Unit: 9 PAGE: 75
Grammar
Reported speech
A. Study the following expressions.
Interviewer:
Julia, can you share your experiences of living on the branches of a tree for
two years?
Julia: It was
wonderful! I can't express that in words.
Somebody reported the
above expressions in the following way.
The interviewer asked Julia to share her experiences of living
on the branches of a tree for two years.
Julia replied that it had been wonderful. She could not express that in words.
B. Someone says something to you which contradicts to what they told you earlier. Match the beginnings of the conversations with the correct endings.
Group A
a. I'm going to Pokhara on holiday.
b. He's a lawyer.
c. She's had a baby girl.
d. I haven't seen Binesh for ages.
e. I love these new boots.
f. I only cheated in one exam.
g. She doesn't speak Hindi or Chinese.
h. He works in Kathmandu.
Group B
i. You said she'd had a boy.
ii. You admitted you cheated in all your exams.
iii. You told me he was a teacher.
iv. You told me she was fluent in both.
v. You said you hated them.
vi. You said you were going on business.
vii. You told me his office was in Biratnagar.
viii. You told me you'd seen him previous week.
Answers
a. I'm going to
Pokhara on holiday. → vi. You said you were going on business.
b. He's a lawyer.
→ iii. You told me he was a teacher.
c. She's had a baby
girl. → i. You said she'd had a boy.
d. I haven't seen
Binesh for ages. → viii. You told me you'd seen him previous week.
e. I love these new
boots. → v. You said you hated them.
f. I only cheated in
one exam. → ii. You admitted you cheated in all your exams.
g. She doesn't speak
Hindi or Chinese. → iv. You told me she was fluent in both.
h. He works in Kathmandu. → vii. You told me his office was in Biratnagar.
C. Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
a. The principal said, “You can phone from my
office, Rita.”
→ The principal told Rita
that she could
phone from his office.
b. “You must not neglect your
duty,” said the teacher to the student.
→ The teacher told the student
not to neglect his
duty.
c. The student said, “Sir, please,
grant me a leave for two days.”
→ The student requested his
teacher to grant him
a leave for two days.
d. I said to her, “Go to school or you will be fined.”
→ I told/ordered her to go school to avoid
fine.
→ I told/ordered her to go school or she would
be fined.
e. The headmaster said, “Don’t
make any noise, boys.”
→ The headmaster told/ordered boys
not to make any noise.
f. “Work hard if you
want to rise in life,” said the old man.
→ The old man said me/us to work hard to rise in life.
→ The old man advised me/us to work hard to rise in life.
g. He said, “Goodbye, my friends!”
→ He bade his friends
goodbye.
h. She said to me, “Have
a pleasant journey ahead.”
→ She wished me to have a
pleasant journey ahead.
i. “Don’t give me the book, please,”
Sharmila said.
→ Sharmila requested not to give her the book.
j. “Where have you been these days?” she spoke
on the telephone.
→ She asked on the telephone
where I/she/he had been those days.
k. The teacher said, “Have you submitted your
assignments, students?”
→ The teacher asked the students if they had submitted their assignments.
D. These are the exact words Dinesh said to you yesterday.
"I've just got engaged! We're getting married next month. We're going to Pokhara for our honeymoon. It's all going to be very expensive. Luckily, my friend is a photographer so he'll take the photos for us. We'll be having the reception in my parents' back garden. My mum is baking the cake for us and my sister's band is playing free for us. I hope you'll come to the wedding."
Now, you're telling your friend what Dinesh told you. Complete the text.
He said he (1) had just got engaged. He told me that he (2) was getting married next month. He told me (3) they were going to Pokhara for their honeymoon. He mentioned that it (4) was all going to be very expensive. He said that his friend (5) was a photographer and he (6) would take the photos for them. He mentioned that they (7) would be having the reception in his parents' garden. He admitted that (8) his mum was baking the cake for them. He said his sister’s band (9) was playing free for them. He said he (10) hoped I'd come to the wedding.
