3. 2. Indirect special questions
An indirect special question is introduced by the same adverb or pronoun that introduces the direct question.
| DIRECT SPEECH | INDIRECT SPEECH |
| Peter asked, "Who has taken my book?" | Peter asked who had taken his book. |
| 1 asked the gardener, "What are you planting here this year?" | 1 asked the gardener what he was planting there that year. |
| Nina's sister asked her, "Who did you meet at the theatre?" | Nina's sister asked her who she had met at the theatre. |
| 1 asked my mother, "What did the teacher say?" | 1 asked my mother what the teacher had said. |
| He asked Roger, "When will he come back?" | He asked Roger when he would come back. |
| Ted asked Ron, "Where do your parents live?" | Ted asked Ron where his parents lived. |
| The professor asked his student, "Why haven't you done the home assignment?" | The professor asked his student why he hadn't done his home assignment. |
A direct subject-question has the same word order as the statement:
□ John paid the waiter. о □ Who paid the waiter?
We keep the same word order when we report a subject-question, though if it is necessary, we change the tense.
□ The policeman asked, "Who left this □ The policeman asked who (had) left
car here?" that car there.
□ The teacher asked, "What made you □ The teacher asked what had made
change your mind?" me change my mind.
EXERCISES
Ex. 3. (A, B) Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech.
1. Mother asked Jane, "What are you doing here?" 2. Margaret asked Richard, "Where are you going for your holidays?" 3. Ann asked Mary, "What do you usually have for breakfast?" 4. The inspector asked, "Who caused the accident?" 5. The teacher asked Bob, "When did you learn to swim?" 6. Mary's mother asked her, "Where have you put
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your shoes?" 7. The teacher asked, "Which number can be divided by three?" 8. Peter asked me, "When are you going to have dinner?" 9. The policeman asked me, "Where did you lose your wallet?" 10. The teacher came into the classroom and asked the pupils, "What are you doing?" 11.1 asked Bob, "Why didn't you answer my letter?"
12. There was a crowd in the street. I asked a man in the crowd, "What is the matter?"
13. Father asked, "When will lunch be ready?" 14. The little boy asked his father, "Why does the policeman wear a uniform?" 15.1 asked him, "Who are you looking at?" 16. The nurse asked, "Who is the next, please?" 17. The man asked his friend, "When did you buy your car?"
Ex. 4. (В, С) Translate into English.
1. Они спросили меня, когда начинается мой рабочий день. 2. Он спросил, какую музыку любят мои друзья. 3. Мы спросили его, кто из его друзей знает два иностранных языка. 4. Журналисты спросили писателя, над какой книгой он работает. 5. Она спросила меня, где я был вчера. 6. Они спросили моего друга, как он провел летние каникулы. 7. Я спросила у нее, где ей сшили пальто. 8. Я спросила у него, какие еще французские книги он прочитал за последнее время. 9. Друзья спросили его, куда он ездил в прошлое воскресенье. 10. Родители спросили нас, что мы собираемся делать летом. 11. Жена спросила, почему он не купил хлеб. 12. Мы спросили преподавателя, как мы сдали экзамен. 13. Она спросила его, когда он видел Лену в последний раз.
14. Они спросили меня, когда я позвоню своим родителям. 15. Я спросил его, когда
он собирается закончить эту работу.
4. REVISION
Ex. 1. Put the following into Indirect Speech.
I. (A)
1.1 asked my friend, "How do you feel after your holiday?" 2. "Ernie's an educated man," remarks Florrie. 3. "John never seems low or depressed," says Jane. 4. Jack's father asked him, "Who are you writing a letter to?" 5. "Jack is on the terrace. He is playing chess with his brother," says Nelly. 6. I saw a cloud of smoke and asked, "What is burning?" 7. "I can't understand what he is talking about," replies Bessie. 8.1 asked her, "Who gave you that watch?" 9. "I'll tell you when I'll be back," Nora says to Jack. 10. Mr Nyman asked his wife, "How much do you spend on food every week?" 11. "You have known me long," Barbara says to Martha. 12. "You're the best assistant I've ever had, Sheppey," he says. 13. Henry asked Tom, "Who did you visit in the hospital?" 14. "He was born in Moscow," she says. 15. "We didn't have dinner there," the boy says. 16. "I was so thrilled and excited by the opera," Stella says to Maurice. 17. "When I came Jane was playing the piano," says Kitty. 18. "When the doorbell rang I was writing a letter to John," says George.
II. (B)
1. "He always has dinner there," she said. 2. "He has a nice voice," she said. 3. "I'm quite prepared to stay up until Mrs Maurice comes in," said Stella. 4. "I'm sorry to disturb you," Tom said to Eliza. 5. "I'm her guest at the moment," he said. 6. "You are the very person we
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want, Thornton," said Pearl. 7. "John always comes home to luncheon," said Martha. 8. "I don't think anyone can accuse me of not being frank," said Martha. 9. "I'm learning French," said Florrie. 10. "The taxi is waiting," Bently said to Constance. 11. "Florrie, you'll be all right in a minute," said Bessie. 12. "I'll go in and see him before I go to bed," said Stella. 13. "You won't be able to see me on Tuesday," she said to Jack. 14. "We shall not do that," he said. 15. "I shall wait for Sheppey," said Bolton. 16. "Whatever the future may have in store I shall never forget your courage, your self-sacrifice, and your patience," Mrs Tabret said to Stella. 17. "I'm deeply grateful for all you've done for Maurice," Mrs Tabret said to Stella.
Ex. 2. (В, С) Put the verbs in brackets into the required past tense, pay attention to the Sequence of Tenses.
1. She (hear) the band playing and she (know) that in a few moments the curtain (go) up.
2. Myra (think) he (prefer) to be by himself. 3.1 (hear) from your mother that you (be) late and so I (order) coffee and sandwiches. 4. Mrs Streep (ask) him if he (have) dinner there. 5. The old man (ask) me if I (have) parents. 6. He (be) very sorry for Jennie, and he (tell) his wife that he (have) to go out and see her. 7. And the other day I (have) a letter from him saying he (be) in Moscow soon. 8.1 (say) I (be) back by nine o'clock. 9. You (promise) you (try) to persuade him to stay on for a bit. 10. In a few words I (tell) him what (happen). 11. She (ask) me if I (live) long in that town. 12. When I (ring) her that evening she (say) she (not like) to discuss those problems on the phone. 13. That evening she (tell) me (be) at the hotel number, and about half past eight I (dial) that number, but there (be) no answer. 14.1 (put) the papers back where they (belong), (tell) the manager I (do) no clipping or tearing, (return) to the hotel, (treat) myself to a glass of milk in the coffee shop, and (go) to bed. 15. He (write) that he (come) to lunch the following day.
Ex. 3. (В, С) Translate the stories from Russian into English, paying special attention to the italicized words.
I
Совет врача .
Медсестра спросила меня, ожидаю ли я доктора Грея, и пригласила меня к нему в
кабинет (surgery).