Ex.86 Indirect speech: statements

Some tenses/forms do not change when direct speech becomes indirect:

'I wish my children would eat vegetables,' she said. She (said she) wished her children would eat vegetables.

Put the following into indirect speech, being careful to avoid

ambiguity:

1 'I couldn't get into the house because I had lost my key, so I had to break a window,' he said.

2 'The mirror is there so that you can see yourself when you are dancing,' the instructress told him.

3 'I wrote to him the day before yesterday. I wonder why he hasn't rung up,' she said.

4 'If the ground is dry on the day of the race, my horse might win,'

said the owner.

5 'You'd better slow down. There's a speed limit here,' she said to me.

(Use advise.)

6 'If Tom wants seats, he'd better apply early,' she said.

7 'We walked 50 miles last night to see the Minister and protest about our rents being raised. He was very polite and promised to do what he could for us,' said one of the tenants.

8 'They should put traffic lights here, otherwise there'll be more accidents,' she said.

9 'It's time we began training for our next match,' the coach said to

them.

10 'If you leave home at six, you should be here by nine,' he said to me.

11 'If it rains this afternoon it will be too wet to play the match tomorrow,' the captain said.

12 'I meant to plug in the electric blanket but I plugged in the electric kettle by mistake. I'm always doing silly things like that,' she told

her guest.

13 'I was intending to do it tomorrow,' he said, 'but now I don't think

I'll be able to.'

14 'Bill should do very well at the university, Mrs Smith,' said the headmaster. 'He's done very well here.'

15 'I don't think your father likes me,' said the young wife.

'You mustn't think that,' said her husband; 'it is just that he is old and finds it hard to get used to new people.' (Leave mustn't unchanged.)

16 'The steak is overdone again. I'm not complaining; I'm just pointing it out,' said her husband. 'I wish you'd stop pointing things out,' said his wife.

17 'They couldn't open the safe on the spot so they carried it away with them,' the night watchman reported.

18 'If you saw my father, you'd recognize him at once. He is the most extraordinary-looking man,' she said to me.

19 'I found an old Roman coin in the garden yesterday,' he said, 'and I'm going to take it to the museum this afternoon.'

20 He said, 'I got out of my boat, leaving the engine running, but while I was standing on the quay the gears suddenly engaged themselves and the boat went straight out of the harbour with no one on board.'

21 Then Macbeth enters and says, 'I have done the deed.'

22 'Would you like me to go with you?' I said. 'I'd rather go alone,' he answered.

23 My brother said, 'You may take my car if you like. I shan't be needing it tomorrow or the day after.'

24 'Yesterday Tom and I went to look at a house that he was thinking of buying. It was rather a nice house and had a lovely garden but Tom decided against it because it was opposite a cemetery,' said Celia.

25 He said, 'My wife wants to take a job but I'd rather she concentrated on our home.'

26 'I don't know what your father will say when he sees what a mess your puppies have made of this five-pound note,' said my mother.

27 'It's high time you passed your test; I'm tired of driving round with an L-plate on the front of the car,' my sister said.

28 'I wish you'd seen it,' I said to her.

Ex.87 Indirect speech: questions

Put the following into indirect speech. The first ten questions require no change of order:

He said, 'What is happening?'

He asked what was happening.

1 'What happened to Mr Budd?' said one of the men.

2 'Which of his sons inherited his estate?' asked another.

3 'Who is going to live in the big house?' enquired a third.

4 'What will happen to his racehorses?' asked someone else.

5 'Which team has won?' asked Ann.

6 'Which team won the previous match?' said Bill.

7 'Who is playing next week?' he asked.

8 "Who will be umpiring that match?' asked Tom.

9 'Who wants a lift home?' said Ann.

10 'Who has just dropped a £10 note?' I asked.

11 'Where is the ticket office?' asked Mrs Jones.

12 'What shall I do with my heavy luggage?' she said. (Use should.)

13 'What platform does the train leave from?' asked Bill.

14 'When does it arrive in York?' he asked.

15 'When was the timetable changed?' I asked.

16 'Why has the 2.30 train been cancelled?' said Ann.

17 'How much does a day return to Bath cost?' Mrs Jones asked.

18 'Why does the price go up so often?' she wondered.

19 'How can I get from the station to the airport?' said Bill.

20 'When are you coming back?' I asked them.

21 'Is a return ticket cheaper than two singles?' said my aunt.

22 'Do puppies travel free?' asked a dog owner.

23 "Can I bring my dog into the compartment with me?' she asked.

24 'Does this train stop at York?' asked Bill.

25 'Can you telephone from inter-city trains?' said the businessman.

26 'Does the 2.40 have a restaurant car?' he enquired.

27 'Can you get coffee on the train?' asked my aunt.

28 'Do they bring it round on a trolley?' she said.

29 'Are there smoking compartments?' said the man with the pipe.

30 'Have you reserved a seat?' I asked him.

Extra exercise: read the last twenty questions, using one of the following prefaces: I wonder/I'd like to know/Do you know?/Have you any idea?/Can you tell me?

1)'Do you know where the ticket office is?'

2)'I wonder what I should do with my heavy luggage.'