• Oxford English Grammar Course Intermediate TEST 20 • indirect speech Name ● Tenses Complete the reported sentences with the correct tenses Use uncontracted forms (e.g he would NOT he’d) ▲ ‘You look tired’ I told her that she looked tired ‘We’re hungry!’ The children said that they hungry ‘Can you take me home, please?’ She asked me if I her home ‘Sonia’s had a baby.’ Mum called to say that Sonia a baby ‘Frank hasn’t changed his shirt since the party.’ Helen noticed that Frank his shirt since the party ‘Will you stay for lunch?’ We asked them if they for lunch ‘He won’t tell the truth.’ We knew that he the truth ‘Have you remembered Dad’s birthday?’ My sister asked me if I Dad’s birthday ‘I can’t talk because I’m having lunch.’ Paul told me that he because he lunch ● ‘here and now’ words Imagine these sentences were reported in another place a month later Complete the sentences ▲ ‘Is there anything good on TV tonight?’ He asked whether there was anything good on TV that night ‘We’re going on holiday tomorrow.’ They said that they were going on holiday ‘I’m seeing the doctor today.’ She told us that she was seeing the doctor ‘I don’t like it here.’ She told us that she didn’t like it ‘I’m busy so I can’t talk to you now.’ He told me that he was busy so he couldn’t talk to me ‘This coat is Sally’s.’ She said that coat was Sally’s ‘I saw Denise at the shops yesterday.’ She told me that she’d seen Denise at the shops ‘We had dinner at the new Italian restaurant last week.’ They told us that they’d had dinner at the new Italian restaurant ‘It’s important I need to see you this evening.’ I told him that it was important and that I needed to speak to him evening ● Ininitives Circle the correct form in italics He promised to repair / repairing the car for me They said me not to tell / that I mustn’t tell anybody what happened The ofered to meet / meeting us at the station She suggested to go / going to the new restaurant in town I don’t know if / whether to buy a new computer I asked him how I get / to get to the university from the city centre I told the children to not be / not to be so noisy ● Present situations Circle the best option: A or B ‘My shop is always open on Saturdays.’ He said yesterday that his shop A was B was OR is ‘I’m very happy.’ He told me today that he A was B was OR is always open on Saturdays very happy, but I don’t believe him ‘Do your parents like Chinese food?’ I asked her if her parents A liked B liked OR like ‘I’ll be a millionaire in ive years’ time.’ He said that he A would be B would be OR will be ‘How big is your new house?’ I asked them how big their new house A was B was OR is Oxford English Grammar Course • Intermediate TEST 20 • indirect speech Chinese food a millionaire in ive years’ time, but I’m sure he won’t ➔ © Michael Swan and Catherine Walter PHOTOCOPIABLE ● Indirect questions Which is better? Circle A or B A I asked him what time his shop opened B I asked him what time opened his shop A He wanted to know where could he leave his bicycle B He wanted to know where he could leave his bicycle A I asked her how many languages did she speak B I asked her how many languages she spoke A I didn’t know how far the hotel was from the station B I didn’t know how far was the hotel from the station A The hotel receptionist asked us if or not we were staying for dinner B The hotel receptionist asked us whether or not we were staying for dinner ● Special cases Change these sentences to indirect speech Begin with the expression in italics and use contracted forms (e.g I’d NOT I had) I met them on holiday two years ago (I thought) Christopher Columbus never visited North America (Our history teacher told us that) Beethoven was deaf when he wrote his greatest music (It said on this radio programme) I spoke to my brother in Canada last week (I told my parents) I couldn’t understand the instructions (I told the sales assistant) We had better leave now because it’s getting dark (I thought) I thought I ought to get a pay rise (I told my boss) ● Mixed structures Change these sentences to indirect speech Use contracted forms ▲ He’s wrong (I knew) I knew he was wrong I’m not enjoying this sandwich (She said) I don’t like cheese sandwiches (He says) Do you prefer a bath or a shower? (He asked us) Let’s have some lunch (She suggested) Their new house is lovely (We’ll tell them) We’ll make the beds (They ofered) You should be more careful (They advised us) I might be late (He called to say) My boss doesn’t like me (She thought) 10 When are you going to start your new job? (I asked her) / 50 Oxford English Grammar Course • Intermediate TEST 20 • indirect speech © Michael Swan and Catherine Walter PHOTOCOPIABLE