verbs of reporting

1.Put the following into REPORTED SPEECH. Do not use TELL as introductory verb.

a. “Shut the door, Tom,” she said.

b. “Lend me your pen for a moment,” I said to Mary.

c. “Don't watch late-night horror movies,” I told them.

d. “Don't believe everything you hear,” he said to me.

e. “Please fill up this form,” the secretary said.

f. “Don't hurry,” I said.

g. “Don't touch that switch, Mary,” I said.

h. “Open the safe!” the raiders told the bank clerk.

i. “Please do as I say,” he said.

j. “Help your mother, Peter,” Mr Pitt said.

k. “Read it before you sign it,” he said to his client.

l. “Don't put your hands near the bars,” the zoo keeper said.

m. “Would you like to have lunch with me on Sunday?” he said to me.

n. “Would you like a cigarette? said one of the guests.

o. “Would you mind not smoking between courses?” said their hostess.

p. “If I were you, I'd try to get a room on the top floor,” he said.

q. “I'll wait for you if you like,” she said.

r. “Remember to switch off when you've finished,” she said.

s. “You'd better apologize for being late,” said my mother.

t. Hotel notice: Will guests please not play radios loudly after midnight?

u. “Would you like to wait here?” said the receptionist, showing me into the waiting room.

v. “Don't leave your room at night,” he said. “Our host's dogs might mistake you for a burglar.”

w. “Could you get there and back in one day?” I said.

x. “I can't open this tin,” said Ann. “Shall I do it for you?” said Tom.

y. “Will you be able to guide me or shall I bring a map?” I said.

z. “You won't forget to shut the door, will you?” she said.

2. Write the following into REPORTED SPEECH, avoiding the verbs SAY, ASK and TELL.

a. He said, “Don't walk on the ice; it isn't safe.”

b. “Miss Brown, this is Miss White, Miss White, Miss Brown,” he said.

c. “Here are the car keys. You'd better wait in the car,” he said to her.

d. “Please, please, don't tell anyone,” she said.

“I won't, I promise,” I said.

e. “Would you like my torch?” I said, holding it out.

“No, thanks,” he said. “I have one of my own.”

f. Tom: I'll pay.

Ann: Oh no, you mustn't!

Tom: I insist on paying!

g. “Come in and look round. There's no obligation to buy,” said the shopkeeper.

h. “If you don't pay the ransom, we'll kill the boy,” said the kidnappers.

i. “I won't answer any questions,” said the arrested man.

j. “He expects a lot of work for very little money,” said one of the typist.

“Yes, he does,” said the other.

a. “Shut the door, Tom,” she said.
SHE ORDERED TOM TO SHUT THE DOOR.

b. “Lend me your pen for a moment,” I said to Mary.

I ASKED MARY TO LEND ME HER PEN FOR A MOMENT.
c. “Don't watch late-night horror movies,” I told them.
I FORBADE THEM TO WATCH LATE-NIGHT HORROR MOVIES.

d. “Don't believe everything you hear,” he said to me.
HE WARNED ME NOT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING I HEAR.

e. “Please fill up this form,” the secretary said.
THE SECRETARY ASKED ME TO FILL UP THAT FORM.

f. “Don't hurry,” I said.
I ASKED HIM NOT TO HURRY.

g. “Don't touch that switch, Mary,” I said.
I WARNED MARY NOT TO TOUCH THAT SWITCH.

h. “Open the safe!” the raiders told the bank clerk.
THE RAIDERS COMMANDED THE BANK CLERK TO OPEN THE SAFE.

i. “Please do as I say,” he said.
HE BEGGED ME TO DO AS HE SAID.

j. “Help your mother, Peter,” Mr Pitt said.
MR PITT REQUIRED PETER TO HELP HIS MOTHER. 

k. “Read it before you sign it,” he said to his client.
HE ADVISED HIS CLIENT TO READ IT BEFORE HE SIGNED IT.

l. “Don't put your hands near the bars,” the zoo keeper said.
THE ZOO KEEPER WARNED US NOT TO PUT OUR HANDS NEAR THE BARS.

m. “Would you like to have lunch with me on Sunday?” he said to me.
HE INVITED ME TO HAVE LUNCH WITH HIM ON SUNDAY.

n. “Would you like a cigarette? said one of the guests.
ONE OF THE GUESTS OFFERED ME A CIGARETTE.

o. “Would you mind not smoking between courses?” said their hostess.
THEIR HOSTESS ASKED THEM NOT TO SMOKE BETWEEN COURSES.

p. “If I were you, I'd try to get a room on the top floor,” he said.
HE ADVISED / RECOMMENDED / SUGGESTED GETTING A ROOM ON THE TOP FLOOR.

q. “I'll wait for you if you like,” she said.
SHE OFFERED TO WAIT. 

r. “Remember to switch off when you've finished,” she said.
SHE REMINDED ME TO SWITCH OFF WHEN I HAD FINISHED.

s. “You'd better apologize for being late,” said my mother.
MY MOTHER ORDERED ME TO APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE. 

t. Hotel notice: Will guests please not play radios loudly after midnight?
THE HOTEL REQUIRED GUESTS NOT TO PLAY RADIOS LOUDLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

u. “Would you like to wait here?” said the receptionist, showing me into the waiting room.
THE RECEPTIONIST OFFERED ME TO WAIT THERE.

v. “Don't leave your room at night,” he said. “Our host's dogs might mistake you for a burglar.”
HE WARNED ME NOT TO LEAVE MY ROOM AT NIGHT.

w. “Could you get there and back in one day?” I said.
I ASKED IF HE COULD GET THERE AND BACK IN ONE DAY.

x. “I can't open this tin,” said Ann. “Shall I do it for you?” said Tom.
TOM OFFERED TO OPEN THAT TIN.

y. “Will you be able to guide me or shall I bring a map?” I said.
I WANTED TO KNOW IF HE WOULD BE ABLE TO GUIDE ME OR IF I SHOULD BRING A MAP.

z. “You won't forget to shut the door, will you?” she said.
SHE REMINDED ME TO SHUT THE DOOR.

2. Write the following into REPORTED SPEECH, avoiding the verbs SAY, ASK and TELL.

a. He said, “Don't walk on the ice; it isn't safe.”
HE WARNED ME NOT TO WALK IN THE ICE.

b. “Miss Brown, this is Miss White, Miss White, Miss Brown,” he said.
HE INTRODUCED MISS BROWN TO MISS WHITE.

c. “Here are the car keys. You'd better wait in the car,” he said to her.
HE ORDERED ME TO WAIT IN THE CAR.

d. “Please, please, don't tell anyone,” she said.
SHE BEGGED ME NOT TO TELL ANYONE.

“I won't, I promise,” I said.
I PROMISED NOT TO DO IT.

e. “Would you like my torch?” I said, holding it out.

“No, thanks,” he said. “I have one of my own.”

HE OFFERED ME HIS TORCH AND I REFUSED.
f. Tom: I'll pay.

Ann: Oh no, you mustn't!

Tom: I insist on paying!
TOM OFFERED TO PAY.
ANN DISAGREED.
TOM INSISTED ON PAYING. 

g. “Come in and look round. There's no obligation to buy,” said the shopkeeper.
THE SHOPKEEPER INVITED US TO GO IN AND LOOK ROUND.

h. “If you don't pay the ransom, we'll kill the boy,” said the kidnappers.
THE KIDNAPPERS THREATENED TO KILL THE BOY.

i. “I won't answer any questions,” said the arrested man.
THE ARRESTED MAN REFUSED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

j. “He expects a lot of work for very little money,” said one of the typist.

“Yes, he does,” said the other.
ONE THE TYPIST WARNED ME THAT HE EXPECTED A LOT OF WORK FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY.
THE OTHER AGREED.