Illustrative Situations

Reporting verbs used to report statements:

say, tell (conveying information); promise (promise); explain (explanation); agree (agreement); disagree (disagreement); re­fuse (refusal); remark (casual remark); add (additional remark); warn (warning); remind (reminder); answer, reply (answer); assure (assurance); announce (announcement) and others.

Reporting verbs used to report questions:

ask, wonder, want to know, inquire

1. Mother to Peter: I'll buy you a bicycle if you do well at school. Peter's mother promised her son that she would buy him a bi­cycle if he did well at school.

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2. Roger to Dick: I'm fond of- skating. I often skate in winter. Roger told Dick he was fond of skating and he often skated in winter.

3. Kate: The weather is fine. Tom: Yes, it is.

Kate remarked that the weather was fine and Tom agreed with her.

4. Jim to the teacher: I'm late because I missed my bus.

Jim explained to the teacher that he was late because he had missed his bus.

5. Mr Brown to his neighbour: I shan't watch the match. I'm not fond of football.

Mr Brown told his neighbour that he wouldn't watch the match because he was not fond of football.

6. Ann: The film is exciting. Victor: No, it isn't.

Ann said the film was exciting. Victor disagreed with her.

7. Mr Smith to his son: I shan't help you. You can easily do it yourself. Mr Smith refused to help his son saying he could easily do it himself.

8. Donald to Steve: I'm sure you'll win the game. Donald assured Steve that he would win the game.

9. The dean to the students: The meeting will be held at 3 o'clock in room 110.

The dean announced that the meeting would be held at 3 o'clock in room 110.

10. Mary to Paul: I gave my dictionary to you. Do you remember? Mary reminded Paul that she had given her dictionary to him.

11. Helen to Nick: I'll let you know about my arrival. I'll send you a telegram.

Helen told Nick she would let him know about her arrival and added that she would send him a telegram.

12. Mike to Mrs Green: You've been kind to me. I shall never for­get it.

Mike told Mrs Green that she had been kind to him and that he would never forget it.

13. Alice to Jane: You'll be late if you don't hurry.

Alice warned Jane that she would be late if she didn't hurry.

14. The attendant to the tourists: The museum is open from 10 to 7. The attendant informed the tourists that the museum was open from 10 to 7.

15. Jill to Barbara: Can you type? Barbara: Yes, I can.

Jill asked Barbara if she could type. Barbara answered that she could.

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16. Mr Hawk to the clerk: Have you got any tickets for the 10 o'clock train?

Mr Hawk inquired whether they had got any tickets for the 10 o'clock train.

Practice

/. Report the following utterances. Use the reporting verbs best suited to the sense of the utterances.

1. Alec: Lucy is a pretty child. Helen: Yes, she is. 2. Mary to Mr Hanson: I've typed the documents already. 3. Jim to Harry: I'll buy you a ticket for the match. 4. Alice to her sister: I won't stay with your son any longer. He's crying all the time. 5. Victor to Dick: We must be at the Institute at 5. Don't you remember? 6. Jack: I think John will be late. George: I don't think so. 7. Robert to Har­ry: I didn't come because I was very busy. 8. Peter to Mary: Victor is at home now. He is watching TV. 9. Steve to Roger: I'll come by the 6 o'clock train. I'll be on time. 10. Bill to Dick: I shan't invite Mike. I don't like him. 11. Donald to his mother: I'll send you a te­legram as soon as I get to London. 12. Peter to Jim: I'm sure you'll pass the exam. 13. Mary to Jack: If you don't leave immediately you'll miss the train. 14. Lucy: I must work hard to write the test. 15. Henry to Roger: The train leaves at 10 a.m. You won't have to get up early.

//. Make up short dialogues using the prompts:

e.g. A: You'll tell Tom, won't you? B: Well, if I see him I'll tell him. A: What did you say? B: I said if I saw him I'd tell him. e.g. A: You'll tell Tom, won't you? I B: Yes, I'll tell him as soon as he comes in I A: What did you say? | B: I said I'd tell him as soon as he came in. You'll ..., won't you?

1. ask Peter 2. thank John 3. pay Ann 4. remind Mary 5. tell them 6. congratulate them 7. invite her 8. discuss it with Jim 9. explain the situation to Mary 10, give Ann the money 1!. recom­mend that to Alec 12. offer Bill the money 13. speak to Mary 14. hand Harry this letter

///. You have been away for a while and have just come back to your home town. You meet George, a friend of yours. He asks you a lot of questions:

I. How are you? 2. How long have you been back? 3. What are

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you doing now? 4. Where are you living? 5. Are you glad to be back?

6. Are you going away again? 7. Why did you come back? 8. Do you still smoke? 9. Can you come to dinner on Friday? 10. When are you leaving?

Now tell another friend what George asked you. Use reported speech.

IV. Alan is thinking of buying a car. He asks his colleague. Bill, a number of questions, which Bill later reports to another car-owner.

A: Have you (got) a car?

B: He asked me if I had a car.

1. What kind of car have you (got)? 2. What does it cost you to run it? 3. How many kilometres does it do the litre? 4. Does it belong to you and your wife? 5. Can your wife drive? 6. Is she a safe driver?

7. How many kilometres do you drive in a month? 8. Did you pass your test the first time? 9. Do you think driving tests are any use? 10. Do you give lifts? 11. How long have you been driving? 12. Have you ever had an accident? 13. Was it your own fault? 14. Do you do your own repairs? 15. Do you always wear a safety belt? 16. Do you take the car to work? 17. Are you thinking of getting a new car? 18. Do you let your wife take the car shopping?

V. Mrs Adams, who is rather inquisitive, wants to know about Mrs Brown's new tenant. Mrs Brown reports the questions to her husband.

A: Who is he?

B: She asked me who he was.

A: What does he do for a living?

B: She asked me what he did for a living.

1. How long has he been here? 2. Where does he come from? 3. Does he teach in the Technical College? 4. How long has he been working there? 5. Is he married? 6. Where is his wife? 7. Does he get many letters? 8. Where do his letters come from? 9. Where does he do his shopping? 10. Does he do his own cooking? 11. Do you clean his flat? 12. Has he a car? 13. Does he ever speak to you? 14. What does he do in the evenings? 15. Does he go away at the weekends? 16. Does he wear a wig? 17. Why has he shaved off his beard? 18. Is he thinking of buying a house here? 19. Do you like him? 20. What do your tenants think of him?

VI. Report the following utterances:

e.g. Mike to Peter: I'm taking my exam in June. Will you also take your exam in June?

Mike told Peter he was taking his exam in June and asked whether Peter would also take his exam in June.

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1. Robert to Lucy: Yalta is a wonderful place. Have you ever been there? 2. Mary to Kate: The day is lovely. Shall we go for a walk? 3. Bob to Alec: I've bought a new suit. Would you like to see it? 4. Mrs Smith to her friend: You look pale. Have you been ill? 5. Mrs Brown to Kate: Mary is at the Institute. Will you see her there? 6. Jack to his brother: Mike was at home in the evening. Did you phone him? 7. Mary to Steve: You speak English fluently. Did you study it long? 8. Helen to her sister: Mary has already returned. Have you seen her? 9. Mike to Peter: Lucy is worried. Have you sent her a letter? 10. Jack to Helen: I took an interesting book in our library. Do you want to read it? 11. George to Alec: I am fond of tennis. Can you play tennis? 12. Bob to Lucy: The train is leaving in an hour. Must I take a taxi? 13. Nick to Victor: I'm learning French. Can you speak French? 14. Betty to her mother: I have a headache. Can I have an aspirin? 15. Mike to He­len: We are going for a walk. Will you join us? 16. Mr Brown to his son: The task is difficult. Can I help you? 17. John to Mary: It's time to start. Have you packed everything? 18. Kitty to the doctor: I feel well. May I go out? e.g. The hotel is full up. Why didn't you reserve a room in advance?

The clerk said the hotel was full up and asked why Mr Smith

hadn't reserved a room in advance.

1. Mr Brown to his wife: I've been waiting for you for half an hour. When will you be ready? 2. Bob to his mother: I'm very hungry. When can I have dinner? 3. Peter to his sister: I must write some letters. What date is it? 4. Bob to his brother: I want to speak to Mike. When will he come? 5. Alec to Steve: Jane is lea­ving for London. How long will she stay there? 6. Lucy to Dick: You look tired. What have you been doing? 7. Mrs Smith to her husband: You look ill. When will you consult the doctor? 8. Helen to Ann: Bill is going abroad. When is he leaving? e.g. How long have you been studying Spanish? Your accent is

good.

Peter asked Mary how long she had been studying Spanish

and added that her accent was good.

1. Harry to Donald: Where are the Greens spending their holidays? They usually go to the seaside. 2. Mrs White to her friend: What time does the concert start? I think it's time to go. 3. Jack to Lucy: What time is it? My watch has stopped. 4. Mary to her sister: Why don't you want to phone Helen? She is always ready to help. 5. Mike to Nick: What suit will you take? I'd like to have the grey one. 6. Mr Brown to his son: Where have you put my umbrella? I can't find it anywhere. 7. The teacher to Alec: Why can't you answer at once? You are always so slow, e.g. Where do you live? Do you get to work by bus?

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Barbara asked Kate where she lived and whether she got to work by bus.

1 Jane to Mary: Where did you buy your coat? Did it cost much? 2. Mike to Helen: When are you leaving? Will anybody see you off? 3. John to his brother: When did you see Peter? Did you speak to him' 4. Jack to his sister: When will you be free? Will you be able to help me with my maths? 5. Helen to Jill: Where did you rest? Did you enjoy your holidays? e.g. — Are you tired, Bob? — Yes, I am.

Alec asked Bob whether he was tired. Bob answered (said) (that) he was. — Has Lucy got up yet? — No, she hasn't.

Mary asked her sister if Lucy had got up and her sistei said she hadn't.

1. Bill to Dick: Are you going away for the weekend? —No 2. Bob to Jack: Must you leave at once? — I'm afraid I must. 3. Ste­ve to his mother: May I go out? — Yes, you may. 4. Jack to Frank Did you phone me on Sunday? — Yes, I did. 5. Peter's mother to Peter: Can you meet me at the station? — Yes, I can. 6. Alec to Bob: Were you at the football match on Sunday? — Yes, I was

7. Jane to Mary: Do you have your meals at the canteen? — No

8. Mr Brown to Mr Smith: Is there a hotel in the town? — Yes, there is. 9. Donald to Roger: Have you written to your parents? -Yes. 10. Mary to Helen: Have you found your key? — No. 11. Jack to his brother: Is Dick still at the dentist's? — No. 12. Roger to his sister: Did you consult the doctor? — No. 13. Mike to the doctor-Shall I recover soon? — I'm sure you will. 14. Jack to his mother: Must I stay in bed? — Yes, you must. 15. Mrs Robinson to her neighbour: May I use your telephone? — Certainly. 16. Robert to Mary: Can you swim well? — No. 17. Helen to Bob: Will you visit me on Sunday? — Yes. 18. Mike to John: Is the station far from the office? — No. 19. Steve to his sister: May I use your typewriter? — No. 20. Helen to Lucy Do you have to get up early? — Yes 21. Jack to Bill: Can you play cricket? — No. 22. Mr White to Mr Parker: Have you got a car? — Yes, I have. 23. Peter to his friend Were you in the country in summer? — No. 24. George to Henry Have you been waiting long? — Yes. 25. John to Alec: Will you be having a lesson at 5? — Yes 26. Harry to Gerry: Do you have to work hard at Russian' — Yes. 27. Mary to her mother: Did you enjoy the play' — No. 28. Jack to his friend: Is Mr Hanson a good specialist? — Yes. 29. Paul to his brother: Did you leave Mary a message? — No.

e.g. Mr Brown to his wife: Why are you so late? — I've been shopping. I bought you a nice pair of shoes. Mr Brown asked his wife why she was so late. She answered

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(said, told him) that she had been shopping and added that

she had bought him a nice pair of shoes.

1. Peter to Jack: When are you taking your holiday? — In

June. 2. Mike to Bob: Why didn't you phone me? — I was very busy.

3. Lucy to her friend: Is John still at hospital? — No, he has

already recovered. 4. Steve to Paul: Do you like tennis? — No,

I prefer cricket. 5. Mike to his father: Can you give me some

money? — What do you want it for? 6. Helen to her sister: I can't

find my key anywhere.— Have you looked in the dining-room?

7. Mary to Kate: Where will you be at six? — At the Institute.

8. John to Alec: What foreign language did you study at school? — French. 9. Ann to her sister: Have you done your homework, Mary? — I haven't started yet. 10. Victor to his mother: You look tired, mother. What have you been doing? — I've been washing. 11. Kate to Lucy: Why did you stay away from classes? — I caught a cold. 12. Mrs Smith to her husband: Have you paid the bill

; yet? — No, I'm just going to do it. 13. Mr Brown to the waiter:

i What will you recommend me for dessert? — Orange juice. 14. Jack

_; to Steve: Will you fly to London? — No, I'll go by train. 15. Helen

to her mother: Is your watch fast? — No, it keeps the right time.

VII. Ask questions about the information expressed in the statement:

e.g. Peter said Mary had left for Moscow. '•. Did you ask him why she had gone to Moscow? ; ... if she was going to stay there long?

... when she would be back? etc.

' 1. Roger said he would go to Africa. 2. Alec said he was going to \ spend his holidays at the seaside. 3. George said Helen had gone to

Italy.

Fluency

/. Listen to the texts. Ask and answer questions on the texts. Retell them.

1. Geoffrey Hampden has a large circle of friends and is very popular at parties. Everybody admires him for his fine sense of humour-everybody except his six-year-old daughter, Jenny. Re­cently, one of Geoffrey's closest friends asked him to make a speech at a wedding reception This is the sort of thing that Geoffrey loves. He prepared the speech carefully and went to the wedding with Jenny. His speech was a great success. As soon as he had finished Jenny told him she wanted to go home. Geoffrey was a little disappointed by this but he did as his daughter asked. On the way home he asked Jenny if she had enjoyed his speech. To his

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surprise she said she hadn't. Geoffrey asked her why this was so and she told him she didn't like to see so many people laughing at him.

2. When I woke up 1 asked my wife what the weather was like. She looked out of the window and said it was raining very heavily but she thought it was going to get brighter. Later, when we were having breakfast, I listened to the weather forecast. The announcer said that the weather in the south would probably be very change­able. He added that the Meteorological Office couldn't say when the weather would become more stable. My wife said that v/as fine because she had decided to stay at home and do some cooking.

3. While John Gilbert was in hospital he asked the doctor to tell him whether his operation had been successful but the doctor refused to do so. The following day the patient asked for a bedside telephone. When he was alone he telephoned the hospital exchange and asked for Dr Millington. When the doctor answered the phone Mr Gilbert said he was inquiring about a certain patient, a Mr John Gilbert. He asked if Mr Gilbert's operation had been suc­cessful and the doctor told him it had been. He then asked when Mr Gilbert would be allowed to go home and the doctor told him that he would have to stay in hospital for another two weeks. Then Dr Millington asked the caller if he was a relative of the patient. "No," the patient answered, "I'm John Gilbert."

4. Dentists always ask questions when it is impossible for you to answer. My dentist had just pulled out my tooth and had told me to rest for a while. I tried to say something but my mouth was full of cotton-wool. He knew I collected birds' eggs and asked me whether my collection was growing. He then asked me how my brother was and whether I liked my new job in London. In answer to these questions I either nodded or made strange noises. Mean­while my tongue was searching out the hole where the tooth had been. I suddenly felt very worried but could not say anything. When the dentist at last removed the cotton-wool from my mouth I was able to say that he had pulled out the wrong tooth.

//. Listen to the conversations, read and role-play the con­versations. Reproduce the original utterances reported in these conversations.

Conversation I

Victor: Hey, Maria! Have you finished your exam?

Maria: Yes, I have.

Victor: Was it difficult?

Maria: Weil, it was quite hard.

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Victor: Did you pass?

Maria: I don't know... she didn't tell me.

Victor: What questions did she ask?

Maria: First she asked me what my name was.

Victor: That was easy, wasn't it?

Maria: ... then she asked me where I came from, and how long I'd

been studying at the school. Victor: What else did she ask? Maria: She asked me when I had begun studying English, and

she asked how I would use English in the future. Victor: Go on... Maria: Then she asked me if I liked the school, and if I lived with

my parents.

Victor: Anything else? Maria: Oh, Victor! I'm trying to remember ... oh, yes! She asked

me if I spoke any other languages. Victor: Is that all? Maria: Oh, there were a lot of other questions. She asked me what

my hobbies were, and she asked me to tell about them.

Then she gave me a picture and asked me to describe it.

Oh, and then I was asked to read a passage. Victor: What did she say at the end? Maria: Ah! She asked me to tell you to go in ... immediately.

Conversation 2

/

Maggie: I hear you've got a new boyfriend. Where did you

meet him?

Daisy: In the street.

Maggie: In the street! What were you doing? Daisy: You see he interviewed me. He wanted to know about how

I travelled to work. Maggie: What did he ask you? Daisy: Well, first he asked where I lived. Maggie: What else?

Daisy: Then he asked me how I travelled to work. Maggie: It sounds as if he was doing a traffic survey. Daisy: He was. He then asked if I drove a car. Maggie: They want to know how many people use cars in the city,

perhaps.

Daisy: Possibly. I said that I didn't. Maggie: Well, what did he ask you next? Daisy: He asked if I used public transport, of course. Maggie: Go on.

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Daisy: Well, that's how we met. Because I said that I did.

Maggie: So he asked...

Daisy: If I wanted a lift home. Well, he was rather nice.

///. Report the following dialogues:

1. Man: I've lost my briefcase. Has one been handed in this

morning?

Errol: No, sir, it hasn't. Where did you lose it? Man: Outside my house in Chester Street this morning. I put it

on the pavement, then I drove away and forgot about it. Errol: Can you describe the briefcase, sir? Man: Yes, it's black leather with a combination lock and it has

my initials D. B. on it. Errol: Is there anything valuable inside it? Man: No, there isn't. Just a few papers and some computer

discs. Errol: Well, we'll let you know if we hear anything about it. Can

I have your name and phone number please?

2. Lucy: Look here, Mike. I'll have a party at my house tomorrow.

Can you come?

Mike: At what time are you going to have it? Lucy: At eight o'clock. Mike: I'll come. I'll be free at that time. Lucy: I asked Ted to bring his records. We'll enjoy listening

to them.

Mike: Who else will be at the party? Lucy: Alice and Tom. I'm sorry Jane won't come. She left for

Manchester yesterday. Mike: And what about Bob? Lucy: I don't know. I haven't invited him yet. They moved to a

new flat some days ago and I don't know his address. Mike: He has already told me his address, besides I'll see him

at my brother's tonight. I'll ask him if you like. Lucy: Thanks very much, Mike.

3. Helen: Hullo, Jane. It's my birthday tomorrow. I'll be thirteen. Jane: Do you think you'll get a lot of birthday presents? Helen: I'm sure I will. Mother's going to give me a box of paints

and paint-brushes. I like drawing and painting.

Jane: What's your father going to give you?

Helen: I don't know yet. Last year he gave me some books.

Jane: Oh, will you show me your books, please? I want some­thing to read. I've read all my books.

Helen: All right. I'll show you mine I've got about fifty. 4 Alice: Kate, I've been looking for you the whole morning. Do you want to go for a trip with me?

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Kate: Where?

Alice: A camping trip in the mountains.

Kate: How long are you planning to stay?

Alice: Three-days or more if the weather is good. If the weather

is bad we'll stay less.

Kate: How can we get there — by train? Alice: Only part of the way. Then we'll walk: it's not too far. Kate: It seems to be a wonderful idea. I'll speak to Mother.

If she agrees to let me go, I'll join you.

Self check

/. A few days ago Victor met his friend George in the department store. George was going to buy some things for his holiday trip. Report their conversation in writing.

Victor: Where are you going to spend your holidays, George? George: We shall go to one of the seaside towns in the Crimea. Victor: Have you booked the tickets? George: I'm going to do it tomorrow. Victor: How long do you want to stay there? George: About a month. And where will you rest? Victor: I want to go on a camping trip in the Alps. George: I am sure you will have a good rest. Victor: I hope 1 will.

//. Report the conversation that took place some days ago:

Hostess: Would you like a cup of tea?

Guest: With pleasure. Thank you.

Hostess: How will you take it? Do you prefer your tea strong or

weak?

Guest: I like my tea very strong and very hot. Hostess: How many lumps of sugar do you take in your tea? Guest: Four or five lumps of sugar, madam, for I like my tea very

• sweet.

Hostess: Do you like milk in your tea? Guest: Milk? Well, yes! When I can't get cream.

REPORTED COMMANDS, REQUESTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

GREETINGS, LEAVETAKINGS, WISHES, THANKS,