Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
1He told me that I ............... very ambitious.
Wrong!
Use the past form "was" after a past reporting verb when the original statement is backshifted.
2He said to me, "Your father has sent you a gift." In reported speech: He told me that my father ............... me a gift.
Wrong!
Use "had sent": after a past reporting verb, the present perfect "has sent" backshifts to the past perfect.
3James said, "I am working against heavy odds." In reported speech: James said that he ............... working against heavy odds.
Wrong!
Use "was" as the backshifted form of present continuous in reported speech.
4He reminded me that he had often ............... not to play with fire.
Wrong!
The verb "told me" is correct because "tell" needs an object before the infinitive phrase.
5The teacher said, "You have done very badly." In reported speech: The teacher remarked that we ............... very badly.
Wrong!
Use "had done": after a past reporting verb, the present perfect "have done" backshifts to the past perfect.
6They wrote that it was time we ............... the matter.
Wrong!
After "it was time", use the past form "settled" to talk about an action that should happen now or soon.
7The mother said that she ............... for her son's return.
Wrong!
Use "was longing" as the backshifted form of present continuous in reported speech.
8He wrote that he was unable to come just then because he ............... ill.
Wrong!
Use "was" because the illness is part of the same past situation described in the report.
9She said that she ............... school long ago.
Wrong!
Use "had left" because leaving school happened before the past reporting verb.
10I told her that I ............... in years.
Wrong!
Use "had not seen him" because the period before the past report is expressed with the past perfect.
Answers
- He told me that I was very ambitious.
- He said to me, “Your father has sent you a gift.” In reported speech: He told me that my father had sent me a gift.
- James said, “I am working against heavy odds.” In reported speech: James said that he was working against heavy odds.
- He reminded me that he had often told me not to play with fire.
- The teacher said, “You have done very badly.” In reported speech: The teacher remarked that we had done very badly.
- They wrote that it was time we settled the matter.
- The mother said that she was longing for her son’s return.
- He wrote that he was unable to come just then because he was ill.
- She said that she had left school long ago.
- I told her that I had not seen him in years.