ask, want to know, wonder etc.
Whether is usually
preferred when there are alternatives, e.g.
She asked me whether I wanted tea or coffee. 1. “Are you hungry?” She asked u s ___ . 2. “Are you enjoying yourself?” He wanted to
k n o w ___ . 3. “Do you always go to church on Sundays?” He w o n d ered ___ . 4. “Have you seen
John recently?” She asked m e ___ . 5. “Has Debbie been working here long?” He wanted to know
___ • 6. “Did you study hard for the exam?” She w ondered___ . 7 “Will Ted and Alice be at the
party? She asked us ___. 8. “Will you be coming to the concert or not?” He wanted to k n o w ____.
9. “You like Italian food, don’t you?” She asked m e __ . 10. “You don’t like Japanese music, do
you?” She wanted to k n o w ___ .
Exercise 8. Put the following into indirect speech 1. “Have you had your ear pierced?” my mum asked me. 2. “Do you wear sunglasses when
skiing” he asked. 3. “Do you ever get airsick” Jane asked me. 4. “Did you see al the performances
o f the Shakespeare Company?” Mr. Brown asked them. 5. “Was Jack doing the part o f Hamlet in
the school play?” the teacher asked him. 6. “Are you still moving to Blackpoll next week?” Rod
asked me. 7.”Can I bring my dog into the compartment with me?” she asked. 8. “Are there smoking
compartments there?” said the m an with the pipe. 9. Will Simon be coming to the party tomorrow
night?” Adrian wondered. 10. “Can you guess what I’ve given Lindsay for her birthday?” Daisy
asked Wendy. 11. “May I keep the book a few days longer?” asked the girl. 12. “Have you been
waiting for him long?” my friend asked me.
Exercise 9. Put the following into indirect speech. 1. “When was the timetable changed?” I asked. 2. “How can I get to the airport?” asked
Bill. 3. “Which o f you knows how to make Irish stew?” said the chef cook. 4. “Why is your house
so full o f antiques?” she asked. 5. “Was your father a collector?” 6.”How much does a day return to
Bath cost?”* Mrs. Jones asked. 7. “When will you get back?” asked John. 8. “Why did you apply for
this job?” asked the sales manager. 9. “When will I know the results o f the examination?” Maria
asked the examiner. 10. “How does the photocopier work?” asked the salesman. 11. “Where can I
change some money?” I asked the hotel manager. 12. What do you think o f London?” she asked
me.
