Exercise on Reported Speech

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Reported Speech without backshift Change of Pronouns

Helen is in front of the class holding a presentation on London. As Helen is rather shy, she speaks with a very low voice. Your classmate Gareth does not understand her, so you have to repeat every sentence to him. Complete the sentences in reported speech (no backshift). Note the change of pronouns and verbs.

Helen: I want to tell you something about my holiday in London. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that she wants to tell us something about her holiday in London.
she wants to t

Helen: I went to London in July. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that she went to London in July. Helen: My parents went with me. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that her parents went with her. Helen: We spent three days in London. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that they spent three days in London. Helen: London is a multicultural place. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that London is a multicultural place. Helen: I saw people of all colours. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that she saw people of all colours. Helen: Me and my parents visited the Tower. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that she and her parents visited the Tower.
she and her pa she saw people London is a mu they spent thr her parents we she went to Lo

Helen: One evening we went to see a musical. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that one evening they went to see a musical. Helen: I love London. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that she loves London. Helen: The people are so nice there. Gareth: What does she say? You: She says that the people are so nice there. Great, all answers are correct!
the people are she loves Lond one evening th

Exercise on Reported Speech

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Reported Speech without backshift Change of Pronouns and Places

Your friend is an exchange student in the USA at the moment. You are speaking with him on the phone and your friend Sue is standing next to you. She is very excited - you have to repeat every sentence to her. Complete the sentences in reported speech (no backshift). Note the change of pronouns, places and verbs.

Tom: I'm fine. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that he is fine. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that the weather there is great. Tom: My host family is very nice. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that his host family is very nice. Tom: I have my own room. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that he has his own room. Tom: We have a national park here. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that they have a national park there. Tom: We went there yesterday. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that they went there yesterday. Tom: It was great.
they went ther they have a na he has his own his host famil the weather th he is fine.

Tom: The weather here is great.

Sue: What does he say? You: He says that it was great. Tom: I'd love to go there again. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that he'd love to go there again. Tom: The teachers at my school are very nice. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that the teachers at his school are very nice. Tom: My English has improved. Sue: What does he say? You: He says that his English has improved. Great, all answers are correct!
his English ha the teachers a he'd love to g it was great.

Exercise on Reported Speech

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backshift

Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and time expressions where necessary. 1. She said, "I am reading." She said that she was reading. 2. They said, "We are busy." They said that they were busy.
they were busy she was readin

3. He said, "I know a better restaurant." He said that he knew a better restaurant.
he knew a bett

4. She said, "I woke up early." She said that (Your answer: she woke up early.) she had woken up early.
she woke up ea

5. He said, "I will ring her." He said that he would ring her. 6. They said, "We have just arrived." They said that they had just arrived. 7. He said, "I will clean the car." He said that he would clean the car.
he would clean he would ring

they had just

8. She said, "I did not say that." She said that (Your answer: she did not say that.) she had not said that.
she did not sa

9. She said, "I don't know where my shoes are." She said that (Your answer: she did not know where her shoes was.) she did not know where her shoes were.
she did not kn

10. He said: "I won't tell anyone." He said that he would not tell anyone. 7 out of 10 answers are correct.
he would not t

Exercise on Reported Speech

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backshift and Place expressions

Imagine you want to repeat sentences that you heard two weeks ago in another place. Rewrite the sentences in reported speech. Change pronouns and expressions of time and place where necessary. 1. They said, "This is our book." They said that was their book.
that was their

2. She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday." She said (Your answer: that she went to the cinema the day before) that she had gone to the cinema the day before.
that she went

3. He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow." He said he was writing a test the next day. 4. You said, "I will do this for him." You said you would do that for him. 5. She said, "I am not hungry now." She said she was not hungry then.
she was not hu you would do t he was writing

6. They said, "We have never been here before." They said they had never been there before.
they had never

7. They said, "We were in London last week." They said (Your answer: they were in London last week.) that they had been in London the week before.
they were in L

8. He said, "I will have finished this paper by tomorrow." He said he would have finished that paper by the next day. 9. He said, "They won't sleep." He said they would not sleep. 10. She said, "It is very quiet here." She said it was very quiet there. 8 out of 10 answers are correct.
it was very qu they would not he would have

Exercise on Reported Speech

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Questions - Exercise 1
Complete the sentences in reported speech. Note the change of pronouns and tenses. 1. "Where is my umbrella?" she asked. She asked (Your answer: where was her umbrella.) where her umbrella was.
where was her

2. "How are you?" Martin asked us. Martin asked us (Your answer: how we are.) how we were. 3. He asked, "Do I have to do it?" He asked whether he had to do it.
whether he had how we are.

4. "Where have you been?" the mother asked her daughter. The mother asked her daughter where she had been.
where she had

5. "Which dress do you like best?" she asked her boyfriend. She asked her boyfriend (Your answer: which dress did he like best?) which dress he liked best.
which dress di

6. "What are they doing?" she asked. She wanted to know (Your answer: what were they doing.) what they were doing.
what were they

7. "Are you going to the cinema?" he asked me. He wanted to know (Your answer: whether he went to the cinema.) if I was going to the cinema.
whether he wen

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.
how I knew tha who spoke Engl

10. "Has Caron talked to Kevin?" my friend asked me. My friend asked me (Your answer: whether Caron talked to Kevin.) if Caron had talked to Kevin.