Key 15.1B-15.3A15.1B Quotation marks and 'reporting verbs'
1 'Where do you come from?' John asked.
2 'It's here,' Bill said.
3 'I've got a good idea, (or !)' Mark said.
4 'Is it something,' she asked, 'that we all ought to
know?'
5 'As I was leaving,' he explained, 'I heard someone
shout.'
6 'Don't shout at me!' he cried.
7 John said, 'We're late.'
8 'We're late,' John said.
9 'What's the time?' Andrew asked.
10 Bill said, 'I'm hungry.'
11 'What is it?'Jill asked.
12 'You are stupid sometimes!' she said.
13 'Where is he?' Tom asked.
14 'What a surprise!' she exclaimed.
15 'Is there anyone in?' she inquired.
16 'Which way did they go?' he asked.
17 Tom said, 'She's ill.'
18 'She's ill,' Tom said.
Note: double quotation marks can also be used.
15.1 С 'Quote within a quote'
1 'As I was leaving,' he explained, 'someone
shouted, "Fire!".'
2 'Please don't keep asking me, "What's the time?"!'
Jim said crossly.
3 'Have you read "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"?'
my teacher asked.
4 'What do you mean, "Have you lost your way?"?'
the stranger asked me.
5 Where are they now, he wondered.
Note: double quotation marks can also be used for
single and vice versa.
15.1 D Context
1 'It's all lies!' Boyle cried.
2 'You think so?' Inspector Wiley asked mildly.
3 Think so? I know it!' Boyle answered sharply.
4 'And no doubt,' the inspector continued, 'you can
prove it. Where were you on Saturday night, the
night of the robbery?'
5 'I was at the Roxy with my girlfriend,' Boyle
replied. 'We saw "Gone with the Wind". The film
lasted four hours.'
6 'But,' cried the inspector, 'the Roxy was closed all
last weekend!'
Note: Double quotation marks can also be used for
single and vice versa.
15.2 Say', 'tell' and ask'15.2A Say', tell' and ask'
1 says 2 tells 3 ask 4 asked 5 said 6 said
7 asked 8 said 9 told 10 asked 11 asked
12 ask 13 tell 14 asked 15 tell 16 says 17 told
18 said 19 tells 20 ask15.2B Fixed expressions with 'say', 'tell' and 'ask'
1 'I told you so' 2 Ask the price 3 Say no more
4 ask for 5 Say nothing 6 says so 7 tell the time
8 tell a lie15.2C Indirect statements with the reporting verb
in the present
1 she's going to America for six months.
2 they went to Rhodes last year.
3 she's not (or she isn't) feeling well.
4 she'll look at your work in a minute.
5 she's typed those letters.
6 we must investigate this case.
7 the last strike did no one any good.
8 turn off the electricity at the mains.
9 you have to rub down the walls.
10 she's good at flower arranging.15.2D Context
I are always saying 2 asked 3 said 4 told
5 says 6 asked 7 say 8 said 9 says 10 told
11 asked (or said) 12 said 13 told15.3 Indirect statements with tense changes15.3A Common indirect speech forms
1 Mac said (that) he needed a holiday.
2 Sue said (that) she wasn't wasting her time.
3 Tom said (that) he had had (or he'd had) some
good news.
4 Pam said (that) she had (or she'd) been sleeping.
5 Lou said (that) (s)he went (or had gone) home
early.
6 Jan said (that) (s)he was (or had been) waiting for
me/us.
7 Joe said (that) he had (or he'd) eaten earlier.
8 Pat said (that) (s)he had (or (s)he'd) been waiting
for me/us.
9 Tim said (that) he would (or he'd) see те/us later.
10 Dot said (that) she could speak French.
II Kim said (that) (s)he might arrive later.
12 Ron said (that) he would (or he'd) speak to him.
13 Meg asked whether she should speak to him.
14 Ted said (that) he could help met us.
15 Ann said (that) she might see him.
16 Jim said (that) he would (or he'd) enjoy that.
17 Sam said (that) he must have fainted.