DON’T FORGET before the previous day ___________________________
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Change the pronouns: X says to Y
In reported speech you have to change I, me, my, mine,
myself, / we, us, our, ours, ourselves if X
(speaker) isn’t I or we. YOU HAVE TO
CONFORM I OR WE TO X.
Let’s see two examples:
Mary says to Peter she is a student.
Mary says to Peter they are friends.
In reported speech you have to change
you, your, yours, yourself and
yourselves if Y (receiver) isn’t you. YOU
HAVE TO CONFORM YOU TO Y.
Let’s see an example:
Mary says to Peter he is a teacher.
When the instruction is in the past you have to go back a
tense.
Task 1 – Make indirect sentences in the present. Look at
the example.
e.g.: 'I am waiting for you.' ➔ Mary says to Peter she is
waiting for him.
'I am asking your help.'
1) Mary says to Peter _she is asking his help.
___________________________
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2) Paul says to Jenny _he is asking her help
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3) I say to you _I am asking your help
_______________________________
_____________________________________________
4) You say to me _you are asking my help
______________________________
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5) Jane says to the boys she is asking their help
___________________________
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'We bought you some books yesterday.'
6) They say to us _they bought us some books the day before
the previous day _______________________________
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7) Sarah say to the children they bought them some books
the day before the previous day
________________________
_____________________________________________
8) Mary says to Peter they bought him some books the day
9) You say to me _you bought me some books the day before
the previous day ______________________________
_____________________________________________
10) I say to you _We bought you some books the day before
the previous day ________________________________
_____________________________________________
'Have you seen my glasses here?'
11) Mary asks Peter _If wherer he has seen her glasses
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12) Paul asks Jenny _If whether she has seen his
glasses___________________________
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13) I ask you _If whether you have seen my glasses
_________________________________
_____________________________________________
14) You ask me you asked me __If_whether I have seen my
glasses there____________________________
_____________________________________________
15) Jane asks the boys __ If whether they have seen her
glasses there __________________________
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Task 2 – Tell, say or ask.
e.g.: Mary says to Peter she is happy.
1) She __Tells_______ him to empty the
rubbish.
2) Mother _Asks________ Carl if he needs
her help. 3) I __say to______ her that soup is
delicious.
4) Kim _____asks____ where she can park her car.
5) We ____asks_____ them not to listen to the music so
loudly.
Task 3 - Make indirect
sentences in the present. Look
at the example.
e.g.: 'I am a student.' ➔ Mary
says to Peter she is a student.
1) 'Call for a taxi, please.' I to Ben
____I ask Ben to call for a
taxi_________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2) 'I got forty cents change at the market yesterday.' Kim
__Kim says she got forty cents change at the market the
day before the previous day
___________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3) 'Why were your eyes sparkling?' Dave to me
_Dave asks me why my eyes were sparkling
____________________________________________
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4) 'Will you show me round the house?' Mr Ford to the agent
_____________________________________________
_they bought him some books the day before the previous
day
____________________________________________
5) 'Julie is crying in her bedroom now.' Frank
__Frank says julie is crying in her bedroom then
___________________________________________
_____________________________________________
6) 'Who do you take after?' The teacher to Lily ___the
teacher asks Lily who she takes
after_________________________________________
_ murderer._____________________________________
_____________________________________________
7) 'Your new bicycle has been stolen.' Sally to Rob _Sally
says to Rob his new bicycle has been stolen
____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
8) 'Don't ask me silly questions, Tom.' Tom's sister
____Tom’s sister tells Tom not to ask her silly
questions._____________________________________
____
_____________________________________________
9) 'You should have painted the walls green.' My mum to me
__My mum says to me I should have painted the walls green
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© Susan V Toth
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10) 'Would you give me a lift?' Eve to Charlie
__Eve asks charlie if whether he would give her a lift
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11) 'Learn this poem by heart.' The teacher
___The teacher tells to learn that poem by heart
__________________________________________
_____________________________________________
12) 'Do you have to speak to him?' Greg to Nora ____Greg
asks Nora if whether he would give her a lift
_________________________________________
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13) 'How could he be the murderer?' Mrs Taylor _____Mrs
Taylor asks how he could be the
___
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14) 'I can't come now.' Jenny
___Jenny Says she can’t come then
__________________________________________
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15) 'Let's enjoy the party.' I to my friends
___I Tell my Friends tol et us enjoy the
party_________________________________________
_
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