Note applying to all indirect speech exercises
When the speaker says you, and the person spoken to is not identified, it is good practice for the student to assume that the remark was made to himself, you will then become I/me or we/us. (Answers in the key will be given in first person forms.)
'You can phone from the office,' he said.
He said I could phone from his office. This must not, of course, be done when the person spoken to is identified:
'You can phone from my office, Ann,' he said.
He told Ann that she could phone from his office. Note that when you stands for one, it is reported unchanged:
'You can't bathe in the rivers,' he said, 'they're full of piranhas.'
He said that you couldn't bathe in the rivers as they were full of
piranhas.
Put the following statements into indirect speech.
1 'I'm going out now, but I'll be in by nine,' he said. (Omit now.)
2 'I'm working in a restaurant, and don't much care for it,' she said.
3 'I can't live on my basic salary,' said Peter. 'I'll have to offer to do overtime.'
4 'My young brother wants to be a tax inspector,' said Mary. 'I can't think why. None of my family has ever been a tax inspector.'
5 'We're waiting for the school bus,' said the children. 'It's late again.'
6 'I've made a terrible mistake!' said Peter.
'You're always making terrible mistakes,' I said. 'You should be used to it by now.'
7 'We make £450 a week,' said one of the men, 'and send most of it home to our wives.'
8 'It's lonely being away from our families,' said another, 'but we earn three times as much in this factory as we would in our own country.'
9 'We've been here for two and a half years,' said the man who had
spoken first, 'and we're going to stay another six months.'
10 'I've got a job on an oil-rig,' said Paul. 'That'll be very hard work,' I said.
'I know it'll be hard,' he replied, 'but I don't mind hard work, and it'll be a good experience.'
11 'The ice will soon be hard enough to skate on,' said Tom. 'I'll look for my skates when I get home,' Ann said.
12 'I'm living with my parents at present,' she said, 'but I hope to have a flat of my own soon.'
13 'I'm leaving tomorrow,' she said, 'by the 4.30 from Victoria.' 'We'll come and see you off,' we said.
14 'I've just bought a car,' said Peter, 'but it's not insured yet so I can't take you for a drive.'
15 'I'd like to speak to Susan,' said Mary, 'but I'm bathing the babies and they will drown if I leave them alone in the bath while I go to the phone.'
16 Mary has just received a postcard from Ann, beginning, 'I'm coming up to London next week. I hope you and Jack will meet me for lunch one day.' (Imagine that Mary is reading this card to Jack. Begin: Ann says...)
17 'Nothing ever happens in the village,' she said. 'It's like a dead village. All the young people have drifted away to the towns.'
18 'I've missed my train,' said Bill. 'Now I'll be late for work and my boss will be furious.'
19 'We'll wait for you if you're late,' they said.
20 'They are supposed to be landing at London airport,' I said. 'But if the fog gets any thicker the plane may be diverted.'
21 'If you lend me the chainsaw,' said Mary, 'I'll bring it back the day after tomorrow.'
22 'I hate getting up on dark mornings,' grumbled Peter.
'It is horrible,' agreed his wife, 'but the mornings will be lighter soon and then it won't be quite so bad.'
23 'The sales are starting tomorrow,' said the typist. 'As soon as we finish work the whole typing pool is going to make a dash for the shops.' 'I hope you'll all get what you want,' I said.
24 'I wish I had something to eat,' said Peter.
'You've only just had lunch,' said his sister. 'I don't know how you can be hungry again so soon.'
25 'If you're short of money I can lend you £50,' said my aunt, 'and you can take your time about paying it back.'
26 'I usually take my dog out for a walk when I come home from work,' he said.
27 'I have a message for your brother,' I said.
'He isn't at home,' said Ann. 'He left two days ago.'
28 'I bought this bag in Milan,' I said.
'You shouldn't have bought that colour,' said Peter. 'It doesn't go with your coat.'
29 'I must hurry. My father is always furious if any of us are late for meals,' she said.
30 'If you want to smoke you'll have to go upstairs,' said the bus conductor.
31 'I'm building myself a house,' said Charles. 'I won't show it to you just yet but when the roof is on you can come and see it.'
32 'The lake will probably freeze tonight,' said Peter. 'It's much colder than last night.'
'I'll go out and look early in the morning,' said Mary, 'and if it's frozen I'll make some holes in the ice so that the ducks can feed.'
33 'Even if the strikers go back to work tomorrow it will be some time before things return to normal,' said the official.
34 'Someone is trying to murder me!' said Mrs Jones. 'I keep getting threatening letters.'
35 'I'm taking my children to the zoo tomorrow,' she said, 'to see the baby polar bear.'
36 'All I can hear,' says Ann, 'is a high-pitched buzz. I wonder if it's some sort of signal.'
