Reported Speech

Report the following remarks, beginning He told me.

1. My father’s ill.
He told me his father was ill.

2. I’ll tell her when I see her.
He told me he would tell her when he saw her.

3. I’ve been sleeping very badly.
He told me he had been sleeping very badly.

4. If they’re waiting for you, you ought to go.
He told me if they were waiting for me, I ought to go.

5. The price of petrol is going to go up.
He told me the price of petrol was going to go up.

6. I’m sure she won’t mind if you use the phone.
He told me he was sure she wouldn’t mind if I used the phone.

7. I wasn’t invited to the wedding.
He told me I hadn’t been invited to the wedding.

8. I’ve had my car serviced.
He told me he had had his car serviced.

9. I’m reading that book you lent me.
He told me he uses reading that book I went him.

10. They don’t play as much tennis as they used to.
He told me they didn’t play as much tennis as they used to .

11. Since they’ve already got one, there’s no point in giving them one.
He told me since they had already got one, there’ was no point in giving them one.

12. You look as if you haven’t eaten for weeks.
He told me I looked as if I hadn’t eaten for weeks.

Reporting Verbs: Facts

Report each conversation below in two sentences, using the verbs in brackets.

1. Smith: It was you who stole the car, wasn’t it ?
Brown: Nonsense. Of course I didn’t.
a. Smith accused Brown of stealing the car (accuse)
b. Brown denied that he had not stolen the car (deny)

2. Smith: But your fingerprints were found all over it.
Brown: I’m innocent, I tell you ! Innocent!
a. Smith pointed out that Brown’s finger prints had been found all over the car. (printout)
b. Brown insisted that he was innocent, (insist)

3. Brown: The owner lent it to me.
Smith: If you keep on lying, you’ll be in trouble.
a. Brown claimed that the owner had lent it to him (claim)
b. Smith warned Brown he kept on lying he would be in trouble.

4. Brown: Well, all right, I took the car.
Smith: Look, if you tell us what happened, you won’t be prosecuted.
Brown : I had to take it, because someone was following me and use it to escape in.
a. Brown admitted that he had taken the car.(admit)
b. Smith assured him if he told them what had happened he wouldn’t be prosecuted (assure)
c. Brown explained that he had had to take it because someone had been following him and he had used that to escape in. (explain)

Reporting Verbs: Influencing and Talking Action

choose one of the verbs in the list to report each of the remarks below.
promise advise suggest urge
threaten recommend insist beg

1. I can’t tell you how important it is for you to give up smoking.
He urged me to give up smoking.

2. You’ve got to lend me the money! Oh, please, Please!
He begged me to lend him the money.

3. Why don’t you paint the ceiling yellow?
He suggested me to paint the ceiling yellow

4. I’ll buy you an ice cream if you’re good
He promised me that he would buy / to buy me an ice cream.

5. You should spend a week in Scotland-it’s lovely.
He recommended me to spend a week in Scotland. It’s lovely

6. No, I’ve already told you-I’m going to pay.
He ring, is ted me to tell him, he was going to pay.

7. You really ought to have your roof repaired, you know.
He advised me to have my roof repaired .

8. I’ll report you to the police if you don’t do what I say.
He threatened me to report to police. If I didn’t do what he said.