Intermediate 2 Grammar In Use 1

GRAMMAR IN USE

Reported Speech
1

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Intermediate 2 Grammar In Use 1

REPORTED STATEMENTS

USE FORM
to report or describe statements that someone [main clause + (that) + noun clause]
else said

• The main clause contains the “reporting or question verb”

Note: Reporting verbs: say, tell, promise, know, believe, think, claim, ask, wonder, etc.
• When we report a sentence, we usually change the verb tenses, pronouns and
determiners, adverbs of time and place used in the original.
Example:
Direct speech: “A handyman is fixing the sink in my bathroom now,” said Lisa.
Reported speech: Lisa said a handyman was fixing the sink in her bathroom then.

VERB TENSE CHANGES

Direct speech Reported speech

Present simple Past simple

“I want to buy a new dress,” said Lisa.
Present continuous
“My son is playing in the garden,” Lisa said.
Present perfect simple
“I have finished the report,” Lisa told me.
Present perfect continuous
“I have been working all day,” said Lisa.
Past simple
“Dan went home,” said Lisa.
Past continuous
I was always singing all day,” Lisa told me.
Past perfect simple
“They haE been arrested,” said Lisa.
Past perfect continuous
“Tom had been writing a poem,” Lisa thought.
Lisa said (that) she wanted to buy a new dress.
Past continuous
Lisa said (that) her son was playing in the garden.
Past perfect simple
Lisa told me (that) she had finished the report.
Past perfect continuous
Lisa said she had been working all day.
Past perfect simple
Lisa said he had gone home.
Past perfect continuous
Lisa told me she had always been singing all day.
Past perfect simple (no change)
Lisa said they had been arrested.
Past perfect continuous (no change)
Lisa thought Tom had been writing a poem.

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Direct speech Reported speech

Am/is/are going to Was/were going to

“I’m going to visit my grandpa,” said Lisa.
Will
“I will call you back soon,” Lisa promised.
Can
“I can play the guitar well,” said Lisa.
Must / have to
“You must join that conference,” Lisa told me.
May
“I may be late,” said Lisa
Lisa said she was going to visit her grandpa.
Would
Lisa promised that she would call me back soon.
Could
Lisa said she could play the guitar well.
Had to
Lisa told me I had to join that conference.
Might
Lisa said she might be late.

Note: We do not need to make any changes to the verb tense or modal when we report
a scientific fact or when something is still true.
Example:
“I hate strawberries,” said Lisa Lisa said she hates strawberries.
“Minh is the new president of the club,” said Lisa. Lisa said that Minh is the new
president of the club.

PRONOUN AND DETERMINER CHANGES

Direct speech Reported speech

my his / her
“I’ve lost my car key,” said Lisa. Lisa said she had lost her car key.
this / that + noun the / that
I love this gift,” said Lisa. Lisa said she loved the/that gift.
these / those + noun the / those
“I love these gifts,” said Lisa. Lisa said she loved the/those gifts.

ADVERB CHANGES

Direct speech Reported speech

today that day
She said, “I am busy today.” She said that she was busy that day.

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tomorrow the next day

He said, “I will go to London tomorrow.” He said that he would go to London the next day.
yesterday the day before / the previous day
She said, “I saw a joker yesterday.” She said that she had seen a joker the previous day.
this week/month/year that week/month/year
They said, “We have to finish our work this They said that they had to finish their work that
week.” week.
last week/month/year the previous week/month/year
He said, “I met my friend MBst month.” He said that he had met his friend the previous month.
next week/month/year the following week/month/year
He said, “I will start a new job next month.” He said that he would start a new job the following
month.
now then
She said, “I need your help now.” She said that she needed my help then.
here there
He said, “The kids are playing here.” He said that the kids were playing there.
ago before
They said, “We moved to this city three years They said that they had moved to the city three
ago.” years before.

REPORTED QUESTIONS

USE FORM
to say what someone else asked [main clause + if or Wh-word + noun clause]
Example:
“How many products do you order?”, asked Lisa.
Lisa asked me how many products I ordered.
“Did you go to the party last night?”, asked Lisa.
Lisa asked me if I had gone to the party the previous night.
• We change the structure of a question into that of a statement.
• We use the same rules regarding tense, pronoun, and time and place word/
phrases changes with reported questions as we do with reported statements.
• We use if for Yes/No questions and use Wh-words (what, where, when, how…)
for Wh-questions.

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TASK 1 Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence.

1. “I got stuck in the broken elevator yesterday,” she said.

She told me she ____________ in the broken elevator the previous day.
A. get stuck B. was gotten stuck C. had gotten stuck
2. “I’ve completed the three-month project,” he said.
He said that he ____________ the three-month project.
A. completed B. had completed C. had been completed
3. “My dad is having work done in the kitchen at the moment,” said John.
He told me his dad ____________ work done in the kitchen then.
A. having B. was having C. had had
4. “I live in the suburb with my family,” said Mary.
She said she ____________ in the suburb with my family.
A. is living B. lives C. lived
5. “We will meet an important business partner tomorrow”, said Anna.
She said that they ____________ an important business partner the next day.
A. will meet B. would meet C. met
6. “She had worked for that company for over 40 years when she retired,” said Jim.
He thought she ____________ for that company for over 40 years when she retired.
A. had worked B. had been working C. has worked
7. “You must keep your phone on silent mode during the meeting,” said Linda.
She told me that I ____________ keep my phone on silent mode during the meeting.
A. must B. had to C. must be
8. “I’ve been thinking about applying for that job,” said Jane.
She said she ____________ about applying for that job.
A. had been thinking B. had thought C. has been thinking
9. “Canberra is the capital of Australia, not Sydney,” said Amy.
She told me that Canberra ____________ the capital of Australia, not Sydney.
A. is B. was C. has been
10. “She’d been working here for four years before you started working,” they said.
They told me she ____________ there for four years before I started working.
A. would been working B. had worked C. had been working

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TASK 2 Listen and report what the people say. Use the correct tense and pronouns.
Track 1

1. He said he was tired.

2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________

TASK 3 Rewrite the following sentences using reported speech.

1. “I can pick you up at the airport this afternoon,” said Barry.
Barry told me he __________________________________________________
2. “You must follow the company regulations strictly,” said the manager.
The manager said that I ____________________________________________
3. “I’m going to have an interview at 9 o’clock tomorrow,” said Mary.
Mary said that she _________________________________________________
4. “I didn’t recognize my uncle until he raised his voice,” said Alex.
Alex told me that he _______________________________________________
5. “The speed of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is 108,000 km/h,” said Mike.
Mike told his son that ______________________________________________
6. “My dad is playing tennis with his friend at the moment,” said Lisa.
Lisa said her dad __________________________________________________

TASK 4 Complete the following sentences.

I had ___________ for breakfast.
I was very_______ this morning.

I have already had ________

I forgot to _______ this morning.
cups of coffee/tea today.

I am going to _________ later

I will bring you __________. I am planning to
____________
I won’t forget to
I went to _________ last ____________. next summer.
____________.

I didn’t go ______ last _________. I bought ____________ __________ ago.

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a. Work with a partner. Share six of the sentences you’ve just completed with him/her. Then,
listen to what your partner says to you. Write down exactly what he/she says.
1. __________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________
6. __________________________________________________________________

b. Join another pair to form a group of four people. Report to the group what your partner
said to you. Listen to what your partner reports about you. If necessary, correct your partner.

My partner said that he/she _______.

I didn’t say that. I said ________.

TASK 5 Rewrite the following sentences using reported speech.

1. “What kind of music do you like?” asked Olivia.

Olivia asked me __________________________________________________
2. “Are Jane and Peter going to Australia next week?” asked Alice.
Alice asked me ___________________________________________________
3. “Where did you go last summer holiday?” asked Harry.
Harry asked me __________________________________________________
4. “Can you give me your phone number?” asked Bill.
Bill asked me ____________________________________________________
5. “Do you prefer an economy-sized car or a big car?” asked Jack.
Jack asked me ___________________________________________________
6. “Have you ever climbed a mountain?” asked Joey.
Joey asked me ___________________________________________________
TASK 6 You are going to hear Nick reporting his conversation with his mother to Will.
Track 2 Listen and fill in each blank with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the recording.
1. She said I _______________ go out because I _______________ the house.
2. She said she _________________ visitors and the house _______________ dirty
and untidy.
3. I said I _______________ wash up.

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4. She said my friends _______________ too.

5. I said I _______________ the car the week before.
6. She said she _______________ keep my pocket money.

TASK 7 Rewrite the sentences as direct questions or statement.

1. The officer said that he didn’t believe a word she told him.
__________________________________________________________________
2. Pat asked me if she could meet me at 8 o’clock that night.
__________________________________________________________________
3. Jane wondered whether Sam would attend the party the next day.
__________________________________________________________________
4. The man said to me that I had taken his phone.
__________________________________________________________________
5. The detective told her that he was keeping her there until she answered his questions.
__________________________________________________________________
6. Dan asked me why I was thinking of studying abroad at the age of 40.
__________________________________________________________________

TASK 8 Read and complete the following texts.

A. George Parker was an American conman who sold the Brooklyn Bridge several times to
tourists. Read the reported conversation between Parker and a tourist and choose the best
answers to fill in the blanks.

Parker told a tourist that he owned the Brooklyn Bridge. He --- (1) --- him that the people
crossing the bridge paid him a fee so he --- (2) --- a lot of money that year. He also told
the tourist that he needed to build some new bridges and that he --- (3) --- him the bridge.
“Visitors --- (4) --- to pay to cross,” Parker whispered to the tourist. Then, he told him that
he was offering him an incredible bargain and he --- (5) --- the price, if necessary.

1. A. told B. tells C. has told D. had told

2. A. will make B. has made C. would make D. had made
3. A. sells B. sold C. could sell D. will sell
4. A. continue B. continued C. will continue D. could continue
5. A. has reduced B. would reduce C. will reduced D. had reduced

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B. Simon has been away from school for a month. Read his description of his first day back
and choose the best answers to fill in the blanks.

My friends --- (6) --- me a lot of questions today. First, Chris asked me --- (7) --- school and
Sandra asked me --- (8) --- I had been ill. Next, Emma asked if I could tell them about my
trip. Then, Susan asked whether the head teacher knew I --- (9) --- back. Later, Nigel asked
me if I --- (10) --- my exams and finally, Elaine asked me if I wanted to borrow her notes.

6. A. ask B. asked C. are asking D. will be asking

7. A. that I missed B. why did I miss C. whether I will miss D. why I had missed
8. A. if B. when C. which D. that
9. A. am B. were C. was D. would be
10. A. still take B. will still take C. had still taken D. would still take

C. A woman talked to a policeman. Read the policeman’s report and choose the best answers
to fill in the blanks.

REPORT
December 24th

A woman called the police station about a car parked near her flat. I asked her what had
happened exactly. She told me that she --- (11) --- the car several times before. She said
she’d seen it --- (12) --- for the first time. Two men --- (13) --- out of the car and looked at
all the houses in that street. I asked her --- (14) --- I could visit her house that evening or
--- (15) --- to ask some more questions. She agreed.

11. A. see B. saw C. has seen D. had seen

12. A. last week B. the week before C. the following week D. the next week
13. A. get B. got C. are getting D. would get
14. A. if B. that C. when D. where
15. A. tomorrow B. the previous day C. following day D. the next day

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