a balloon. 164Indirect statements 1 Ifthe main verb is in the present, there is no change of tense in the indirect statement. ‘Mr Green says that he is sorry. ‘My opinion is that it was a big mistake. 2 When the main vert the past, the verb in the indirect statement usually moves into the past. enone Sa present simple past simple ‘Itseems strange’ They thought that it seemed strange. present continuous -» past continuous ‘lamwatching TV’ She said that she was watching WV. pastsimple > past perfect ‘{made a balloon’ He told police that he had made a balloon. past continuous -» past perfect continuous The weather report showed that it hadn't been rai ‘twasn't raining’ present perfect » past perfect "We've lied.” They told everyone that they had lied present perfect -» continuous past perfect continuous ‘Ive been hiding’ _ He said that he had been hiding. can > could ‘Ican flyaballoon’ Mrs Green said that she could fly balloon. wil (would ‘Iwon'tdo this He repeated that he wouldn't again’ do this again ‘may Se ‘'Wemay be famous!’ The Greens thought that they might be famous. begoing toand + was / were going to and had to have to ‘Wehaveto find the They knew that they had to find boy: the boy. iP Past modal verbs (would, could, etc.) do not change. The police said that they would like an apology. 3. The verb in the indirect statement does not need to change if the information is still true or relevant now. Mr Green was sure that balloons are safe. People did not know that the earth is round. Indirect statements can show what people think, not what they actually say. ‘She didn’t believe that it was possible, Hiding in the garage! 4 Indirect statements can also come after adjectives and nouns. It's sad that some people will do anything to get on TV. | love the idea that he was hiding in the garage! 5. That often links the main verb of the sentence to the indirect statement. That can be left out, especially in, conversation and informal language. The police didn’t think (that) it was funny. It is lucky (that) Kevin didn’t get into the balloon, 6 Pronouns and time and place expressions may change for indirect statements. we-» they now-» then next week = the week after this morning -» that morning tomorrow =» the next day ago -» before here-» there “We will do it tomorrow.’ = They said they would do it the next day. ‘can do it now.'- He said he could do it then. 7 Many verbs which introduce indirect statements are followed by to-infinitives, e.g, advise, agree, ask, promise, tell. Kevin agreed to hide in the garage and promised not to tell the police. Indirect statements 165Practice A Underline the correct option. 1 I thought it is/was easy. 2. John shouted that he wanted /has wanted some help. 3. There isa legend that King Arthur lives /lived here 4 You said you were driving / had driven home when it happened 5. Remember that forest fires are /were dangerous. 6 [had a strange feeling that | saw /had seen him before. 7 Mrs Jones told me she was working / had been working there for 25 years. 8 It's shame that Mozart died /had died so young, 9 Julie said she can't /couldn’tplay in the match last week 10 Jake hoped he will / would be back the next day. B Write a dialogue using the underlined information in the text. Martin called Carol and said *he hada problem. He told Carol that his friend “Dave wasn't speaking to him because “they had had a big argument. Carol thought “Martin needed to see Dave again. She knew that “Dave had be terrible si i argument. ‘Martin replied that Che had tri Dave the before; “he had just put the phone down. Martin was sure “that Dave wasn't his friend any more. Carol said °she couldn't understand it. She advised Martin *°to write Dave an email the next day. Martin: 1 (have a problem, 2 3. because Caro: 4 Martin: = 6 7 but Caro 9 10 166 Complete the sentences with indirect statements. 1 Hesaid ithad been. Lang night 3. He thought 4 Dracula said 5 Tomwrote 6 Shewas confident D Complete each sentence b to make a direct or indirect statement like sentence a, using the word in brackets. 1a ‘Sam, it's five o'clock’ (told) b Mary told Sam it was five o'clock. 2. a ‘Imreading a book. (said) b She a book. 3 a ‘Lizhas asked him.’ (thought) bl 4 a Andrea told Tim she would go the next day. (leave) b ‘Tim, f 5. a ‘What! Nobody knows! (strange) b It was 6 a Richard had the idea that everybody disliked him. (nobody) b ‘I'msure. : 7 a ‘You have to!" (said) b My boss 8 a Brian told Maya that he had done it four weeks before. (month) b ‘Maya, ! 4E Complete the text using the correct forms of the words hhide invent iF inthe box. be beat bring can get hear may change play willmake In 1770, Wolfgang von Kemplen visited the queen of Austria. He said that he 1 had brought... hera very unusual present: a machine which could play chess. The queen didn’t believe that von Kemplen? serious, but the machine really did play chess. he thought that someone inside the machine, but she opened it and found nothing. The chess machine travelled all over the world. Von Kemplen understood that he * alot of money from his machine and he was proud that it 5. even very good players. Napoleon and Benjamin Franklin both played and lost! People believed that von Kemplen ® areal chess machine and they hoped he” another one, Newspapers wrote that technology 8 the laws of nature. But there was someone inside the machine. People Gide’ know that all the time alittle man for the machine. The secret was discovered but the machine was still popular. Finally, the machine went to a museum in America. In 1854, there was a fre in the museum and the machine was destroyed. One man thought that he 1° the machine shouting for help in the fire. Today the museum has a working model of the original machine. Circle the correct option. 1 The newspapers wrote that Mr and Mrs Green 2. Mr Green said that he at home all the to write a book about the story one again. a wasn’t happening 3 Journalists couldn't believe that Kevin 4 Mrs Green said she 5. They promised that this the truth, the story that his son was in the balloon, Complete the sentences with indirect statements. 1. My friend didn't buy me a birthday card, | thought... Chat she had forgotten about my birthday / she. was angry with me. 2 Astranger stopped me and asked me for ten euros. Isaid 3. They are planning to open a new shopping centre near where | live I don't like the idea 4 Noone knows if there is life on other planets, I think 5 The film we saw last night was all right. My opinion was 6 | found an interesting blog about strange pets. went on the blog and wrote Write at least four things that you heard, thought, read or said recently. 1 | told my sister that | loved her new dress, a nottotell b don'ttell a had invented time. ais b was day, a haswanted b wouldn't happen ¢ weren't telling b invents c has invented c has been bb had been wanting ‘¢ may not happen wants Indirect statements 167