GRAMMAR : REPORTED SPEECH

1 Complete the sentences in reported speech.

1. “The music isn’t loud enough,” Steve complained.

Steve complained ..................................................................................................... .

2. “My cousin has recently stayed with me,” I said.

I told them ................................................................................................................. .

3. “Jane isn’t going to invite Dan to her party next week,” John mentioned.
John mentioned ........................................................................................................ .

4. “I liked my French class last year.”

Alice told me ............................................................................................................. .

5. “I wasn’t able to find Bill’s phone number,” Michael said.

Michael said .............................................................................................................. .

6. “I’ll come over later today,” Susie promised.

Susie promised ......................................................................................................... .

7. “We’re going to the shopping centre this afternoon,” the girls said.

The girls said ............................................................................................................ .

8. “Don’t eat this, because it isn’t cooked,” Mitchell warned.

Mitchell warned us .................................................................................................... .

2 Rewrite the sentences in reported speech.

1. “My football team are playing poorly this year,” John admitted.

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2. “You have got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow,” my mother reminded me.

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3. “I had the car washed yesterday,” Linda told us.

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4. “Don’t turn up the music, or we’ll wake up my parents!” Robert warned me.

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5. “I can’t understand these maths problems!” complained Gwen.

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3 Rewrite the questions in reported speech.
1. “Are the tickets expensive?” James wondered.

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2. “Why weren’t you at school yesterday?” Ms Jones enquired.

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3. “Sue, are you studying here this afternoon?” Sara asked.

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4. “Have you ever listened to these old CDs?” John wanted to know.

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5. “When are you going to make your holiday plans?” we asked them.

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6. “Can Joe drive me to the party tomorrow night?” Richard asked.

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4 Complete the passage with the correct form of the words below.
assist ■ receive ■ write ■ think ■ have to ■ not repeat ■ be ■ do ■ not involve
A California newspaper reported that three teenagers in a small town in the USA 1.
.................................. an
interesting punishment for covering school walls with graffiti. The school principal chose not to
involve the police,
and instead said that the boys, all 15 years old, 2. .................................. repaint the school. In
addition, he ordered them 3. .................................. the teacher in a children’s art class one hour a
week for 20 weeks. Finally, he
demanded that they 4. .................................. a letter which promised that they 5.
.................................. their
act of vandalism. When reporters asked the boys whether they 6. .................................. their
punishment was
a fair one, they all replied that it 7. .................................. . One of those boys further commented
that he wanted to advise other young people 8. .................................. what he had done, and that
he was glad that the principal
9. .................................. the police.