Freeway beginner / Grammar / Verbals / Sequence of Tenses

Sequence of Tenses. Indirect Speech

1. Choose the correct word from those in brackets to fill the blank in each sentence.

1. He often says things like this. (says / tells)

2. She always ………. me her troubles. (says / tells)

3. The children always ………. me if they can go out to play. (tell / ask)

4. They ………. me to leave. (said / asked)

5. ‘Don’t do that!’ she ………. to them. (said / told / asked)

6. ‘They’ve arrived’, she ………. (said / told / asked)

7. ‘How are you both?’ she ………. (told / asked)

8. I ……… that I didn’t know what to do. (said / told / asked)

9. She ………. me she didn’t know what to do. (said / told / asked)

10. They ……… if I knew what to do. (said / told / asked)

3. Turn each direct-speech statements into indirect speech with tense changes.

Just what the doctor ordered!

1. ‘I’ve conducted a number of tests,’ Dr. Grey said. –

Dr. Grey said (that) he had conducted a number of tests.

2. ‘I must put you on a very strict diet,’ she told me. – …………………..

3. ‘You are putting on a lot of weight,’ she said. – ………………………

4. ‘You have gained 5,5 kilos in six months,’ she added. – ……………...

5. ‘You gained 10 kilos last year,’ she reminded me. – ………………….

6. ‘You will get very fat if you go on like this,’ she told me. – ………….

7. ‘You should eat very little,’ she said. – ………………………………..

8. ‘So I’ll have to live on nuts and water,’ I said nervously. – …………...

9. ‘You can live on nuts and water without the nuts,’ she said. – ………..

4. Report these Yes / No questions moving the clauses ‘one tense back’.

1. ‘Are you hungry?’ She asked us if / whether we were hungry.

2. ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’ He wanted to know………………………………………...

3. ‘Do you always go to church on Sunday?’ He wondered ………………………………...

4. ‘Have you seen John recently?’ She asked me ……………………………………………

5. ‘Has Debbie been working here long?’ He wanted to know ……………………………...

6. ‘Did you study hard for the exam?’ She wondered………………………………………..

7. ‘Will Ted and Alice be at the party?’ She asked us………………………………………..

8. ‘Will you be coming to the concert or not?’ He wanted to know…………………………

5. Report these special questions moving the clauses ‘one tense back’.

1. ‘What’s the weather like?’ She asked me what the weather was like.

2. ‘What does Frank do for a living?’ I wanted to know……………………………………..

3. ‘Why is Maria crying?’ She wondered…………………………………………………….

4. ‘What kind of holiday has Marco had?’ You wanted to know…………………………….

5. ‘How long have you both been living here?’ They inquired………………………………

6. ‘Where did they go last week?’ She wanted to know……………………………………..

7. ‘Who were you looking for?’ He asked me………………………………………………..

8. ‘When will lunch be ready?’ You didn’t tell me…………………………………………..

9. ‘Which countries will John be visiting?’ You didn’t say………………………………….

10. ‘How can I solve the problem?’ I wanted to know………………………………………..

6. Report the following statements using indirect commands.

1. ‘Wait for me,’ I said to him. (to tell) – I told him to wait for me.

2. ‘Go on holiday when the weather gets warmer,’ she told him. (to advise) ………………..

3. ‘Keep out of this room at all times,’ she said to them. (to warn) …………………………

4. ‘Remember to post those letters,’ she said to me. (to remind) ……………………………

5. ‘Don’t go into my study,’ he said to them. (to ask) ……………………………………….

6. ‘Don’t wait for me,’ I said to him. (to tell) ………………………………………………..

7. ‘Don’t go on holiday yet,’ she told him. (to advise) ………………………………………

8. ‘Don’t ever enter this room,’ she said to them. (to warn) …………………………………

7. Renew direct speech in the following sentences.

1. David said he had broken his bike.

2. Tom said he had been working at skating rink for three years.

3. She explained her daughter would go on a trip the following month.

4. James said he liked to see adventure films.

5. His mother told him not to eat ice-cream as he had a sore throat.

6. They told me the train was leaving at the moment.

7. He said he liked me.

8. She wondered whether they could meet next day.

9. He asked me if I was thirsty.

10. She asked me who had been playing this stupid song for half of the day.

9. Translate the sentences following the rules of Sequence of Tenses.

1. Вона пообіцяла, що подзвонить. 2. Ми хотіли знати, де він і що робить у цей час. 3. Ніхто з групи не знав, що він такий сильний. 4. Він сказав, що в поганому настрої і не хоче розмовляти. 5. Вона запитала мене, що я робитиму в неділю. 6. Тренер пояснив нам, що це дуже небезпечний вид спорту. 7. Вона попросила офіціанта налити їй чашечку кави. 8. Хірург попросив її асистувати йому. 9. Вона спитала, чи працюватиму я допізна. 10. Провідниця попросила пасажира пред’явити квиток. 11. Вони хотіли знати, чи я йому довіряю.

Revision Test on Sequence of Tenses / Indirect Speech

Choose the best response.

1. He will come tomorrow. She told me that he ________ tomorrow.

a) is coming b) will come c) would come

2. I see the clouds. He told me that she ________ the clouds.

a) sees b) is seeing c) saw

3. My mother is taking the bus to work tomorrow. He told me that his mother ________ the bus to work tomorrow.

a) is taking b) was taking c) will take

4. I will call you. I told her that I ________ her.

a) will call b) would call c) would have called

5. I have been there. She told me that she ________ there.

a) had been b) has been c) was

6. I will be studying tomorrow. I told him that I ________ tomorrow.

a) will be studying b) would be studying c) will study

7. Open the window! He asked me ________ the window.

a) to open b) open c) opened

8. I am happy. She told me that she ________ happy.

a) has been b) is c) was

9. I have seen that movie. He told me that he ________ that movie.

a) had seen b) will have seen c) has seen

10. I am flying to India tomorrow. He told me that he ________ to India next day.

a) is flying b) was flying c) will fly