reported speech paraphrasing exercises pdf

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Reported speech

Worksheets - pdf exercises.

• Reported statements - worksheet
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Paraphrasing reported speech

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Complete the sentences using between 2 and 5 words.

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English Grammar Online Exercises and Downloadable Worksheets

• Reported Speech

All downloads are in PDF Format and consist of a worksheet and answer sheet to check your results.

Levels of Difficulty : Elementary Intermediate Advanced

• RS002 - Reported Speech - Questions Intermediate
• RS003 - Reported Speech - Questions Intermediate
• RS004 - Reported Speech - Indirect Commands Intermediate

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Breakout English

First (FCE) B2 Key Word Transformations – Reporting Verbs Exercise

Reporting verbs is a challenging grammar point at B2 level, but doing plenty of reporting verbs exercises can help. This grammar combines reported speech, which is nobody’s favourite, with verb patterns, which is really nobody’s favourite. Throw in using the reporting verbs in the past and you’ve got a messy lesson on your hands.

In the First Certificate exam, there often seems to be at least one key word transformations question with reporting verbs. So, like always, we need to prepare students for the eventuality of encountering it in the exam. Below, you’ll find 10 key word transformation questions for the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) Use of English Part 4. If you are looking for even more transformations to practise for the exam, consider picking up Breakout English’s book 250 Key Word Transformations for the B2 First exam.

GET 250 B2 FIRST (FCE) KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS:

Why do you need to know reporting verbs?

It is essential to familiarise your students with the unique structures that follow reporting verbs so that they can confidently and accurately use them in their exams. One effective way to do this is through drilling. This involves repeating the structures multiple times to help students internalise them. You can do this by repeating the phrases from your controlled practice activity in a course book or grammar book. Try drilling by building up the sentence from one word until it’s complete. Then break it back down. Drill fast, then slow, then quiet, then loud. It’s a fun activity and helps students with complex pronunciation and connected speech.

Another useful technique is to present your students with real-life examples of how the reporting verbs are used in context. This could involve reading articles or watching videos that contain examples of reporting verbs. Encourage your students to identify and highlight the reporting verbs in the text and discuss the structures that follow them. Youglish is an impressive tool to find words in context in YouTube videos. Just search for the phrase you want to see and it will find a series of videos using that word.

Incorporating role play activities can also be helpful. For example, students could take on the role of journalists reporting a news story, or characters in a scene discussing events that have taken place. After the role play, have students switch roles and share their findings. This forces them to used reported speech and reporting verbs. These reporting verbs activities not only provide students with the opportunity to practise using reporting verbs but also allow them to have fun while doing so.

Examples of reporting verbs

As you can see in the examples below, there are often multiple structures that can be used following different reporting verbs. They might be followed by a gerund, an infinitive, a preposition + gerund or a “that” clause. They might also require or not an object following the verb.

“We should go out on Saturday,” suggested Paul.

• Paul suggested going out on Saturday.
• Paul suggested (that) we go out on Saturday

“I didn’t see anything,” claimed Sarah.

• Sarah claimed not to have seen anything.
• Sarah claimed (that) she hadn’t seen anything.

“I’m going to quit my job,” announced Jane.

• Jane announced (that) she was going to quit her job.
• Jane announced quitting her job.

“I can’t make it to the meeting,” apologised Tom.

• Tom apologized for not being able to make it to the meeting.
• Tom apologized (that) he couldn’t make it to the meeting.

“I’ve never been to Paris,” admitted Lucy.

• Lucy admitted (that) she had never been to Paris.
• Lucy admitted never having been to Paris.

It’s important to note that some reporting verbs have a set structure that we must follow, while others can have more flexibility in terms of structure. It’s also important to be aware of the tense changes that might occur in the transformation from direct speech to reported speech.

Practice is key when it comes to mastering reporting verbs. Encourage your students to practise using different reporting verbs and structures in various contexts to help them feel confident and comfortable with this grammar point.

There are no hard and fast rules to tell your students which verbs have which patterns, so use your course book or a nice grammar explanation like this one from perfect-english-grammar.com .

The Materials

Once your students have a grasp of the grammar, they need practice! That’s where the reporting verbs exercises on this page come in. Get as much practice as possible using reporting verbs in an exam format.

Here are 10 transformations for your students to practise. This reporting verbs exercise will help you and your students visualise how reporting verbs are used in the Cambridge B2 First (FCE) exam. I often like to search some past papers to find a real exam with an example too, just to prove to doubtful students that they do and may well pop up.

EXAM PART : Use of English Part 4

EXAM SKILLS : Using grammar appropriate to the level (B2), key word transformations

TIME: 20 minutes + feedback

PREPARATION: One copy of the worksheet per student

Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Englit English Language Lab

Reported speech – paraphrasing practice +key.

Rewrite the sentences in indirect speech using the verb given! Add prepositions where needed.

• “Milli Vanilli lip-synched all the time,” the manager said. ADMITTED
• “I will call you back” she said. OFFERED
• “You lied to me” he shouted. ACCUSED
• “You should see that play,” Peter said. RECOMMENDED
• “We are the best team in the championship,” the player said. BOASTED
• “Don’t believe him,” my mother said. WARNED
• “Let’s go swimming,” he said. SUGGESTED
• “Shall I help you?” the gentleman said. OFFERED
• “I’m sorry I’m late,” the student said. APOLOGIZED
• “You let him fall,” she said. BLAMED
• “Stop talking at once!” the teacher said. ORDERED
• “Your essay is not good enough.” she said. COMPLAINED/ABOUT
• “You should try harder” my teacher advised. SUGGESTED
• “You mustn’t talk during the exam!” the examiner said. FORBADE
• “Please, don’t play the drums while your sister is sleeping.” my mother said. ASKED
• “It’s a very delicate case.” the detective said. EXPLAINED
• “Please, please, don’t kill me.” the hostage said. BEGGED
• “Stop the car or I’ll start screaming.” she said. THREATENED
• “I didn’t sell you car.” George said. DENIED
• “You never listen to me.” Susan said. COMPLAINED
• “I’ll be more careful next time.” Simon said. PROMISED
• “You shouldn’t try it once more.” my friend said. DISCOURAGED
• “No, I won’t tell you the answer.” he said. REFUSED
• ADMITTED The manager admitted that Milli Vanilli lip-synched all the time. / The manager admitted (to) Milli Vanilli’s lip-synching all the time
• OFFERED She offered to call me back.
• ACCUSED He accused me of lying to him.
• RECOMMENDED He recommended seeing that play.
• BOASTED The player boasted about being/playing in the best team in the championship.
• WARNED My mother warned me not to believe him.
• SUGGESTED He suggested going swimming./He suggested that we go swimming.
• OFFERED The gentleman offered to help me.
• APOLOGIZED The student apologized for being late.
• BLAMED She blamed him/her for letting him fall.
• ORDERED The teacher ordered me/us to stop talking at once.
• COMPLAINED/ABOUT She complained to me about my essay not being good enough.
• SUGGESTED My teacher suggested my trying harder./ The teacher suggested that I try harder.
• FORBADE The examiner forbade us to talk during the exam.
• ASKED My mother asked me not to play the drums while my sister was sleeping.
• EXPLAINED The detective explained that it was a very delicate case.
• BEGGED The hostage begged me not to kill him/her.
• THREATENED She threatened to start screaming if I didn’t stop the car.
• DENIED George denied selling/having sold my car.
• COMPLAINED Susan complained that I never listen to he r. OR
• Susan complained to me about my never/not listening to her.
• PROMISED Simon promised to be more careful next time.
• DISCOURAGED My friend discouraged me from trying it/that once more/another time.

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False Subjects

Cause, Consequence - SO,SO - SUCH, SO - BECAUSE

Conditionals

1.1 The Passive - Personal and Impersonal Structures

Comparitives and Superlatives

Like - Seem, As, Appear to be, As though,

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Auxilliary verbs - Modal verbs

Reported Speech

PET - AS, LIKE 2

PET - REPORTED SPEECH 1

PET - FOR, SINCE, UNTIL, AGO, BY, DURING

PET - TOO, ENOUGH

PET - GOOD, WELL

PET - AGREE, DISAGREE

PET - GIVING ADVICE

PET - INTERESTED, INTERESTING

PET - SO and BECAUSE

PET - SOME, ANY

PET - IS LIKE, LOOKS LIKE, LIKES

PET - IF, WHEN and UNLESS

PET - MUST, HAVE TO, ALLOWED TO, PROHIBITED 1

PET - MAKING SUGGESTIONS

PET - TALL, TALLER THAN, THE TALLEST, NOT AS TALL AS

PET - NEVER BEFORE - FIRST TIME

PET - TO SWIM, SWIMMING

PET - LEND, BORROW, OWE

PET - HAS, THERE ARE

PET - I, ME, MY, MINE, MYSELF and BY MYSELF

PET - AS SOON AS, AS ... AS

PET - ADVISE, ADVICE

PET - OTHER, ANOTHER, THE OTHER

PET - AS, LIKE 1

PET - REPORTED SPEECH 2 - QUESTIONS

PET - USED TO

PET - FEW, MANY, LITTLE, MUCH

PET - PRACTICE, PRACTISE

PET - EFFECT, AFFECT

PET - PREFER, LIKE MORE THAN

PET - SO and SUCH

You are given a block of text which explains the theory of this concept.

Once you have read the theory, do the exercises given below to test how well you have understood the ideas.

How to do the Exercises:

You are given a set of words.

You are also given some sentences with input boxes, and you are required to use the words to complete the sentences correctly.

You can put your chosen word into the input box by first clicking on the word and then in the input box.

The word will appear in the input box.

If it is correct, it will go green, and if not, it will go red.

Start Timer 10:00 min.

TYPICAL FCE SENTENCE TRANSFORMATIONS USING REPORTED SPEECH

'I'm sorry I behaved so badly, said George.

George (1) so badly.

'Peter, you've eaten all the ice cream?' said his mother.

Peter's mother (2) all the ice cream.

'Don't sit in front of the computer for too long,' our teacher told us.

Our teacher (3) in front of the computer for too long.

'Can I borrow your bicycle, Sarah?' asked Frank.

Frank asked Sarah (4) her bicycle.

'Do you realise what the time is, Steve?' asked Chris.

Chris asked Steve (5) it was.

'Did you see that film on television on Saturday?' Susan asked me.

Susan wanted to know (6) that film on television on Saturday

English Practice Downloadable PDF Grammar and Vocabulary Worksheets

Key word transformation (b1).

• KWT009 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT008 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT007 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT006 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT005 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT004 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT003 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT002 - Key Word Transformation
• KWT001 - Key Word Transformation
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40 Key Word Transformations Ex. | C1 Advanced (CAE)

The important thing in key word transformations is that you keep the meaning the same – EXACTLY the same . So it’s important that you read through the first sentence and your second sentence to ensure you have kept the meaning the same.

• Think about the other words that need to change in the new word order, e.g. an adjective may become a noun or vice versa.
• Your answer may include words or expressions not used in the first sentence, but these must express exactly the same idea.
• Remember that contracted words count as two words, e.g. won’t = will not.

Because of the scoring system, it’s possible to get 50% in this section without getting any of the questions 100% correc t. So it’s worth answering every question! Even incomplete answers can get points

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40 Key Word Transformation: Exercises

Key word transformation: exercises 1.

Complete the sentence so that it has a similar meaning.  Do not change the word given . You must use between  two  and  six  words, including the word given.

Brian had an interest in  ( INTEREST ) North American history in his school days.

Darius soon recovered after the operation on his knee and was able to rejoin the team.

After the operation on his knee, Darius (MADE) and was able to rejoin the team.

I always hated pasta when I was a child but now I cook it regularly.

I (USE) pasta when I was a child but now I cook it regularly.

It was a mistake not to write the telephone number down.

I should (POINT) writing down the telephone number.

If Marc hadn´t taken up politics, he might have become a famous art historian.

If Marc hadn’t taken up politics, he might have (NAME) himself as an art historian.

This holiday is withing our price range, provided we don’t go to the expensive restaurants in the tourist centre.

We (AFFORD) as we avoid the expensive restaurants in the tourist centre.

Yesterday I informed my boss in writing that I would be leaving the company.

I (NOTICE) to my boss yesterday.

Key Word Transformation: Exercises 2

It’s very unlikely that martin will win the 100 metres, as he’s out of training.

Martin has almost (CHANCE) the 100 metres, as he’s out of training.

Most of the children ignored what the teacher had told them.

Few of the children (NOTICE) what the teacher had told them.

The company is unable to guarantee an allocated car-parking space to all employees.

The company’s employees shouldn´t (COUNT) allocated a car-parking space.

He no longer thinks he can find a job before the end of the year.

He has given (HOPE) a job before the end of the year.

I’m sure Jemma is going to become a famous model one day.

I think it’s only (MATTER) Jemma becomes a famous model.

I think learning to use a typewriter is a waste of time.

I can´t (POINT) how to use a typewriter.

Key Word Transformation: Exercises 3

The company has a good reputation in the local area.

The company (HIGHLY) of in the local area.

Nadia’s friend arrived just as she was about to leave the restaurant.

Nadia was (POINT) the restaurant when her friend arrived.

I don’t expect the company to make a profit this year, given the economic climate.

Given the economic climate, (SURPRISED) the company made a profit this year.

Barbara´s parents were certain that she would be a great tennis player.

Barbara’s parents were (DOUBT) that she would be a great tennis player.

My grandfather had completely forgotten that he phoned me last night.

My grandfather didn’t (RECOLLECTION) phoning me last night.

Pay claims must be submitted before the end of the month.

You have (PUT) your pay claims before the end of the month.

Key Word Transformation: Exercises 4

Given that he has no experience, will Glyn be able to do this job?

Will Glyn’s (AFFECT) ability to do this job?

At no time did we think that Pedro might be planning to leave the country.

It (OCCURED) that Pedro might be planning to leave the country.

I’m sure we went the wrong way at the last junction.

We must (TAKEN) at the junction.

We wanted to continue our mountain trek but the weather was too bad.

We (LIKE) on with our mountain trek but the weather was too bad.

No changes will be made to this project.

This project will (AHEAD) to plan.

Simon really ought to make a decision about his future.

It’s high time Simon (MIND) about his future.

Key Word Transformation: Exercises 5

Phoebe was surprised to be offered a place on the course.

The offer of a place on the course (CAME) Phoebe.

I can´t deny that I was embarrassed to be given the award.

There’s (NO) embarrassment at being given the award.

I think Anita must have gone on a diet recently because she’s quite slim now.

It looks as (HAS) dieting because she’s quite slim now.

Delia said that she would no longer tolerate her colleagues being rude.

‘I am not willing (PUT) from my colleagues any longer, ‘ said Delia.

It’s difficult to know what my reaction would have been in that situation.

I’m not (HOW) in that situation.

Do you mind if I come over to see you later?

Do you (OBJECTION) coming over to see you later?

FCE, CAE, CPE

Practice tests online, c1 advanced (cae) use of english part 4: tips & strategy.

You have to complete the second sentence, using the key word.

• Read the sentence carefully and think about its exact meaning.
• Check your tenses – if the first sentence is in the past tense, the second should be, too!
• Contractions (e.g. haven’t) count as two words.
• Try to keep the same meaning – If the first sentence says ‘Tom said…’ then don’t write ‘He said…’ in the second sentence. (Write ‘Tom said’.)
• Write between two and six words , including the word given.

Find things that are the same in both sentences and delete them. That helps you to focus on what you actually need to be transforming.

Make absolutely sure that the two sentences mean the same thing. For example, if the sentence to transform has names in it, the answer will have to have them too.

Would you pass C1 Advanced (CAE)?