REVISION GRAMMAR EXERCISES (Reported speech)

1 Choose the correct answer.

1.The students said that they had almost finished / have almost
finished their project.
2.The manager told his secretary that she could leave / can leave early.
3.He promised giving up / to give up smoking.
4.They announced that they would be getting married the week before /
the following week.
5.Mum wanted to know if had I enjoyed / I had enjoyed the party.
6. Our coach predicted that we will win / would win the match easily.
7.She warned me don’t eat / not to eat at that restaurant.
8.Some of the guys suggested us to meet / meeting at the cinema.
9.Mark told me that he might go / have gone to China the following year.
10.Mum wanted to know when had I come home / I had come home the
night before.

2 Rewrite the sentences in reported speech.

1. “I’ve been looking for our dog since yesterday,” Andrew said.

Andrew told me that he had been looking for their dog since the day before / the previous day.
2. “I forgot to do my homework last night,” I said to the teacher.
I admitted forgetting / that I had forgotten to do my homework the previous night / the night before
.3. “Of course I’ll call you tonight,” Sarah said to me.
Sarah promised she would call me that night
4. “Sue, don’t forget our meeting tomorrow,” Jill said.
Jill reminded Sue not to forget their meeting the next day / the following day / the day after
5. “I won’t tidy this room,” mum said.
Mum refused to tidy that room
6. “When can you help me?” he asked me.
He asked me when I could help him
7. “Have you seen this film?” she asked us.
She wanted to know if / whether we had seen that film
8. “I ate the last piece of cake,”
Tom said that he had eaten the last piece of cake. / Tom admitted eating the last piece cake.

3 Rewrite the sentences in direct speech.

1. The police asked if we’d heard anything strange the previous night.
“Did you hear anything strange last night?” the police asked.
2. Sally announced that she wasn’t planning to go to university the following year.
“I’m not planning to go to university next year,” Sally announced.
3. David promised he would call me that evening.
“I’ll call you this evening,“ David promised.
4. I explained that I’d been living abroad at the time of the tsunami.
“I was living abroad at the time of the tsunami,” I explained.

4 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
1. What did the doctor say? 4. How did you hear about the fire? Susie told me.
He advised me to get/do (get) some exercise. She said she had read(read) about it in
2. Why didn’t you help your little brother? He insisted that he the paper.
didn’t need (not need) any help. 5. Did you get the job? Yes, I did.
3. Have you decided about the wedding yet? They asked me when I could start (can start)
No. Bill suggested waiting / that we (should) wait (wait) for a working.
while.

5 Correct the errors in bold.

1.They ordered him him not to tell anyone.
2.He suggested that I find a better job. 4. The boys told her that they had broken her window.
3.He thought he would wear his new shirt that night. 5.She denied telling Jane about the surprise party.

MORE REPORTED SPEECH EXERCISES ( A little bit more difficult )

1 Make sentences in reported speech using the words provided. Make any necessary changes.

1. Jenny’s boss / enquired / whether / she / send / the e-mail / the day before
Jenny’s boss enquired whether she had sent the e-mail the day before.
2. Mrs Brown / warned / them / not cross / the road / alone
Mrs Brown warned them not to cross the road alone.
3. The painter / recommended / we / choose / a light colour
The painter recommended that we choose a light colour.
 4. The weather forecaster / predicted / rain heavily / the following weekend
The weather forecaster predicted that it would rain the following weekend.
5. Jim’s doctor / told / him / walk / for an hour every day
Jim’s doctor told him to walk for an hour every day.
6. My sister / denied / borrow / my jeans / without permission
My sister denied borrowing my jeans without permission.

2 Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets.

1. “Don’t let the children go to bed late,” Bess said to the babysitter. (told)
Bess told the babysitter not to let the children go to bed late.
2. “I’ll marry you this summer,” Jill said to Frank. (promised)
Jill promised Frank that she would marry him that summer.
3. “My boyfriend and I were in Paris last month,” said Mary. (before)
Mary said that she and her boyfriend had been in Paris the month before.
4. “Let’s wait till the film starts,” said Bill. (waiting)
Bill suggested waiting till the film started.
5. “Hand me the dictionary, please,” Joe asked. (me)
Joe asked me to hand him the dictionary.
6. “Can you come tomorrow?” Mrs Jones asked. (us)
Mrs Jones asked us if / whether we could come the following day / the next day.

3 Report what each person said. Complete the sentences with the words below.
reminded ■ warned ■ suggested ■ asked ■ denied
1. You really shouldn’t swim alone in the sea.
1.The lifeguard warned me / us not to swim alone in the sea
2. Don’t forget to call me tonight, Tina.
2.Tina’s mum reminded Tina not to forget to call her that night

3. I didn’t read your diary, Ellen. 3.Barbara denied reading Ellen’s diary

4.I Cathy if / whether she had understood the joke

4. Did you understand the joke, Cathy?
5.Sally’s boyfriend suggested going out that night / that they go out

5. Let’s go out tonight, Sally. that night.

4 Read the conversation. Then complete the sentences that follow.

“I have to go to London on business,” said John to his wife.
“When are you going?” she replied.
“Next Friday,” said John.
“Please call me as soon as you get to the hotel,” she said.
“Of course,” he said.
“And don’t forget your umbrella,” said his wife.
1. John informed his wife that he had to go to London on business .
2. She wanted to know when he was going .
3. He replied that he was going the following Friday, and promised that he would call her as soon as
he got to the hotel
4. John’s wife warned him not to forget his umbrella .

5 Some of the following sentences contain errors. Identify the errors and correct them.
1. He said if I wanted to join them.
He asked if I wanted to join them.
2 I wanted to know what time was it.
I wanted to know what time it was.
3. She suggested reserving seats at the restaurant.
OK
4. I said that I am hungry but nobody heard.
I said that I was hungry but nobody heard.
5. They asked us if we had enjoyed the film.
OK