ANSWER SCHEME – REPORTED SPEECH EXERCISES

Exercise 1
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns in some
sentences.

1. She said, "Go upstairs."

→ She told me to go upstairs.

2. "Close the door behind you," he told me.

→ He told me to close the door behind me.

3. "Don't be late," he advised us.

→ He advised us not to be late.

4. "Stop staring at me," she said.

→ She told him to stop staring at her.

5. "Don't be angry with me," he said.

→ He asked her not to be angry with him.

6. "Leave me alone," she said.

→ She told me to leave her alone.

7. "Don't drink and drive," she warned us.

→ She warned us not to drink and drive.

8. "John, stop smoking," she said.

→ She told John to stop smoking.

9. "Don't worry about us," they said.

→ They told her not to worry about them.

10. "Meet me at the cinema." he said.

→ He asked me to meet him at the cinema.
 Exercise 2
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and tenses.

1. "Where is my umbrella?" she asked.

→ She asked where her umbrella was.

2. "How are you?" Martin asked us.

→ Martin asked us how we were.
3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
→ He asked if he had to do it.

4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter.

→ The mother asked her daughter where she had been.

5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend.

→ She asked her boyfriend which dress he liked best.

6. "What are they doing?" she asked.

→ She wanted to know what they were doing.

7. "Are you going to the cinema?" he asked me.

→ He wanted to know if I was going to the cinema.

8. The teacher asked, "Who speaks English?"

→ The teacher wanted to know who spoke English.

9. "How do you know that?" she asked me.

→ She asked me how I knew that.

10. "Has Caron talked to Kevin?" my friend asked me.

→ My friend asked me if Caron had talked to Kevin.
 Exercise 3
Complete the sentences in reported speech.

1. "He works in a bank?"

→ She said (that) he worked in a bank.

2. "We went out last night"

→ She told me (that) they went (had gone) out last night (the night before).

3. "I’m coming!"
→ She said (that) she was coming.

4. "I was waiting for the bus when he arrived"

→ She told me (that) she had been waiting for the bus when he arrived.

5. "I’d never been there before"

→ She said (that) she had never been there before.

6. "I didn’t go to the party"

→ She told me (that) she didn't go (hadn't gone) to the party.

7. "Lucy will come later"

→ She said (that) Lucy would come later.

8. "He hasn’t eaten breakfast"

→ She told me (that) he hadn't eaten breakfast.

9. "I can help you tomorrow"

→ She said (that) she could help me tomorrow.

10."You should go to bed early"

→ She told me (that) I should go to bed early.

11."I don’t like chocolate"

→ She told me (that) she didn't like chocolate.

12."I won’t see you tomorrow"

→ She said (that) she wouldn't see me tomorrow.

13."She’s living in Paris for a few months"

→ She said (that) she was living in Paris for a few months.

14."I visited my parents at the weekend"

→ She told me (that) she visited (had visited) her parents at the weekend.
15."She hasn’t eaten sushi before"
→ She said (that) she hadn't eaten sushi before.

16."I hadn’t travelled by underground before I came to London"

→ She said (that) she hadn't travelled by underground before she came to London.

17."They would help if they could"

→ She said (that) they would help if they could.

18."I’ll do the washing-up later"

→ She told me (that) she would do the washing-up later.

19."He could read when he was three"

→ She said (that) he could read when he was three.

20."I was sleeping when Julie called"

→ She said (that) she had been sleeping when Julie called.