DONT FORGET Task 2 Tell, say or ask.
e.g.: Mary says to Peter she is happy.
Change the pronouns: X says to Y
In reported speech you have to change I, me, my, mine,
myself, / we, us, our, ours, ourselves if X (speaker) isnt I or
we. YOU HAVE TO CONFORM I OR WE TO X.
Lets see two examples:
Mary says to Peter she is a student.
Mary says to Peter they are friends.
In reported speech you have to change you, your, yours,
yourself and yourselves if Y (receiver) isnt you. YOU HAVE
TO CONFORM YOU TO Y.
Lets see an example:
Mary says to Peter he is a teacher.
When the instruction is in the past you have to go back a
tense.
Task 1 Make indirect sentences in the present. Look at
the example.
e.g.: 'I am waiting for you.' Mary says to Peter she is
waiting for him.
'I am asking your help.'
1) Mary says to Peter _____________________________
_____________________________________________
2) Paul says to Jenny _____________________________
_____________________________________________
3) I say to you __________________________________
_____________________________________________
4) You say to me _______________________________
_____________________________________________
5) Jane says to the boys ___________________________
_____________________________________________
'We bought you some books yesterday.'
6) They say to us ________________________________
_____________________________________________
7) Sarah say to the children ________________________
_____________________________________________
8) Mary says to Peter _____________________________
_____________________________________________
9) You say to me _______________________________
_____________________________________________
10) I say to you _________________________________
_____________________________________________
'Have you seen my glasses here?'
11) Mary asks Peter _____________________________
_____________________________________________
12) Paul asks Jenny _____________________________
_____________________________________________
13) I ask you __________________________________
_____________________________________________
14) You ask me _______________________________
_____________________________________________
15) Jane asks the boys ____________________________
_____________________________________________
Susan V Toth
1) She _________ him to empty the rubbish.
2) Mother _________ Carl if he needs her help.
3) I _________ her that soup is delicious.
4) Kim _________ where she can park her car.
5) We _________ them not to listen to the music so loudly.
Task 3 - Make indirect
sentences in the present. Look
at the example.
e.g.: 'I am a student.' Mary
says to Peter she is a student.
1) 'Call for a taxi, please.' I to Ben
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2) 'I got forty cents change at the market yesterday.' Kim
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3) 'Why were your eyes sparkling?' Dave to me
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
4) 'Will you show me round the house?' Mr Ford to the agent
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
5) 'Julie is crying in her bedroom now.' Frank
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
6) 'Who do you take after?' The teacher to Lily
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
7) 'Your new bicycle has been stolen.' Sally to Rob
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
8) 'Don't ask me silly questions, Tom.' Tom's sister
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
9) 'You should have painted the walls green.' My mum to me
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
10) 'Would you give me a lift?' Eve to Charlie
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
11) 'Learn this poem by heart.' The teacher
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
12) 'Do you have to speak to him?' Greg to Nora
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
13) 'How could he be the murderer?' Mrs Taylor
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
14) 'I can't come now.' Jenny
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
15) 'Let's enjoy the party.' I to my friends
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Task 4 - Make indirect sentences
in the past. Look at the example.
e.g.: 'I am waiting for you.' Mary
said to Peter she was waiting for him.
1) 'Let me help you.' Sally to Rob
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
2) 'Whose hat are you wearing?' Mrs Gibson to Dave
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
3) 'We will win the election next month.' The politician
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
4) 'Have you drunk my glass of lemonade?' I to Ben
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
5) 'Where have you found these cats?' I to Ben
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
6) 'Your students are really diligent today.' Mrs Taylor to the
teacher
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
7) 'Don't enter my room.' Mrs Gibson to Dave
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
8) 'Are you hungry, children?' Mrs Gibson
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
9) 'I have seen a beautiful painting in the gallery.' Daisy
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
10) 'Did we win on the lottery last week?' Maggie
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Task 6 Complete the sentences with
the correct form of the verbs.
1) Jake said to Mary he ____________
____________ since his accident. (not / to drive)
2) Dad asked me what I __________________ then. (to
draw)
3) Olivia asked Jason where they ____________________
that day. (have to / to go)
4) Paul said he __________________ an apple that day. (to
buy)
5) Mr Johnson told the police somebody _______________
into his house while he ____________________. (to
break, to sleep)
6) The official told me _______________ him my passport.
(to show)
7) The reporter announced the murderer ______
________________ in his home the previous night. (to
catch - passive)
8) Jason said to me he ____________________ when he
________________ five. (can / to write, to be)
9) Brian said he ____________________ before that
football match the day before. (not / to sleep)
Susan V Toth
Task 5 - Put the introductory verb
into the past. Then put the
sentences into direct speech. Look
at the example.
e.g.: He says his uncle has written ten books.
He said his uncle had written ten books.
'My uncle has written ten books.'
1) The policeman tells Jane to fasten the seatbelts.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
2) Carl says to you he can learn thirty words a day.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
3) Mother asks the children how they eat the sausages.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
4) Granny asks her grandson whether he wants to taste her
apple pie.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
5) I say to Tim I have sent him some photos.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Task 7 Put the sentences into direct speech. Look at the
example.
e.g.: He said he had forgotten to post the letter.
'I have forgotten to post the letter.' or 'I forgot to
post the letter.'
1) Jake asked you what he could do for you.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
2) Molly said to Oliver she was playing in the sands then.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
3) Dan told me to be careful with those dogs.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
4) Mr Smith asked her to listen to him carefully.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
5) Charles said to us he was going to bring us something from
Japan.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
6) My teacher asked my father whether I spent enough time
with doing my homework.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
 KEY
Task 1
1) Mary says to Peter she is asking his help.
2) Paul says to Jenny he is asking her help.
3) I say to you I am asking your help.
4) You say to me you are asking my help.
5) Jane says to the boys she is asking their help.
6) They say to us they bought us some books the day
before / the previous day.
7) Sarah say to the children they bought them some books
the day before / the previous day.
8) Mary says to Peter they bought him some books the
day before / the previous day.
9) You say to me you bought me some books the day
before / the previous day.
10) I say to you we bought you some books the day before
/ the previous day.
11) Mary asks Peter if / whether he has seen her glasses
there.
12) Paul asks Jenny if / whether she has seen his glasses
there.
13) I ask you if / whether you have seen my glasses
there.
14) You ask me if / whether I have seen you glasses
there.
15) Jane asks the boys if / whether they have seen her
glasses there.
Task 2
1) She tells him to empty the rubbish.
2) Mother asks Carl if he needs her help.
3) I say to her that soup is delicious.
4) Kim asks where she can park her car.
5) We asks / tells them not to listen to the music so loudly.
Task 3
1) I ask Ben to call for a taxi.
2) Kim says she got forty cents change at the market the
day before / the previous day.
3) Dave asks me why my eyes were sparkling.
4) Mr Ford asks the agent if / whether s/he will show him
round the house.
5) Frank says Julie is crying in her bedroom then.
6) The teacher asks Lily who she takes after.
7) Sally says to Rob his new bicycle has been stolen.
8) Tom's sister tells Tom not to ask her silly questions.
9) My mum says to me I should have painted the walls green.
10) Eve asks Charlie if / whether he would give her a lift.
11) The teacher tells to learn that poem by heart.
12) Greg asks Nora if / whether she has to speak to him.
13) Mrs Taylor asks how he could be the murderer.
14) Jenny says she can't come then.
15) I suggest my friends we should enjoy the party. / I tell
my friends to let us enjoy the party.
Task 4
1) Sally told Rob to let her help him.
2) Mrs Gibson asked Dave whose hat he was wearing.
3) The politician said they would win the election the next
month.
4) I asked Ben if / whether he had drunk my glass of
lemonade.
5) I asked Ben where he had found those cats.
6) Mrs Taylor said to the teacher his/her students were
really diligent that day.
7) Mrs Gibson told Dave not to enter her room.
8) Mrs Gibson asked the children if / whether they were
hungry.
9) Daisy said she had seen a beautiful painting in the gallery.
10) Maggie asked if / whether they had won on the lottery
the previous week.
Task 5
1) The policeman told Jane to fasten the seatbelts.
'Fasten the seatbelts.'
2) Carl said to you he could learn thirty words a day.
'I can learn thirty words a day.'
3) Mother asked the children how they ate the sausages.
'How do you eat the sausages?'
4) Granny asked her grandson whether he wanted to
taste her apple pie.
'Do you want to taste my apple pie?'
5) I said to Tim I had sent him some photos.
'I have sent you some photos.'
Task 6
1) Jake said to Mary he hadn't driven since his accident.
2) Dad asked me what I was drawing then.
3) Olivia asked Jason where they had to go that day.
4) Paul said he had bought an apple that day.
5) Mr Johnson told the police somebody broke into his
house while he was sleeping.
6) The official told me to show him my passport.
7) The reporter announced the murderer had been caught
in his home the previous night.
8) Jason said to me he could write when he was five.
9) Brian said he hadn't slept before that football match
the day before.
Task 7
1) 'What can I do for you?'
2) 'I am playing in the sands now.'
3) 'Be careful with these dogs.'
4) 'Listen to me carefully, please.'
5) 'I am going to bring you something from Japan.'
6) 'Does she / your daughter/son spend enough time with
doing his/her homework?'