Ex. 4. Choose the right adverbial.

1. A few days (before, ago) we celebrated my mother‘s birthday. She was sorry her cousin wasn‘t present. He had gone away on business (yesterday, the day before). 2. I gave my friend my pocket dictionary (last week, the week before) and he promised he would return it (tomorrow, the next day). He kept his promise. 3. (Last month, the previous month) I saw John. He looked sunburnt. He had returned from the South (last week, the previous week). 4. Dick spent last Sunday in the country. We were sure he had had a good time (this day, that day). 5. When I was at Mary‘s some days (ago, before) she showed me a good pronouncing dictionary. She explained she had bought (this, that) dictionary in London 3 weeks (ago, before). 6. I‘ve just phoned Bill and found out that he is leaving (tonight, that night). 7. I saw Mary at 5 (yesterday, the day before). She regretted she was very busy (now, at that moment) and couldn‘t help me. 8. He explained that he had rented the house 2 years (ago, before). 9. They seemed to be working from dawn till dusk (this, that) summer. 10. They informed us that the company had sent us all the details by express post three months (ago, before). 11. We were sure that it was quite possible to buy (this, that) house on credit (last, the previous) year. 12. Diana said (yesterday, the day before) that the last time she had seen Jean was 2 months (ago, before). 13. Tony‘s father told us that his son had been practising the clarinet (the previous night, the night ago). 14. We learnt that Alex and Sally had ended their relationship about months (before, ago). 15. He was sorry that he had made such a fool of himself (yesterday morning, the morning before).

Ex. 5. Use the verbs in brackets in the correct tense-form.

1. Nick didn‘t want to stay at his relatives. He explained he (put up) at a hotel. 2. He predicted that he (discover) the tiny particle when he conducted his next experiment. 3. I was not sure I (be able) to remember the exact details. 4. I hoped that she (mature) as the years went by. 5. I had always believed that one day I (see) him. 6. The company promised that they (reimburse) our expenses. 7. We decided that we (travel) to New York by sea rather than go by air. 8. He insisted that the reforms (save) the system, not destroy it. 9. Mrs Johnson was sure that she (still, work up) for that company the whole of next year. 10. John explained that he (wait) for his A-level exam results until next week. 11. We agreed to go to the pictures yesterday evening. My friend promised he (wait) for me outside the cinema at 6. 12. She was sure that her kids (like) a light breakfast. 13. He was told that if he (want) to continue working for the company he (have to) smarten up his appearance. 14. There was no doubt the government (make) every effort to avert an economic crisis. 15. When she said she (not/give) me my money back I got furious.

Ex. 6. Open the brackets using the right adverbials.

1. A couple of weeks ago my son asked me to take him to the circus. I promised that we would go there (next week, the next week). 2. I ran into Mike last Sunday in a fast-food restaurant. It was a surprise to us that he was leaving (tomorrow, the next day) for Paris to participate in a forum. 3. John promised me yesterday that he will drop in on my parents (next, the following) Sunday and will tell them I‘m O.K.51. 4. They‘ve just announced that the exam on Linguistics will be put off till the end of (next, the next) term. 5. There was very strong hope that the wounded man would survive by (next, the next) morning. 6. Clare told Alan that they were allowed to pay the bills (in two days, two days later). 7. I had intended to visit Helen in hospital last Friday, but her husband phoned me on Thursday and said that the doctors would discharge her from hospital (the day after tomorrow, in two days time). 8. Last year he definitely promised his wife that (next, the next) summer they would spend at the seaside. 9. We arrived in Turin on Monday. (Next, the following) day we left for Rome. 10. That summer was very wet. (Next, the next) summer was even wetter. 11. I quite forgot that (the day after tomorrow, in two days time) we were leaving for the South. 12. The students understood they didn‘t have to leave until (the next day, tomorrow).

REPORTED (INDIRECT) SPEECH

We can report people‘s words by using direct speech or reported speech.

Direct speech is the exact words someone used. We use quotation marks in direct speech. e.g. „It’s nice to be home, Tom said.

Reported speech is the exact meaning of what someone said, but not the exact words. We do not use quotation marks in reported speech. We can either use the word that after the introductory verb (say, tell, etc.), or we can omit it. e.g. Tom said (that) it was nice to be home.

We can use the verbs say and tell both in direct and reported speech.

Tell is always followed by a personal object (told me).

Say is used with or without a personal object. When used with a personal object it is always followed by the preposition to (said to me).

Study the following examples:

direct speech	reported speech
He said, „I’m Ted.”„	He said (that) he was Ted.
He said to me, „I’m Ted.”	He said to me (that) he was Ted.
He told me, „I’m Ted.”	He told me (that) he was Ted. (NOT: He told that he was Ted)

Say and tell are also used with the following expressions: saygood morning/afternoon, etc., something/nothing, etc., one‘s prayers, so, a few words, say so, say no more, say for certain

tellthe truth, a lie, a secret, a story, the time, the difference, sb one‘s name, sb the way, one from another, one‘s fortune

Reporting questions

When reporting a question, you should also change the question into an indirect question. In other words, you need to change this sentence so that it is a normal positive sentence, not a question.
You can use the words if or whether for YES / NO questions.

Direct speech	Reported speech
She asked, "Are you well?"	She asked if I was well.
"Where do you live?" he asked me.	He asked me where I lived.
"Why don't we meet?" she asked me.	She asked me why we didn't meet.
I asked, "How does she make them?"	I asked how she made them.
They asked, "Where is the mall?"	They asked where the mall is.