REPORTED SPEECH
COMMANDS AND REQUESTS -
Look at the blackboard,
children!
The teacher TOLD the children to look at the blackboard.
Don’t leave your things all over
the place, Sue!
Her mother told Sue not to leave her things all over the place
Will you take me out for a walk, please?
The dog asked me to take him out for a walk
Mum, give me something to
eat!
The boy told her mother to give him something to eat
Don’t close your mouth,
Mr. Jones, please.
The dentist told Mr. Jones not to close his mouth.
introducing verbs: order, tell, ask
EXERCISE 1
1.- ‘Kevin, don’t touch my things again’ – his
brother said
He told Kevin not to touch his things again.
2.- ‘Can you lend me your car for the weekend,
Mum?’ – Cathy said
Cathy asked her to lend her her car for
the weekend.
3.- ‘Leave your umbrellas outside the museum,
please’ – the guide said
The guide told them to leave their
umbrellas outside the museum
4.- ‘ Don’t park here, sir’ – the policeman said
The policemen told him not to park here
5.- ‘Could you show me that blue sweater in the
shop window, please?’ – the woman said
The woman asked salesman to show her
that blue sweater in the shop window
6.- ‘Will you come with me to Susan’s
party,John?’ – Mary said
Mary asked John to come with her to
Susan´s party.
7.- ‘Will you please not come with your dog into
the restaurant?’ – the waiter said
The waiter asked diner not to come with
him dog into the restaurant.
8.- ‘Don’t say anything to your parents, ok?’ – she
said
She told him not to say anything to his
parents.
9.- ‘Send me a copy of the contract, will you?’ –
the lawyer told Mr. Smith
The lawyer told Mr. Smith to send him a
copy of the contract.
10.- ‘Please, show me the photographs’ – she said
She told photographer to show her the
photographs.
11.- ‘Stop smoking? – the doctor told him
The doctor asked him to stop smoking.
12.- ‘Never unlock this door!’ – he told his
assistant
He told his assistant to not
unlock that door
 REPORTED SPEECH

STATEMENTS - introducing verbs: say, tell, explain, think, etc. ...

EXERCISE 2

Sorry, Mr. Jones is 1.- ‘I think there is a bus at five o’clock’

out this morning. – my brother said
My brother said (that) he thought there is a bus
at five o´clock

2.- ‘She broke the glasses when she

was washing up’ – he said
He said (that) she had broken the glasses
The secretary told me that Mr. Jones was out when she was washing up.
that morning.
You have to fill in this form and 3.- ‘They can’t come because they are busy’
submit it in the office upstairs – Susan said
Susan said (that) they had not come because
they were busy

4.- ‘I’ll do my homework tomorrow’ – the

child told his mother
The child told his mother (that) he would do
his homework tomorrow.

5.- ‘We have been to Paris twice’ – she said

She said (that) they had been to Paris twice

The clerk explained to me that I had to fill in

that form and submit it in the office upstairs. 6.- ‘The boys are playing in the garden now’
– she said
She said (that) the boys were playing in the
I have been garden then
promoted.
7.- ‘I don’t know your new boyfriend’ – she
told Sheila
She told Sheila (that) she didn´t know her
new boyfriend.

8.- ‘Someone brought a parcel for you last

week’ – she told me
She told him (that) someone had brought a
The clerk told his wife that he had been parcel for him last week.
promoted
9.- ‘Mary, your glasses are on the table’ –
I know the answer her mother said
Mary´s mother said her that her glasses were
on the table

10.- ‘Tom is having dinner with us next

Saturday’ – he said
He said (that) Tom was having dinner with
them next Saturday.

The girl said that she knew the answer