Meanings into Words: Grade XII

Unit 6 (Reporting):

Reported Speech

 

Ex: 6.1, (Reported speech): page: 52 (student's book)

Follow-up structures and rules:

Mainly there are three changes made while changing a speech from direct to indirect: person, tense and adverbials. Mainly four types of sentences are prescribed for grade xii.

 

How to change:

Sl.No.	Sentence-type	Reporting verbs	Joining words
1	statement	told	that
2	Yes/no question	asked	if
3	'Wh' question	asked/wanted to know etc.	'Wh' word
4	Command (imperative)	told/requested/ordered	to

Person change:

Subjective/subject  in a sentence	Objective/object  in a sentence	Possessive/relation
I	Me	My/mine
We	Us	Our/ours
you	You	Your/yours
He	Him	His
She	Her	Her
It	It	Its
They	Them	Their
who	whom	whose

 

Tense change:

Given verbs	Changed into
V1/v5	V2
V2	Had+v3
Is/am/are	Was/were
Was/were	Had been
Has/have	had
Had+v3	Had+v3
Can/may/shall/will etc.	Could/might/would etc.

 

Adverbial change:

Given adverbials	Changed into
This	That
Now	Then
Today	That day
Tomorrow	The next day
Yesterday	The day before/the previous day
The day before yesterday	Two days before
Ago	Before
Next	The following
thus	so

 

 Remember the following structures:

 

He admitted that………..	He assured me that…….	He urged me to………….
He denied that……….	He warned me that……	He begged me to…….
He explained that………..	He told me that………..	He tried to persuade me to…….
He pointed out that………..	He advised me to ……….	He insisted on v4……..
He claimed that………	He recommended me to……	He suggested that I should ………
He insisted that…………….	He accused me of v4……..	He agreed to …….
He refused to …..	He promised to……	He threatened to……

Few examples of reported speech:

Question: change the following into indirect speech:

a) He said to me, " I did your housework for you and for my benefit". (statement)

→ He told me that he had done my housework for me and for his benefit.

b) He asked me, "Have you done your homework?" (yes/no question)

      → He asked me if I had done my homework.

c) He asked me, "When did you get up in the morning yesterday?" ('wh' question)

      → He asked me when I had got up in the morning the day before.

d) He said to her, "Please, open the window". (command/request)

      → He requested her to open the window.

 

From student's book: Ex. No. 6.1: page: 52

Question: Report these remarks made by the Australian:

a) "I'm from Melbourne."

→ The Australian said that he was from Melbourne.

b) "I like it here."

→ He said that he liked it there.

c) "I don't earn much money."

→ He said that he didn't earn much money.

d) "I've got a cousin in America."

→ He said that he had got a cousin in America.

e) "I'll be staying in New York for a month."

→ He said that he would be staying in New York for a month.

f) "I'll go to Canada too if I have time."

→ He said that he would go to Canada too if he had time.

Question: Report these remarks made by the Minister:

a) "We are going to do all we can to help industry."

→ The Minister said that they are going to do all they could to help industry.

b) "Unemployment figures have been falling for several months."

→ He said that unemployment figures had been falling for several months.

c) "The last government didn't do anything about unemployment."

→ He said that the last government hadn't done anything about unemployment.

d) "These proposals are being considered carefully."

→ He said that those proposal were being considered carefully.

e) "Things won't get better unless we all work together."

→ He said that things wouldn't get better unless we all work together.

f)"I fully support the Prime Minister's views."

→ He said that he fully supported the Prime Minister's views.

 g)  "I'm sure we'll win the next election."

→ He said that he would win the next election.

h) "I can't say any more until I've talked to the Prime Minister."

→ He said that he couldn't say any more until he had talked to the Prime Minister.

 

From work book: Ex-1: page: 28

Question: Report the following remarks beginning 'He told me……….' :

1. My father's ill.

→ He told me (that) his father was ill.

2. I'll tell her when I see her.

→ He told me (that) he would tell her when he saw her.

3. I've been sleeping very badly.

→ He told me (that) he had been sleeping very badly.

4. If they're waiting for you, you ought to go.

→ He told me that if they were waiting for me, I ought to go.

5. The price of petrol's going to go up.

→He told me that the price of petrol was going to go up.

6. I'm sure she won't mind if you use the phone.

→ He told me (that) he was sure she wouldn't mind if I used the phone.

7. I was not invited to the wedding.

→ He told me (that) he had not been invited to the wedding.

8. I've had my car serviced.

→ He told me (that) he had had his car serviced.

9. I'm reading that book you lent me.

→ He told me (that) he was reading that book I had lent him.

10. They don't play as much tennis as they used to.

→ He told me (that) they didn't play as much tennis as they used to.

11. Since they've already got one, there's no point in giving them one.

→ He told me that since they had already got one, there was no point in giving them one.

12. You look as if you haven't eaten for weeks.

→ He told me (that) I looked as if I hadn't eaten for weeks.

 

From work book: Ex-4: page: 31

Question: Choose one of the verbs in the list to report each of the remarks below:

Promise               advise                suggest                urge

Threaten             recommend       insist                     beg

1. I can't tell you how important it is for you to give up smoking.

→ He urged me to give up smoking.

2. You've got to lend me the money! Oh, please, please!

→ He begged me to lend him the money.

3. Why don't you paint the ceiling yellow?

→ He suggested me to paint the ceiling yellow or He suggested that I should paint the ceiling yellow.

4. I'll buy an ice cream if you're good.

→He promised to buy me an ice cream.

5. You should spend a week in Scotland—it's lovely.

→ He recommended me to spend a week in Scotland.

6. No, I've already told you—I'm going to pay.

→ He insisted on paying.

7. You really ought to have your roof repaired, you know.

He advised me to have my roof repaired.

8. I'll report you to the police if you don't do what I say.

→ He threatened to do what he said.

 

Question: Read the following remarks using one of the verbs below for each:

                  

                            Deny, assure, suggest, beg, agree.

1. 'you'll be in no difficulty at all'.

→ He assured me that I would be in no difficulty at all.

2. 'Ok, I'll give you.

→ He agreed to give me.

3. 'Why don't you paint your ceiling white?'

→ He suggested  that I should paint the ceiling white.

4. 'Pease-you must help me'.

→ He begged me to help him.

5. 'Me? I didn't take your book'.

→ He denied that he had taken my book.

 

From work book: Ex-2: page: 29 surprise surprise (conflicting reports)

Question: Respond with surprise to each of the following, in three different ways. Use these expressions in your answers:

told me/said….thought…

Didn't tell me…didn't realize/know…..

1. I've been reading a book of Spanish poetry.

→a) Really? I didn't know you liked poetry.

    b) What? But you told me last week you'd forgotten all your Spanish.

    c) But I thought you were reading those Italian plays.

2. I'm afraid I can't afford to come to the concert.

a) Really? I didn't know you were short of money.

    b) What? But you told me you liked concert.

    c) But I thought you had bank balance.

3. My two daughters are coming to stay with me during the holidays.

→ a) Really? I didn't know you had daughters.

     b) What? But you told me they were going to Pokhara.

     c) But I thought they were going to stay with their uncle.

4. Don't get too friendly with George—he's an awful bore.

→a) Really? I didn't know about his nature.

    b) What? But Dinesh told me he was an interesting person.

    c) But I thought he was he was very funny.

5. Come round to dinner tonight—I'm cooking an enormous meal.

→a) Really? I didn't realize you were a good cook.

    b) What? But you told me you were ordering food from a nearby restaurant.

    c) But I thought your sister was cooking meal.

 

From Question Bank

1. Choosing the appropriate verbs from the list, report the remarks below: (2073)

Verbs: promise, threaten, agree, advise, recommend.

 

a. She says, “I’ll give you your bag back”

= She agreed to give me my bag back.

b. The father told the boy he would buy him a laptop if he was good.

= The father promised to buy the boy a laptop if he had been good.

c. The neighbor told me he would report the police if he didn’t do what he said.

= The neighbour threatened to report to the police if I hadn’t done what he had said.

d. The doctor said, “You should spend a week in Bhedetar- it’s lovely.

= The doctor recommended me to spend a week in Bhedetar.

e. Why don’t you paint the wall blue?

= He advised me to paint the wall blue or He advised me that I should paint the wall blue.

 

2. Choosing the appropriate verbs from the list, report the remarks below: (2070)

Verbs: warn, accuse, assure, explain, admit

a. You are interfering in a private matter.

= The sales manager accused me of interfering in a private matter.

b. You are under no obligation to buy the drill if you don’t like it.

= The salesman assured me that I was under no obligation to buy the drill if I didn’t like it.

c. I don’t want the book, because its pages are torn.

= The student explained that he didn’t want the book, because its pages were torn.

d. The pages of the book have been torn- the student has been right all along.

= The bookseller admitted that the pages of the book had been torn-The student had been right all along.

e. If you don’t pay the previous balance within seven days, we will have to take legal action.

= The grocery dealer warned me that if I didn’t pay the previous balance within seven days, they would have to take legal action.

 

3. Change the following into indirect speech: Begin with the words given in brackets: (2059)

a. “Shall we go for a walk?” (She asked)

= She asked if they would go for a walk.

b. “What else would you suggest for the trip?” (He wanted to know from me)

= He wanted to know from me what else I would suggest for the trip.

c. “How does it feel like to ride a cable car?” (She questioned)

= She questioned how it felt like to ride a cable car.

d. “I’m counting on your help”. (He repeated)

= He repeated that he was counting on my help.

 

4. Complete the sentences. Report what was said. (2058)

a. Ram to Shyam: Would you like to stay for lunch?

= Ram invited Shyam to stay for lunch.

b. Ranjeeta : I’m sorry I caused so much trouble.

= Ranjeeta apologized for causing so much trouble.

c. Sita to Geeta: You ought to see a doctor.

= Sita advised Geeta  to see a doctor.

d. Tashi: I’ll do the washing up.

= Tashi offered to do the washing up.

 

The End of Unit 6