International University – HCMC
Department of English
GRAMMAR 18 KEY
Practice 1: Yesterday you ran into a friend of yours, Helen. Helen told you a lot of things. Here are
some of the things she said to you:
Later that day you tell anther friend what Helen said. Use reported speech.
1. Helen said that she was thinking of going to live in France.
2. Helen said that her father was in the hospital.
3. Helen said that Sue and Jim were (are) getting married next month.
4. Helen said that she hadn’t seen Bill for a while.
5. Helen said that she had been playing tennis a lot lately.
6. Helen said that Barbara had had a baby.
7. Helen said that she didn’t know what Fred was doing.
8. Helen said that she hardly ever went out those days.
9. Helen said that she worked 14 hours a day.
10. Helen said that she would tell Jim that she saw me.
11. Helen said that I could come and stay with her if I were ever in Toronto.
12. Helen said that Tom had had an accident the week before, but he hadn’t been injured.
13. Helen said that she saw Jack at a party a few months ago, and he seemed fine.
Practice 2: In this exercise someone says something to you that is the opposite of what they said
before. You have to answer I thought you said...
1. “Ann is coming to the party” “I thought you said she was coming to the party”
2. “Bill passed his exam.” “I thought you said Bill (had) passed his exam”
3. “Ann likes Bill.” “I thought Ann liked Bill”
4. “I’ve got many friends” “I thought you said you had got many friends”
5. “Jack and Karen are going to get married.” “I thought you said Jack and Karen were going to
get married.”
International University – HCMC
Department of English
6. “Tom works very hard.” “I thought you said Tom worked very hard.”
7. “I want to be rich and famous.” “I thought you said you wanted to be rich and famous”
8. “I’ll be here next week.” “I thought you said you would be there the following week.”
9. “I can afford a vacation this year” “I thought you said you could afford a vacation this (that)
year”
Practice 3: Write what you would say in these situations.
Example: Ann says, “I'm tired." Five minutes later she says, “Let's play tennis." What do you say?
You said you were tired.
1. Your friend says, “I'm hungry," so you go to a restaurant. When you get there he says, “I don't
want to eat." What do you say? “You said you were hungry”
2. Tom tells you, “Ann has gone away." Later that day you meet her. What do you say?
“Tom told me that you had gone away”
3. George said, "I don't smoke." A few days later you see him smoking a cigarette. What do you say to
him? “You said you didn’t smoke”
4. You arranged to meet Jack. He said, “I won't be late." At last he arrives -20 minutes late. What do
you say? “You said you wouldn’t be late.”
5. Sue said, “I can't come to the party tonight." That night you see her at the party. What do you say to
her? “You said you couldn’t come to the party tonight .”
6. Ann says, “I'm working tomorrow evening." Later that day she says, “Let's go out tomorrow
evening." What do you say? “You said you were working tomorrow evening.”
Practice 4: Complete these sentences with said, told, or talked.
Example: Tom said that he didn't like Brian.
1. Jack told me that he was enjoying his new job.
2. Amy said it was a nice restaurant, but I didn't like it very much.
3. The doctor said that I would have to rest for at least a week.
4. Mrs. Taylor told us she wouldn't be able to come to the next meeting.
5. Ann told Tom that she was going away.
6. George couldn't help me. He told me to ask Jack.
7. At the meeting the director talked about the problems facing the company.
8. Jill told us all about her trip to Japan.
Practice 5: Read each sentence and write a new sentence with the same meaning
Examples: “Listen carefully," he said to us. He told us to listen carefully.
“Don't wait for me if I'm late," Ann said.
Ann said not to wait for her if she was late.
1. “Eat more fruit and vegetables," the doctor said.
International University – HCMC
Department of English
The doctor said that I should eat more fruits and vegetables.
2. “Read the instructions before you use the machine," he said to me.
He told me to read the instruction before I use the machine.
3. “Shut the door but don't lock it," she said to us.
She told me to shut the door but not lock it.
4. “Can you speak more slowly? I can't understand," he said to me.
He asked whether I could speak more slowly because he didn’t understand.
5. “Don't come before 6:00," I said to her.
I told him not to come before 6:00.
