1. Work in pairs. Discuss the difference in meaning between these sentences.
1. They might tell me but... They may have told me but... They might have told me but... They may tell me but...
2. You mustn't tell her that... You don't have to tell her that... You needn't tell her that... You oughtn't to tell her that...
3.1 should have trusted him but... I had to trust him but... I shouldn't have trusted him but... I didn't have to trust him but... I needn't have trusted him but...
4. She can't have lunch because... She can't be having lunch because... She couldn't have lunch because... She can't have had lunch because...
5. We could have tea early because... We were able to have tea early because...
6. He may not have seen her, so... He can't have seen her, so...
He may not be seeing her, so... He can't be seeing her, so... He may not see her, so... He can't see her so...
12. Work in pairs. Match the sentences on the left to the ones on the right closest meaning.
1. I can't help you to find accommodation.
2. I don't have to help you to find accommodation.
3. I won't help you to find accommodation.
4. She can't be joking.
5. She can't tell jokes.
6. She must be joking.
7. She mustn't tell jokes.
8. You can't leave now.
9. You could leave now.
10. You don't have to leave now.
11. You needn't leave now.
12. You shouldn't leave now.
a) It's not my responsibility to help you.
b) I'm unwilling to help you.
c) I'm unable to help you.
d) I'm sure she is.
e) I'm sure she isn't.
f) She isn't allowed to.
g) She is no good at it.
h) It's not a good idea to
go-
i) I won't let you go. j) It's unnecessary to go. k) It would be possible to
go-
3.Read the article and put the correct expressions of obligation and permission into the gaps. Discuss the text.
cannot ride / will not marry / will dress / shall sweep /
may not visit / may not travel / must be / must be at horns
/ should command / can only keep
At the beginning of the 20th century female teachers had a very restricted life. There was a set of "golden rules" that they had to abide by or risk instant dismissal. The rules were there to make sure teachers commanded authority and respect, but for women it meant sacrificing a lot of personal freedom. Nowadays it seems quite incredible that such strict rules should be enforced on female teaching staff.
1. You... during the term of your contract.
2. You... company with other women.
3. You... authority and respect from your pupils at all times.
4. You... between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
5. You... ice-cream parlours at any time.
6. You... in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
7. You... the schoolroom floor at least once daily.
8. You... in plain colours of grey or black and your dress... no more than 1 inch above the ankles.
9. You... beyond the city limits without the permission of the chairman of the board of school governors.
|
|
|
4. a) Read the following story about Nancy Wilson and put the correct words from the box into the gaps.
had to didn't have to was allowed (to)
couldn't weren't allowed to were forbidden to
Nancy Wilson was a teacher in Valley Road School, Sun-derland from 1920 to 1929. Here is her story:
"I was the youngest of six daughters and like many middle class girls, I... become a teacher. I had no choice. I... earn a living in any other way. My day started at seven o'clock in the morning, when I... sweep and dust the schoolroom, and we... leave at the end of the day until this task was repeated. I had two grey dresses and I wore one of them every day. It... be
grey. Black... also, but we... were anything fashionable or colourful. We... ride in automobiles with any men except our father or brothers. This was no hard ship because our family had no car. The most ridiculous rule of all was the one about visiting ice-cream parlours. I can't imagine why we... go there. Eventually, when I was 229,1 did meet and marry a young man, Jack. Then, of course, I... give up teaching. You... continue as a married woman."
b) Discuss Nancy's story in pairs.
c) Think of any other rules you (your friends, your parents, etc.) had to follow. Use the words from the box in a).
5. Work in groups. Look at the "rules for office staff" from a 19th century office notice board. Discuss these questions and the questions after the text with your partners.
What were clerks allowed / forbidden to do in that office in 1852?
Why were the various rules applied?
What might have happened if any rules had been broken?
Office Staff Practices
1. Godliness, cleanliness and punctuality are the necessities of a good business.
2. This firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
3. Daily prayers will be held each morning in the main office. The clerical staff will be present.
4. Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colour.
5. Over-shoes and top coats may not be worn in the office but neck scarves and head wear may be worn in inclement weather.
6. A stove is provided for the benefit of the clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It recommended that
each member of the clerical staff bring 4 pounds of coal each day during cold weather.
7. No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from Mr Rogers. The calls of nature are permitted and clerical staff may use the garden beyond the second gate. This area must be kept in good order.
8. No talking is allowed during business hours.
9. The craving for tobacco, wines, or spirits is a human weakness and as such is forbidden to all members of the clerical staff.
10. Now that the hours of business have been drastically reduced the partaking of food is allowed between 11.30 a.m. noon, but work will not on any account cease.
11. Members of the clerical staff will provide their own pens. The owners will expect a great rise in the output of work to compensate for these near Utopian Conditions.
What is allowed /forbidden now in an office (or classroom)? Why?
What might happen if any of these rules are broken?
|
|
|
Suppose you could change the rules in the place you work or study in, what changes would you make to the things people could / could not do and would have to / would not have to do.
Do you find any common rules in Ex. 6, Ex. 7 and this one? What are they?
Drawing Conclusions with might, could, can't, must + Perfect Infinitive
6. Past modal verbs: may have, might have, could have, must have, can't have.
Now you see me, now you don't.
1) Work in pairs. Here there are some true stories about people appearing or disappearing. Look at these questions about the first story and predict what the answers might be.
1. Where was the old Spanish woman looking after her grandchild?
2. Why did the grandchild cry out?
3. Where was the strange, sad face?
4. What appeared three weeks later?
5. What did they hear at the same time?
6. What happened in the end?
2) Read the story and put the paragraphs in the right order. The ending is missing.
a. For what had frightened the child was a strange, sad face staring up from the faded pink tiles of the kitchen floor. When the woman had recovered from the shock, she tried to rub away the face. But the eyes only opened wider, making the expression of the face even sadder.
b. When the kitchen was locked and sealed, four more faces appeared in another part of the house and microphones set up by investigators recorded sounds the ear could not hear -moans and voices which were speaking in a strange language. The faces and sounds both disappeared, as mysteriously as they had arrived, leaving no clue as to what they were or why they had come.
c. After the incident, in August 1971, the old woman sent for the owner of the house, who lived in Belmez near Cordoba. He removed the tiled floor and replaced it with concrete. But three weeks later another face appeared, its features even clearer. Now faces appeared all over the kitchen floor - first one, then another, then a whole group.
d. An old Spanish woman was looking after her grandchild in the kitchen of her tiny village home when the youngster suddenly cried out. The grandmother turned round - and got the shock of her life.
3) Now work in pairs and check your answers to /.
4) Work in pairs. Talk about what might have happened in the story. Give possible explanations. Use could have, might have, must have and can't have.
5) Read the following to find out what had happened in the story.
They were very puzzled by what they had seen, so they called the local authorities. They were told that the house was built on the site of a medieval cemetry.
6) Work as Student A and Student B.
Student A: Read the story and guess the missing words and phrases.
In 1889, an English woman and her daughter,... checked into one of the most lavish hotels.... The daughter wanted to take in the sights and sounds of the city immediately, but her mother,..., wanted to sleep. The girl went out alone,..., and saw the Eiffel Tower. Six hours later she returned to her other's room, only to find it empty, and no sign of her mother ever having been there. When she checked with the front desk, they insisted that they had never seen her.... The mother had disappeared. The desperate girl searched for weeks.... She died several years later in a mental hospital, having gone mad....
Here are the missing phrases. Decide where they go in the story.
a. Each had her own room.
b.... on a visit to the Great Paris Exhibition...
c.... strolled down the Champs Elysees...
d.... because of the loss of her mother.
e.... tired after the trip...
f.... before finally returning to England.
g.... or her mother.
Student B: Read the story and guess the missing words and phrases.
An English journalist was walking... in Torremolinos with a friend,... but not paying much attention to what the other was saying. At one stage the friend turned round to say something to the journalist and was astonished....He assumed his companion must have disappeared into a side street..., so he returned to their hotel, expecting the journalist to turn up.... Four hours
|
|
|
later,... when the friend was thinking about contacting the police, the journalist turned up at the hotel,....
Here are the missing phrases. Decide where they go in the story.
a.... in time for dinner...
b.... along a small street...
c.... with a bandage around his head.
d.... to explore something of interest...
e.... long after the meal was over and...
f.... Chattering happily...
g.... to find that he had disappeared.
Discuss the stories in pairs. Ask each other questions. Say what might or must have happened to them in your opinion.
7) Read the following text to find the explanations to the stories.
After the daughter had gone sightseeing, her mother complained to the hotel doctor that she felt ill. She had contracted the plague. The hotel officials were instructed to keep the news quiet in case everyone left the city and the Great Exhibition ended in disaster. The mother's room was quickly cleaned and another quest moved in. No one knows what happened to the mother, but it is assumed she remained in France until she died.
It turned out that the journalist had been so busy looking at the sights he had not noticed that a manhole cover had been removed from the pavement and had simply fallen down it while his friend carried on talking, completely unaware of what had happened.
8) Work in groups of two or three. Do you know of any other strange stories like the ones in this lesson? Think about:
ghosts, crimes, ships lost at sea, strange things in the sky, wild animals, fortune telling, voices from the past, reincarnation, curses.
Do any of your stories have simple explanations?
7.
Must Should Ought to Can / could May / might
+ Perfect Infinitive Compared
1) Find in the text sentences with modal verbs + Perfect Infinitive. Define the meanings of the modal verbs. Arrange a dramatization on the story.
Martin had been one of the winners named in a magazine crossword competition and was waiting impatiently for the postman to deliver his cheque.
"It ought to have been delivered by now", he said to Jillian one breakfast time. "The results were published over a week ago, so the prizes must have been posted before this. Even if they were sent off on the day the results were published, they should have been delivered by now. It can't have been lost in the post, can it?" he asked doubtfully.
"Do you think", Jillian suggested, "that your form might have been wrongly filled in? If you didn't write our address clearly enough, the cheque could have been misdirected".
Martin was about to explain that the address must have been correctly written, because he had checked the form twice when he heard the sound of letters falling through the letter-box onto the front-door mat. He came back to the breakfast table with two bills, but no cheque. "It must have been mislaid", he said. "I'll ring the magazine during the day".
"Well, what's your news?" Jillian asked when she met Martin on their way home that evening.
"Oh, I rang the magazine", he told her, "and they said the cheques should have been received because they had been posted a week ago. So I rang the post office, I said I wondered if a letter could have been lost or if it might have been wrongly delivered. They said it couldn't have been mislaid in the post office and that if it had been sent to the wrong address, it would have been returned to them. So I rang the police and told them
|
|
|
that a cheque should have been delivered to me but hadn't. They said that an envelope might have been dropped in the street by the postman, but it's unusual, and that it ought to have been handed in to them as lost property if it had been picked up. It would certainly have been there if anyone had found it".
"Then I met Tom at lunchtime", Martin said, as they were approaching the front door. "He suggested it might have been pushed under the door mat. Let's see", he said, opening the door and bending down. Red-faced, he showed Jillian a dusty envelope.
"It must have been there for days", she laughed. "Come on, how much have you won?"
The cheque was for one pound. "It'll pay for the telephone calls", Martin said. "I'd better ring Tom, and let him know he was right".
"It might have been lost for years", Tom said, when he heard, "if I hadn't suggested looking under the mat. You don't mind if I write a little story about it for my paper, do you?" And two days later Martin read in the local paper for which Tom worked:
A valuable letter to Mr Martin Fry was thought to have been lost or misdirected. After two months the letter was discovered to have been pushed under the front-door mat. Perhaps Mr Fry's mat will get cleaned more often in future.
"Your friend", said Jillian, when she read it, "has got a misplaced sense of humour".
2) Single out from the dialogues sentences with modal verbs + Perfect Infinitive. Define the meanings of tlie modal verbs. Act out the dialogues.
Dialogue 1 Mr Fielding: Sorry to hear about the fire, Charles. Not too
much damage, I hope? Mr Williams: No, it wasn't too bad. We've had to redecorate
the whole of the living-room, but the rest of the
house wasn't damaged. Mr Fielding: I suppose it must have been a cigarette-end.
Mr Williams: Probably. We ought to have checked for that sort of thing after the party.
Mr Fielding: I wonder who the culprit was? It couldn't have been me -1 don't smoke.
Mr Williams: It might have been Ted Redman or Bill Cole-man - the more they drink, the worse they get.
Mr Fielding: It could well have been old Bill. He was standing by the big window flicking his ash all over the place.
Mr Williams: So he was! Still, it could have been anyone, and the insurance company's paying the bill.
Dialogue 2
(Maggie has been shopping. She has just come back.) Robert: Oh, there you are at last, Maggie. We're absolutely
starving.
Maggie: Luckily I found a self-service store. Here you are: two tins of herring in tomato sauce and a tin of wild boar! Robert: Wild boar! Oh, Maggie, you might have brought
some nice pork chops instead of wild boar. Maggie: Don't be ungrateful, Robert. Now pass me the tin-opener.
Robert: Where did you pack the tin-opener? Maggie: I may have put it in the cooker. Robert: No, it isn't with the cooker. You must have forgotten
to take it. Maggie: No, I can't possible have forgotten the tin-opener. I
must have put it in some very safe place. Robert: Oh, women! Now think hard, Maggie: where could
you have put it?
Maggie: I might have put it in the glove compartment of the car, but no, that's not very likely. Oh, I might have put it with the first-aid kit. No that's not very likely either. Robert: Don't tell us where you might have put it. Tell us where you did put it. And we should have brought a spare one.
Maggie: Now, let me think where else I could have put it.
Mmm... I know, I may have put it together with the
tent-pegs.
Robert: No, I would have noticed it when I put up the tent. Maggie: I know! I remember Jim using it this morning. He
ought to have pocketed it by mistake. He's always
doing things like that. Robert: Where is Jim, by the way? Maggie: He must have gone to town. Robert: Well, there's nothing for it, Maggie. You'll have to
go and buy another tin-opener. Maggie: We'll have bread and cheese for lunch. I refuse to do
any more shopping, and that's my last word.
Dialogue 3
Mr Green: How did you enjoy your stay in Britain last year?
Mr Krolik: Oh, very much indeed.
Mr Green: Did you stay in one place or did you move about?
Mr Krolik: We moved around a great deal. We had our car with us. We saw London, Brighton, Salisbury, Oxford and Cambridge, Stratford-on-Avon and Leeds. We also visited the Lake.
Mr Green: I hope you went to the Trossachs. Did you?
Mr Krolik: The Trossachs? Let me think... No, I don't think we did. I seem to remember the name though. It's a beauty spot near Glasgow, isn't it?
|
|
|
Mr Green: Yes, that's right. You must have read about the Trossachs in the guide book. You may have seen some photographs, too. That's one of the most beautiful places in Britain. Have you read Walter Scott's poem "The Lady of the Lake?" Mr Krolik: No, I haven't.
Mr Green: You should have read it. It's all about that district. What a pity you didn't go to the Trossachs. You ought to have seen that wonderful scenery.
Mr Krolik: Yes, I'm very sorry I didn't. We were to have gone, but the weather wasn't very good and we put it off. Then there were so many other places to visit.
Mr Green: You shouldn't have missed the Trossachs though.
8. Famous for fifteen minutes.
1. Read the newspaper headlines paying attention to modal verbs of probability. What do you think may have happened to the man and the woman? Read the ideas below. Which do you agree with?
A. "Excuse me... I've just jumped off the Empire State Building!" He must be Superman! He can't be serious. He must be joking. He might be a bungee-jumper. He could have come down by parachute. He might have been trying to commit suicide. He may be acting in a film. He must have injured himself. His story will be in all the newspapers. He may become famous.
B. 40 Years in Bed - With Flu. (Rewrite the ideas using the modal verb in brackets).
1) She probably doesn't have flu. (can't)
2) It's likely that she has had a more serious illness, (must)
3) Perhaps she is just very lazy, (might)
4) It's not possible that the doctor told her to stay in bed for so long, (couldn't)
5) Surely someone has been looking after her. (must)
6) She will probably find it very difficult to walk again, (may)
2. Read the complete newspaper stories. Which of the ideas in A and were correct? Answer these questions.
a. Why did Jason jump off the Empire State Building? Why has Mrs Teppit spent forty years in bed?
b. Who are the other people in the stories? What did they do?
"Excuse Me... I've just Jumped off the Empire State Building!"
On Christmas Eve, Bob Stichman was working in his office
Ion the 85th floor of the Empire State Building in New York, when he heard a knock at the window. He looked up and saw a "man standing on the window ledge asking to come in. "I thought I was dreaming. You don't meet a lot of guys coming in through the window of the 85th floor!" The guy was Jason Hosen, a young, unsuccessful artist, who was so broke and alone that he had decided to kill himself. He had taken the elevator to the 86lh floor and then hurled himself towards the tiny cars 1.000 feet below on Fifth Avenue. However, strong winds had blown him onto the window ledge of the 85th floor, which is where he met Bob Stichman. His story appeared on TV, and hundreds of people have offered to have him stay for Christmas.
Other uses of modal verbs.
All of the comments below were made by people in the two newspaper stories. Who do you think is speaking to who?
"Excuse me. May I come in?"
"You must stay in bed until I return".
"I've had to look after her since I was 14".
"I couldn 't believe my eyes".
"You should have been examined years ago".
"She won't get up".
"I can't find anything wrong with you at all".
"I ought to call the police".
"Can I get up soon?"
"You should try to lose weight".
"She told me that I couldn't get married and that I had to look after her".
"Will you spend Christmas with us?" "You'// have to have physiotherapy". "You mustn 't do anything like this again". "You don't have to do everything for her".
What concepts do the verbs in italics express? Permission? Obligation/advice? Ability? Willingness/refusal?
YEARS IN BED - WITH FLU
Doctor Mark Pemberton, who has just taken over a medical practice in rural Suffolk, visited a 74-year-old widow, Mrs Ada Teppit at her home in the village of Nacton. Mrs Teppit has been bedridden for 40 years. The doctor examined her but couldn't find anything wrong. He questioned her daughter. Norma, aged 54, and to his amazement discovered that 40 years ago the village doctor had ordered Mrs Teppit to bed because she had influenza and told her not to get up until he returned. He never returned so she never got up. Her daughter has been looking after her ever since. She has never married nor had any job other than taking care of her mother. Now Mrs Teppit's muscles have wasted, and she has put on a lot of weight. She may never walk again.
9. Talking about obligation, permission and prohibition using have to, be obliged to, be supposed to, don't have to, can, be allowed, can't, not to be allowed, not to be supposed to.
1. a) Read the text "The Way of St James ". Find all the places the modals mentioned in the task are used. Translate them into Russian.
The Way of St James
IF YOU DRIVE across the south-west of France and into northern Spain you'll begin to notice groups of walkers. Most are carrying backpacks and long sticks, and somewhere they're wearing a scallop shell. You can stop and talk to them, but you're not allowed to give them a lift. They're on a guided tour, but they're not ordinary tourists. They're pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St James, to Santiago de
Compostela, the route that millions of people have taken over hundreds of years.
The pilgrimage to Santiago, where St James is believed to be buried, was extremely popular, especially among the French and other north Europeans because it was easier to get to than the pilgrim routes to Rome or Jerusalem.
In the Middle Ages, pilgrims were rather like today's package tourists. The season began in April or May, and they travelled in groups because it was safer and also more enjoyable. To prove they had done the pilgrimage, the rules were quite strict. They had to follow a well-planned route and visit important places of culture where they bought souvenirs - scallop shells, for example - to prove where they had been. They had to travel on foot or by horse and they stayed in special hostels. For some, the pilgrimage was an important religious experience, but for many it was a chance to have a holiday and do some sightseeing-
These days the rules are less strict. Yu only have to travel 100 km on foot or horseback. You can go by bicycle as well, but you're not supposed to drive or hitchhike, so to prove you have resisted this temptation, you're obliged to obtain a "passport" from the Confraternity of St James and get a stamp at various offices along the route.
You don't even have to be very religious. Many people see it as an alternative to package tours and beach holidays. But the Camino is getting very popular and if you want to do it in the peace and quiet which the pilgrims in the past enjoyed, you should travel out of season and avoid the fiesta of St James in July.
When you arrive in Santiago, you have to show your passport at the Pilgrim's Office by the cathedral. A church official checks the dates on the stamps and if he is satisfied, he gives you a compostela. The Hotel de los Reyes Catolicos, where the pilgrims used to stay and which is now a modern hotel, is still obliged to give up to ten pilgrims one free meal a day for three day, although they can't eat it in its main, very fashionable res-
taurant. Finally, you're supposed to enter the magnificent cathedral and touch the statue of St James. With this last gesture you have become part of the pilgrim tradition that has attracted believers and tourists for many hundreds of years.
b) Correct these false statements about "The Way of St James". Say full sentences.
1. You don't have to give the pilgrims a lift.
2. You are not allowed to talk to them.
3. They didn't have to travel in groups.
4. They weren't allowed to stay in special hostels.
5. They were supposed to travel on foot.
6. You are supposed to get a stamp at various places.
7. You are allowed to show you passport in Santiago.
8. Pilgrims have to eat in the main hotel restaurant.
c) Discuss the text.
2. Think of a situation which involves a number of rules in your country. Make notes on:
- What you have to do
- What you are allowed to do
- What you aren't allowed to do
- What you aren't supposed to do
3. Write a description of the situation you chose in l(b). Use the linking words in bold for a list of points.
When you do your military service, you are obliged to join the army for a year. Firstly, you're obliged to stop your studies. Then you have to leave your family. What's more, you aren't supposed to go home very often. And worst of all, you aren't allowed to have long hair.
Use however to introduce contrasting points.
Remember to separate in from the rest of the sentence with a comma.
However, you're allowed to go out at weekends.
10. Asking for and giving advice: must, should, be supposed to, do I have to, should I, am I supposed to...?
1, Read the text "Do it in style" and decide if the writer's advice is mainly for men or for women.
Do it in style
Aix is a university town, and there is clearly something that attracts pretty students. The terrace of the Deux Garcon cafe is always full of them, and it is my theory that they are there for education rather than refreshment. They are taking a degree course in cafe behaviour, with a syllabus divided into four parts. One: the arrival. You must always arrive as conspicuously as possible, preferably on the back of a crimson Kawasak 750 motor cycle driven by a young man in head-to-toe black leather x and three-day stubble. You mustn't stand on the pavement and wave him goodbye as he drives off down the street to visit his hairdresser. That is for naive little girls form the Auvergne. The sophisticated student is too busy for sentiment. You are concentrating on the next stage.
Two: the entrance. You must always keep your sunglasses on until you see a friend at one of the table, but you should not appear to be looking for company. Instead, the impression should be that you're heading into the cafe to make a phone call to your titled Italian admirer, when - what a surprise! - you see a friend. You can then remove the sunglasses and toss your hair while your friends persuade you to sit down.
Three: ritual greetings. You must kiss everyone at the table at least twice, often three times, and in special cases four times. Your friends are supposed to remain seated, allowing you to bend and swoop around the table, tossing your hair, and getting in the way of the waiters.
Four: table manners. When you have sat down, you should put your sunglasses back on to allow you to look at your own reflection in the cafe windows - to check important detail of technique: the way you light a cigarette, or suck the straw in a Perrier, or nibble daintily on a sugar lump. If these are satisfactory, you can adjust your glasses downwards so that they rest
charmingly on the end of the nose, and attention can be given to
the other people at the table.
This performance continues from mid-morning until early
evening, and never fails to entertain me. I imagine there must be the occasional break for academic work in between these hectic periods of social study, but I have never seen a textbook on any of the cafe tables, nor heard any discussion of philosophy or political science. The students are totally involved in showing form, and the cafe terrace is all the more decorative as a result.
2. Is the style of the passage serious or humorous? Do you think the writer approves or disapproves of the student's behaviour?
3. Discuss the text. Find unusual pieces of advice. Do you think you should or shouldn 't follow such pieces of advice.
4. Work in pairs. What advice would you give to someone in your country who wanted to make a stylish impression, about:
1. the arrival 3. ritual greetings
2. the entrance 4. table manners
You must arrive in a Porsche.
5. Give your pieces of advice in how to do the following things in style.
a. travel to Venice
b. attract someone's attention
c. entertain important quests
d. spend the weekend
e. go shopping
f. give a party
Model: You should take the Orient Express and you must dress in clothes from the thirties.
6. Give some advice to visitors to your country about clothing, accessories and behaviour in the following situations.
- in an office - in church - on the beach
- at weekends - at school
- in a bar - at a dinner party
You are not supposed to wear jeans in an office.
Practice
/. Report the following using reporting verbs in the Present Tense beginning with she says...or she asks.... Then reproduce the whole story in the reported speech.
One day Ben is at Aunt Ivy's house when the telephone rings. As Aunt Ivy is cooking lunch and can't leave the kitchen. Ben takes the call and tells Aunt Ivy what the caller says. It's Mrs Watkins from the grocery store.
Say what Ben reports, beginning with She says... or She asks... Models: 1. Mrs Watkins: I'm ringing about the shopping list.
Ben: She says she's ringing about the shopping list.
2. Mrs Watkins: Does your aunt want ham or jam?
Ben: She asks whether you want ham or jam!
1. Does she want potatoes or tomatoes?
2. I've sold out of baked beans.
3. I don't know whether the list says a tin of pears or a tin of peas!
4. The chocolate biscuits have gone up 5p a packet. Does she still want them?
5. We haven't got any boxes of chocolates for less than £1!
6. I've only got Danish bacon today, but it's not smoked.
7. There aren't any special offers in cooking oil at the moment!
8. I haven't got any large bottles of gin. Does she want two small ones instead?
2. Report the following using the Past Tense in reported speech. Refer to ex. 1.
Aunt Ivy was too busy to listen exactly to what Ben was reporting, so over lunch, she asked Ben again what Mrs Watkins had said on the telephone.
Say what Ben reports to Aunt Ivy, this time beginning with She said... or She asked... Models:
1. Aunt Ivy: What did she say she was ringing for?
Ben: She said she was ringing about your shopping list.
2. Aunt Ivy: What was that about the ham?
Ben: She asked whether you wanted ham or jam!
1. And did she say something about tomatoes?
2. And what was so difficult about the peas?
3. I heard that the chocolate biscuits have gone up again! What did she ask about them?
4. What did she say about my bacon?
5. And what about the oil?
6. Did she say something about gin? She ought to know I don't touch the stuff! Er... What did she say about it, anyway?
3. Report the following using Future-in-the-Past in reported speech.
Bill is going to a firm's party again. Helen is afraid that he will do things he may regret! Here is their conversation before he goes.
Helen: And don't drink too much this time! Bill: All right, Helen! I'll only drink a couple of beers. I
promise!
Helen: And do think about your stomach! Go easy on the food! Bill: I assure you that I won't eat too much, honestly! Helen: And leave your cigarettes at home, or you'll be smoking
too much!
Bill: I promise that I'll only smoke two or three. Helen: And for goodness' sake, don't start telling your jokes
again! Bill: There's nothing wrong with a good joke now and
again! But if you insist, I won't tell them! Helen: And be careful not to say anything tactless about the
boss's wife, as you usually do! Bill: OK, 11 try not to!
Helen: And don't forget to behave yourself properly! Bill: Of course I won't! I promise! Helen: And don't come home too late! Bill: No, I won't. I'll make sure that I'm on the last bus! Helen: Well, good-bye then! Have a good time!
Model: What did Bill tell/promise/assure Helen that he would or would not do?
He promised Helen that he'd (he would) only drink a couple of beers. (Continue)
4. Report the following using Past Perfect in reported speech.
a) Direct: Past Tense Reported: Past Perfect
Refer to ex. 3.
Here's the conversation between Bill and Helen at the breakfast table on the morning after the firm's party. Helen: Did you have a good time last night?
Bill: No, not particularly. It was rather boring.
Helen: Did you have a good meal?
Bill: I didn't eat as much as last time.
Helen: I hope you didn't smoke too heavily!
Bill: Oh, no! I only had two or three all evening!
Helen: I suppose you made up for it by drinking more!
Bill: Not at all! I didn't drink as much as Stan!
Helen: Were any of the wives there?
Bill: The wives weren't invited.
Helen: What time did you get home? I didn't hear you come in.
Bill: Oh, about half past eleven, I think.
Helen: I hope you didn't talk too much!
Bill: I didn't tell my jokes, if that's what you mean.
Helen: What time did Stan leave?
Bill: We both left at the same time.
Helen meets Stan by chance, and his version of the party is rather different! Helen tells Stan what Bill had told her. Give Helen's corresponding remarks to Stan from the above conversation. Beginning with He told me that... Model: Stan: Has Bill sobered up yet?
Helen: He told me that he hadn't drunk as much as you!
1. We really had a good time at the party last night!
2. Bill really has a healthy appetite!
3. Some of the wives were asking where you were!
4. Where does Bill get all his jokes from?
5. I hope he didn't wake you up in the middle of the night!
6. And tell him not to forget that packet of cigarettes he borrowed from me!
b) Direct: Present Perfect Reported: Past Perfect
Sue's mother rings up. Here's the conversation: Mother: I've been intending to ring you all the week, but your
father's had such a terrible cold!
Sue: Peter's had a cold, as well, and he's been feeling pretty awful with it.
Mother: Have you tried giving him hot lemon drinks with
honey?
Sue: The doctor has prescribed him some tablets and cough medicine. He's told Peter to stay indoors for a few days.
Mother: Hmm! Tablets and medicine! No good! Nothing from the doctor has ever done your father any good! I've been wrapping his head up in hot damp towels all the week! He's had vapour rubs, and I've been feeding him on thick porridge and spinach! It's done the trick! Anyway, in view of Peter's cold. I've just decided to come and visit you for the weekend! Tell Peter I'll have him cured in no time!
Sue then reports the conversation to Peter, who immediately begins to feel even worse!
Report the conversation, changing pronouns, etc. where necessary and using the reporting phrases She said... She asked me if/whether... I told her..., etc. Omit the last sentence. Model: That was Mother on the phone. She said she had been intending to ring us all the week, but my Father had had such a terrible cold. (Continue)
5. Indirect speech.
a) Statements.
1. "I have something to show you", I said to her.
2. "Nothing grows in my garden. It never gets any sun", she said.
3. "I'm going away tomorrow, mother", he said.
4. "I have been in London for a month but so far I haven't had time to visit the Tower", said Rupert.
5. "It isn't so foggy today as it was yesterday", I remarked.
6. "The new underpass is being officially opened the day after tomorrow", said the BBC announcer.
7. "We have moved into our new flat. We don't like it nearly so much as our last one", said my aunt.
8. "We have a lift but very often it doesn't work", they said.
9. "From one of the windows of my flat I can see the Eiffel Tower", he said.
10. "I have no idea what the time is but I'll dial 8081 and find out", said his daughter.
b) Attention! Some tense forms do not change when direct speech becomes indirect. Use notes from the rule.
Model: "I wish my children would eat vegetables", she said. She (said she) wished her children would eat vegetables.
1. "I couldn't get into the house because I had lost my key, so I had to break a window", he said.
2. "If the ground is dry on the day of the race, my horse might win", said the owner.
3. "If it rains this afternoon it will be too wet to play the match tomorrow", the captain said.
4. "Bill should do very well at the university, Mrs Smith", said the headmaster, "He's done very well here".
5. "They couldn't open the safe on the spot so they carried it away with them", the night watchman reported.
6. "If you saw my father, you'd recognize him at once. He is the most extraordinary-looking man", she said to me.
7. "I found an old Roman coin in the garden yesterday", he said, "and I'm going to take it to the museum this afternoon".
8. Then Macbeth enters and says, "I have done the deed".
9. "I was intending to do it tomorrow", he said, "but now I don't think I'll be able to!"
10. "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".
c) Questions.
1. "Who put salt in my coffee?" he asked.
2. "How can I run in high-heeled shoes?" she enquired.
3. "Whose car did you borrow last night?" I said to him.
4. "What was she wearing when you saw her last?" the policeman asked me.
5. "Have you done this sort of work before?" said his new employer.
6. "Is he a scientist or an arts graduate?" Mary asked me.
7. "Are there playing fields near the school?" the parents asked the headmaster.
8. "Are you sorry for what you did?" the mother asked the little boy.
9. "Why do you think it may be dangerous?" he asked her.
10. "Do you know that the shoes you are wearing aren't a pair?" I asked him.
d) Commands, requests, advice, invitations, offers.
1. "Don't forget to thank Mrs Jones when you are saying good bye to her", said his mother.
2. "Will you help me, please?" she said "I can't reach the top shelf.
3. "This is a horrible room. Why don't you ask for something better?" he said.
4. "Remember to switch off when you've finished", he said.
5. "If the police stop me, what shall I say?" She asked.
6. "Don't drive too fast or the baby '11 be sick", she said to her husband.
7. "Don't touch it. You will only make it worse", he told me.
8. "Don't use bent coins in a slot machine", I warned him.
9. "Wear a wig if you don't want to be recognized", I advised him.
10. "Could you sew on this button for me?" Tom asked Ann. "You'd better sew it on yourself, said Mary. "Buttons sewn on by Ann usually come off the next day".
6. Indirect questions.
Stan has been to the marriage agency and is now telling Bill some of the things they asked him there. Models:
| 1. Interviewer to Stan: Stan to Bill: 2. Interviewer to Stan: Stan to Bill: | What are your chief hobbies? They asked me what my chief hobbies were, (or are) Have you travelled abroad much? They asked me if I had travelled abroad much. |
1. Have you been married before?
2. What do you consider are the essentials of a good marriage?
3. Do you think you'll make a good husband?
4. Will you be prepared to give up smoking?
5. How often do you go out in the evenings?
6. Will you expect your future wife to work?
7. Can you play a musical instrument?
8. Are you satisfied with your present job?
9. Can you give an indication of your financial standing?
10. Would you mind paying the first instalment of the agency fee?
7. Commands.
Ben is going to do some shopping for Aunt Ivy. She wants him to go to Mrs Watkins' grocery store and tells Ben exactly how she wants things to be, Ben tactlessly repeats these instructions to Mrs Watkins!
Give Ben's conversation with Mrs Watkins! Models:
| 1. 2. | Aunt Ivy to Ben: Ben to Mrs Watkins: Aunt Ivy to Ben: Ben to Mrs Watkins: | Feel the bread to see if it's fresh! Aunt Ivy told me to feel the bread to see if it's fresh! Don't let Mrs Watkins give you fatty bacon! Aunt Ivy told me not to let you give me fatty bacon! |
1. sure you are not cheated!
2. Don't buy any cheese if it's hard!
3. Be careful that Mrs Watkins doesn't give you last week's eggs!
4. Don't let her give you soft biscuits!
5. Look at the apples carefully before you buy any!
6. Check the change, as Mrs Watkins might not have her glasses on!
8. a) Choose the best verb underlined in the direct speech sentence.
1. Helen asked me if I liked visiting old buildings.
"Do you like/Did you like visiting old buildings?" asked Helen.
2. Bill asked Mary if she had done anything the previous weekend.
"Have you done anything/Did you do anything last weekend?"
3. The policeman asked me if the car belonged to me.
"Does this car belong/Did this car belong to you?" asked the policeman.
4. Fiona asked me if I had seen her umbrella anywhere.
"Did you see/Have you seen my umbrella anywhere?" asked Fiona.
5. Joe asked Tina when she would get back. "When will you get/ have you got back?" asked Joe.
6. Eddie asked Steve who he had been to the cinema with. "Who did you go/had you been to the cinema with?" asked Eddie.
7. My parents asked me what time I had got home the night
before.
"What time did you get/have you got home last night?" my parents asked.
8. David asked a passer-by if it was the right road for Hastings.
"Is this/Was this the right road for Hastings?" asked David.
b) Match each reporting in A with the actual words in B. A.
1. Jim admitted that he might have taken it.
2. Sue denied that she had taken it.
3. Harry doubted whether he had taken it.
4. Diana explained that she had taken it.
5. Bill insisted he had taken it.
6. Mary suggested that she had taken it.
7. Ted confirmed that he had taken it.
8. Ruth claimed that she had taken it.
9. Charles repeated that he had taken it.
10. Sally reassured us that she had taken it.
B.
a. No, I've definitely taken it.
b. I don't think I took it.
c. Don't worry, I've taken it. It's all right!
d. What about me? Perhaps I took it?
e. OK, perhaps I did take it after all.
f. Yes, I took it, I tell you!
g. Yes, that's quite correct. I took it.
h. No, I certainly didn't take it. I can assure you.
i. You may not believe me, but actually I took it.
j. You see, it's like this I've taken it.
9. Report the following using the verbs suggested + to + infinitive.
1. "Hurry up". He told me...
2. "Don't leave the door unlocked". She warned them...
3. "Would you like to come to my party?" He invited her...
4. "Don't be stupid". She told me...
5. "You should stop smoking". The doctor advised my brother...
6. "Could you change the light bulb for me?" She asked me...
7. "Can I do the washing-up?" I offered...
8. "Don't touch the wire". He warned me...
9. "Could you speak more slowly?" He asked her...
10. "Shut the door". She told me...
11. "Don't touch my camera". He told me...
12. "I think you should take another English course". My teacher advised me...
13. "You may use the phone". Mar Jacobson permitted me...
14. "Make an appointment with the dentist". My mother reminded me...
15. "I think you should take a long vacation". My friend encouraged me...
16. "Would you like to come to our house for dinner?" The Smiths invited us...
17. "You should see a doctor about the pain in your knee". My friend advised me...
18. "Don't buy a used car". Sue advised me...
19. "Take these letters to the post, will you?" The boss asked me...
70 "Don't shelter under a tree in a thunderstorm". He warned
us...
21. "Remember to switch off when you've finished". He reminded his son...
22. "You must see the exhibition". My friend advised me...
23. "Shall I buy you some cigarettes?" He offered...
24. "Answer this letter for me, will you? And remember to keep a copy". He asked me... and reminded me...
10. Report the following using different reporting verbs.
a) I.I... you that you had to be on time. Why are you late? 2. When you... her if she's work late, what did she...? 3.1 think that Alan... us a lie about his qualifications.
4. When I... him what he was doing there, he... me it was
none of my business. 5.1... I would help you, so here I am.
6. Did you hear what Sheila... about her new job.
7. What did Caral... you about her holiday?
8. There, you see! I... you the bus would be on time.
b) 1. "Why don't we go to the cinema this evening?"
Peter... going to the cinema/that they went to the cinema.
2. "Yes, of course, I'll give you a lift, Helen".
Liz... to give Helen a lift/that she would give Helen a lift.
3. "I've broken your pen. I'm awfully sorry, Jack". David... for breaking Jack's pen.
4. "Don't forget to post my letter, will you, Sue?" Diana... Sue to post her letter.
5. "Let me carry your suit case, John".
6. "All right, it's true, I was nervous".
The leading actor... to being nervous/that he had been nervous.
7. "I don't think Liverpool will win". Vanessa... whether Liverpool would win.
8. "If I were you, Bill, I'd buy a mountain bike". Stephen... Bill to buy a mountain bike.
9. "Don't worry, Martin, I'll bring your book back". Leslie... to bring Martin's book back/Martin he would bring his book back.
10. "Right, I'll take the brown pair". Andrew... to take the brown pair.
11. "No, sorry, I don't want to lend you my camera". Alex... to lend me his camera.
12. "Why don't we go to the cinema this evening?"
Peter... going to the cinema/that they went to the cinema.
13. "I've broken your pen. I'm awfully sorry, Jack". David... for breaking Jack's pen.
11. Adverbials in reported speech.
Sally bumped into Margaret one day in town. Margaret's part of the conversation was as follows:
Margaret:
"Oh, hello! Haven't seen you for ages! How are things? I'm very busy at the moment, I'm afraid! I'm going to visit my boyfriend's parents next weekend. So I bought a new dress yesterday. I'm not wearing it now, of course! Nigel's parents have invited me to stay with them in Monte Carlo this summer! He just got back from America last week. He flew out for the company six weeks ago. He's thinking of getting himself posted to the States, he doesn't like working here very much, says there's more opportunity in his branch over there than in this country. But I haven't much time now, must be off! I'll ring you up tomorrow for a chat! Bye!"
Margaret didn't ring Sally. A month later, Sally was chatting to Jane. Sally told Jane what Margaret had said the last time she's seen her.
Report what Sally tells Jane about Margaret. Change the adverbials where necessary. Statements can be introduced by She said I she told me that and may be joined by and, but, as, etc. where suitable.
Model: Sally: "The last time I saw Margaret was about a month ago in town. She said she was very busy at the
time. She told me she was going to visit her boyfriend's parents the following weekend... " (Continue)
12. Reporting verbs + that. Put the following conversation into
reported speech, using suitable verbs + that. Use paraphrasing
verbs, omitting redundant phrases where possible.
Peter: I know! Let's go to the cottage for the weekend!
Sue: Yes! That would be a good idea!
Peter: I'll make sure that I take the keys this time! That's a
promise!
Sue: But Mother's arranged to come for the weekend! Peter: Oh, no! But I didn't know about your mother coming! Sue: Yes, you did! I definitely told you! Peter: No, you didn't! I swear it! Sue: Well, anyway, she's coming because we have to discuss
something. You see... Peter: Well, look, darling, why don't you discuss it with her
on the phone? Sue: Well, yes, I suppose I could have persuaded her not to
come... Peter: Now listen, I'll ring her up and tell her that we have
other plans! It's as simple as that! You must be firm,
Sue!
Sue: All right, Peter. What a fine idea! Five minutes later.
Sue: Well, Peter? Did you speak to Mother? Peter: Yes,... she's arriving on the 10.30 train on Saturday!
Then she's driving to the cottage with us...! Model: Peter suggested to Sue that they might go to the cottage for the weekend. (Continue)
13. Reporting verbs without that. Report the following situations, using a verb which paraphrases the original and is (or can be) followed by a construction other than that. Model: Aunt Ivy said to Lien: "Give you 50p! I never promised anything of the sort!" Aunt Ivy denied having promised to give Ben 50p.
1. Ben said to Aunt Ivy: "I say, Aunt Ivy, I'm really sorry that I kicked my football through your kitchen window".
2. Aunt Ivy said to Ben: "You kicked the ball at my window deliberately!"
3. Ben said to his father: "Please, Dad, be a sport! You've simple got to lend me your camera for the match on Saturday! Please!"
4. Ben's father said to him: "All right. I'll lend you the camera on condition that you buy your own film".
5. Aunt Ivy said to Ben: "Be quiet! I don't like being disturbed when I'm reading the newspaper!"
6. Ben's mother said to Ben: "I simply won't let you invite the whole football team to tea!"
7. Ben's father said to Ben: "Just look at the mess in your room! I'll stop your pocket money if you don't tidy it up at once!"
14. Reporting verbs other than say. Put the following conversation between Helen and Bill into reported speech. Then reproduce it.
Bill: Helen! Where have you put the lottery ticket that I bought in the firm's annual lottery?
Helen: I haven't put it anywhere!
Bill: You must have put it in a drawer or in the writing desk!
Helen: Bill, I haven't even seen it! You don't look after your things properly!
Bill: Well, I ought to have put it in a safer place, I suppose... But, you see, I'll have to find it because I think I've won the first prize and I won't be able to claim it without the ticket!
Helen: Perhaps you put it in your wallet after all!
Bill: Now I remember! I left it in my blue overalls!
Helen: Well, in that case we can say goodbye to the prize, because your lottery ticket's at the cleaner's where I took your overalls on Monday!
15. Choose suitable reporting verbs to fill the blanks in the following reported conversation, using a different verb each time. Do not use say and use wherever possible verbs expressing the mood of the speaker. Remember that there are several possibilities in some cases but not in others, according to the following construction.
Bill and Helen were going to spend a few days with Helen's sister in Scotland. They arrived late at the station. Bill wasn't very happy with all the luggage he had to carry!
As they clambered out of the taxi, Bill... to himself that Helen wouldn't wear half the clothes that she'd packed! Helen went on ahead up the platform,... loudly to Bill that if he didn't hurry they would miss the train! Bill... that he couldn't possibly walk any faster with two cases, a hold-all, a shopping bag and his fishing equipment! Bill... that Helen hadn't let him get a porter and Helen... that it would certainly have been quicker! Bill... that his back was aching. Just as they were about to get on the train, Bill... that they ought to have brought the television, as well! Helen... him that there was no need for sarcastic remarks and... him to stop being funny! Bill... that he wasn't being funny at all, but that he'd just realized that he'd left the tickets on top of it!
16. a) Reported speech may not show the tone of direct speech but an appropriately chosen verb can reflect the tone that was used. How many of the following verbs can you use to fill each of the gaps in these sentences:
1. She... that she came from Australia.
2. They... us/me that they were feeling tired.
3. He... me to lend him some money.
Admit / allow / announce / ask / assure / beg / call out / claim / convince / cry out / deny / encourage / explain / imply / inform / insist / instruct / invite / mention / mumble / mutter / notify / order / permit / persuade / reiterate / repeat / reply / scream / shout / suggest / tell / urge / warn / whisper / yell
b) Work in pairs. Highlight the ten most useful verbs in a), that you don't already use. Then compose five sentences, each including one of the verbs you have chosen.
Compare your sentences with another pair.
17. Work in pairs as Student A and Student B. When you've finished, compare your version with your partner.
Student A
1. Rewrite this passage as reported speech.
My friend Max spoke to me last Tuesday and said: "It's my birthday today. I got a card from my aunt in Australia yesterday and one from my aunt in Canada today. I know you can't come to my party tomorrow, so would you like to join me for a drink now or maybe we can meet later this evening?"
2. Now rewrite this passage using the exact words Susan used. Last Wednesday, my friend Susan spoke to me on the phone
and told me that she wouldn't be able to see me this week. She had had a call from her brother ten minutes earlier and had heard her grandfather would be arriving there at the end of the week and this would be the first time she'd have seen him since he went to New Zealand in 1988. She hoped I wouldn't mind if we changed our meeting from this week to next week.
Student
1. Rewrite this passage using the exact words Max used.
Last Tuesday my friend Max told me that it was his birthday that day. He had had a card from his uncle in Australia the day before and one from his aunt in Canada the same day he spoke to me. He knew I couldn't go to his party the next day, so he invited me for a drink then or suggested I could meet him later that evening.
2. Now rewrite this passage as reported speech.
My friend Susan spoke to me on the phone last Wednesday and said: "I won't be able to see you next week. I had a call from my brother ten minutes ago. I've heard from him that my
grandfather will be arriving here at the end of this week and this will be the first time I'll have seen him since he went to New Zealand in 1988.1 hope you don't mind but I'd like to postpone our meeting from next week to the week after".
18. Work in pairs. Imagine that one of you has done.
a) Something newsworthy, and the other is a reporter. Role-play an interview.
b) Join another pair. Tell your new partners what was said in the interview. If necessary, correct each other.
She told me that...
That's not quite right I think. I said that...
19. Situations.
A. Give a one-minute impromptu speech. Your classmates will take notes, and then in a short paragraph, or orally, they will report what you said. Choose any topic that comes to mind (relatives, sports, books, etc.)
B. Work in pairs. Each pair should create a short dialogue (five to ten sentences) based on one of the given situations. Each pair will then present their dialogue to the class. After the dialogue, the class will report what was said.
Sample situation: Have a conversation about going somewhere in this city.
Sample dialogue:
Ann: Would you like to go to the zoo tomorrow? Bob: I can't. I have to study. Ann: That's too bad. Are you sure you can't go? It will take
only a few hours. Bob: Well, maybe I can study in the morning and then go to the
zoo in the afternoon.
Ann: Great! What time do you want to go? Bob: Let's go around two o'clock.
Sample report: Ann asked Bob if he wanted to go to the zoo tomorrow. Bob said that he could not go becaus
