CBSE solutions for English Communicative - Workbook Interact in English Class 10 chapter 13 - Reported Speech (Integrated Grammar practice 8) [Latest edition]

                                     The Road to English
A . (Adapted from an article by Arishban Bagchi (Hindu college) [The Hindustan Times, 4October1996]

1. The great question, after you have failed to put yourself in an engineering or medical college in contemporary Indian society, is whether you'll ever find a job.

2. "Ohl He showed such promise during his early days," says the sister of the neighbour of your aunt in Timbuctoo. "Now look at my Bittoo,11 she goes on. "In spite of being so brilliant and all, he could only barely manage a grade A+ at MIT, and then he only just managed a well- paid job. How difficult gettingjobs must be."

3. The next line reads, "I wonder how your son will find a job, being a nonengineer, and that too in India."

4. Your father's friend, a prosperous doctor, decides to come visiting. Quite predictably, his first question on seeing you is the inevitable, "Why in heaven's name did you not qualify in the pre-medical test?' Followed by the equally inevitable, "Now what are you going to do?11

5. He raves on about his nephew who has just gone to the UK for his FRCS, and his daughter who has just completed her MBBS from AIIMS with top results, and what exciting prospects they have.

6. Your father into whose eyes you haven't dared to look for quite some time, speaks up. "I have lost all hope for him. However, educating him is my duty and I won't shirk from it."

7. Someone speaks up. "Let him go to college to study Physics or Chemistry." Everyone sits in silence. You cannot help feeling a little proud. At length, someone plucks up the courage: "It's quite impossible to educate him any further. Youngsters these days never seem to listen to what we have to say."

8. "I will study English Literature," you say, dropping a bombshell, fearless of the consequences. Amazingly, it works. The crowd hurries to disperse. You are so relieved to see their backs that you don't care. Thankfully, your parents voice no objection, remembering, perhaps, that you did manage to score highly in English in your Board exams.

9. So you finally take English literature as your subject of study.

B. Work in pairs and list the speakers in the passage you have just read.

i.____________________
ii.____________________
Ill.____________________
iv.____________________
v.____________________

 B .Still working in pairs, answer the following.

1. Did anyone actually say (or write) "Oh! He showed such promise during his early days?" (Yes/No) How can you tell? _____________

2. Is "Now look at my Bittoo", said by the same person as the extract in 1 above? (Yes/ No) How do you know? __________

3. In paragraph 4, who says "Now what are you going to do?" What words help you to know? ___________

4. i) In paragraph 5, who is the speaker?___________ Discuss and work out what must have been his exact words. Then write them below.______________

   ii) Underline the verb which tells you how the person must have said this.
     [Hint: Try to work out the meaning of this verb. ]

        ______________________

        ______________________

5. How many of the nine paragraphs in the passage are reporting what someone has said? ____________________

6. How many paragraphs include the exact words of the various speakers (direct speech)? ______________

7. How many paragraphs have reported them 'indirectly' (indirect speech)?

8. What is your conclusion about how writers report what someone says or has said in a newspaper article such as this?

____________________

A reporting verb is used in both direct and indirect (reported) speech. The
reporting verb usually adds to the meaning of each sentence for instance,
it may show the speaker's MOOD (e.g. agreed), PURPOSE (e.g. asked),
MANNER OF SPEAKER (e.g. shouted). An example is: 

In this sentence, the reporting word 'complained' shows that the tourist was clearly unhappy about the arrangements.

Now work in groups of four. Read the following sentences carefully, and circle the reporting verbs. Then discuss and write the ways in which each reporting verb adds to the meaning of its arrangement.

1. "When I was in school, I used to skip a few classes, especially Moral Science because of the bookish manner in which it was treated," confessed the retired IAS Officer.

______________________________

2. Saurav's friends protested that he should have been included in the school badminton team, on the basis of his fine performance in the inter-house matches.

______________________________

3. "Make a circle, make a circle!" Mira shouted, firmly pulling and pushing the children till a kind of vague circle was formed.

________________________________

4. The music teacher warned the children against getting carried away and
getting out of tune.

________________________________

5. "Father, you must tell me what you meant exactly when you said that I was the same as every other teenager," Varun insisted.

_______________________________

6. "Oh God! She is coming again," the children whispered to each other, when they saw Mrs. Sharma striding towards their classroom for the third time that day.

_______________________________

The exact words of the Prime Minister: "I shall lead this great country on the path of peace and prosperity. Not only that, but I assure you that I will lower truces and do everything in my power to reduce inflation."

[Situation: A newsreader reports the words of the Prime Minister on the radio.] "The new Prime Minister said that he would lead the country on the path of peace and prosperity. He also promised to lower taxes and reduce inflation."

Working in pairs, note the changes the newsreader made while reporting the PM's speech.

Fill in the table below.

Now do the same with this situation. The following is a conversation that took place between Neeta and Shobhna (in the presence of Shobhna's  mother) last week.

Neeta: Can I borrow Rs. 25? I have lost all my money on the bus this morning. Shobhna : But you asked me for a loan last week as well, you haven1t repaid that yet. Sorry, But I can't lend you any more.

Imagine, it is now nezt week. Shobhna's mother talks about it to her husband in her own words.

"Neeta came in last week and asked Shobhna if she could borrow twenty five rupees. She explained she had lost all her money on the bus that morning. Shobhna reminded Neeta that she had asked her for a loan the previous week as well, and still hadn't repaid it. So she decided she couldn't lend Neeta any more."

Read the exact words of Mrs. Bhattacharya, a resident of Park Street, Kolkata.

"Where do the two of you live? You shouldn't make such a noise in the street. If you do it again, I'll have to complain to the police. So, be careful."

• Now think of a situation in which Mrs. Bhattacharya has to report what she said to somebody but not exactly as she has said above (eg. to a neighbour.)

Situation ______________________

• Now report Mrs. Bhattacharya'& words. Remember: You can decide whether to use direct or indirect speech forms.

______________________________________

______________________________________

• Work with your partner. Read the following. Decide on a likely situation in which what was said has been repeated. Then use your imagination and recreate the original ("direct") speech.

Everyone at the hospital looked after me very well. As soon as I arrived, a nurse asked me how I felt. Then she asked me where I lived and whether she could contact my parents. I explained that you were out today, so she couldn't contact you. After that she asked me how that accident had happened and I said I didn't know.

Situation ______________________

Direct speach (in dialogue form) _____________

________________________

Statements: Rewrite the following in reported speech:
a) Sheela to Rashmi: "You can come and stay at my place if you're ever in Delhi".
b) Anand to Renu: "I don't know what Gayathri is doing these days. She hasn't visited us for ages".
c) Teacher to Students: "We shall go on a field trip to study water pollution.

Questions in indirect speech.
Rewrite the following in indirect speech:

a) He said, "Who has moved into the neighbouring house?"

__________________________________

b) He said, "What have you bought for Deepawali?"

__________________________________
c) He said to me, "Why didn't you wear your new dress for the party?"

__________________________________
d) "Is anyone there?" he asked.

__________________________________
e) "Shall I wait for the doctor or come again tomorrow?" she asked the
receptionist.

__________________________________

Commands, requests and advice in indirect speech:
Rewrite the following in indirect speech :

a) The General said," Move the tanks to the battlefield immediately."

__________________
b) "Don't drive too fast", the instructor said to me.

___________________
c) "Iflwereyou, I'd buythatpropertyimmediately", theagentsaid toAnwar.

__________________
d) "Why don't you change into something more comfortable?" he said to his guest.

__________________

e) "Go on, taste it", said the cook to the guest.

 _______________

• You will notice that direct commands, requests and advice are usually
expressed by a suitable reporting verb in indirect speech (Refer Section B)

Change the following into indirect speech. Change tense and time expressions only when necessary. You may use a variety of reporting verbs from the box below.

1. "Human nature changes," sighed the old man.
______________________

2. "We'll win the match next week." said Vasu optimistically.

______________________

(reportingjust after he said it)

3. "I saw him with Akankshayesterday," she whispered.

______________________

4. Sanjay, I'm sorry we didn't visit you in Bombay last week," Arun said

_______________________

(reporting immediately after he said it)

5. "This rice tastes awful," he muttered.

______________________

6. "Would you like to come to the party with us tomorrow, Gopa?" Sushila asked.

______________________

(reporting later in the week.)

7. "Please, Ma, please," they begged. "We'll play on the veranda and porch. We
won't truce a step off the veranda."

______________________

(reporting immediately after)

8. Don't be a fool," Raghu said roughly, pushing him aside. Even Mira said,
"Stop howling, Ravi. If you want to play, you can stand at the end of the line,"
and she put him there very firmly.

________________________

________________________

(reporting immediately after)

Correct the errors in the following sentences. Write the correct sentence in the space provided.

1. The nurse enquired how I am.

_________________

2. He said he live in Connaught Circus.

________________

3. They asked when I have arrived.

__________________

4. The taxi driver asked where I want to go.

__________________

5. I warn Sanjay to be careful while crossing the road.

__________________

6. Rohit couldn't understand where all the children are gone.

__________________

Look at the horoscope page from a newspaper. Find your zodiac sign. Imagine that you have come to the end of the week and nothing has happened, according to the horoscope. Write a letter of complaint to Madam Kiran. Report what Madam Kiran said would happen and then describe what actually happened. You may wish to write something similar to the letter in the example below.

Read the following extract from Oliver Twist, a novel by Charles Dickens.

"Where is my little brother?" cried Nancy, when she reached the police
station.
"There are no little boys here, madam," answered an officer.
"Where is he, then?" she persisted, and began describing what Oliver
looked like
The officer informed her that he had been driven to the home of a
gentleman in Pentonville. When Fagin heard the news, he exploded, "The boy must be found, even if we have to kidnap him."

Working in pairs, a) note down the reporting verbs used in the above
passage. Then, b) describe in a few words the mood or purpose of the
speakers.

Reporting a Verbs                                            Mood/Purpose/Manner

1. cried                                                         1.worried, anxious, upset,tearful                                                                        
2. ___________                                                 2._______________
3. ___________                                                 3._______________
4. ___________                                                 4._______________
5. ___________                                                 5._______________
6. ___________                                                 6._______________

Below are some common remarks made by youngsters, their parents and guardians. They show the differences of opinions on modem music and film between the three groups. First read them carefully.

On the basis of the above comments, write an article for your school magazine, entitled: "Yesterday, Today and Tomonow." Here are some tips:

i. Make your article interesting and readable by reporting the feeling in the above
speech bubbles.
ii. Use both 'direct' and 'indirect' ways of reporting.
iii. Use a variety of reporting verbs to suit the mood, purpose, and manner of the
speakers above. You may wish to use some of the reporting verbs listed below.

iv) You may like to read the article "The Road to English" (Al) again, for some
ideas.

Read the following excerpt from a newspaper report.

Tiger numbers up, but habitat a worry

New Delhi: India's tiger population has gone up. On Monday, environment minister JAIRAM RAMESH will announce an increase of over 100 tigers across the country at a three-day international conference of experts on tigers.

But can India keep this rising numbers intact? According to the government's own study on tiger reserves, India cannot hold more than 1000 to 1200 tigers, with its forests having witnessed a degradation in the last two decades.

"Where is the habitat to keep so many tigers safe?" asked Vivek Menon, chief executive officer of the Wildlife Trust of India. "Constant habitat destruction and illegal mining is causing wildlife stress," said Dharmendra Kandhal, a wildlife biologist.

                                                   Hindustan Times- March 28, 2011

• Where do you find sentences in direct speech in the above excerpt?
• Why has the reporter used the exact words of Mr. Menon and Mr. Kandhal?
• Change the sentences in direct speech to indirect speech and then read the
   excerpt. Does it sound better or worse? Why?

Given below are notes on a news report covering an operation by Indian Navy that nabbed 16 pirates. Using the notes write a newspaper report. Remember to use a combination of direct and indirect speech. Make the report interesting and dramatic.

NAVY SINKS SHIP, NABS 16 PIRATES.

1.1 Indian navy- intensifying search for pirates- following approval of government
for aggressive measures.
1.2 Saturday- sinking of 'private mother ship'- 400 nautical miles west of
La.kshadweep Islands.
1.3 16 pirates captured- 12 Iranian and 4 Pakistani sailors held as hostages
rescued- 120 pirates captured in last two months- In earlier three operations
104 pirates captured-facing trial in Mumbai courts.
2 Saturday operation- began 10 am- naval patrol aircraft spotted 'Morteza'Iranian
traveler used as 'mother vessel' by brigands-offshore patrol vessel INS
Suvarna and coast Guard Ship Sangram sent to intercept Morteza- Pirates
given warning- ordered to stop- but they fired- Suvarna returned limited firedisabled
Morteza - people seen abandoning ship- according to an official.
2 .1 Later 16 pirates and 16 sailors picked up from the waters.
2.2 All being taken to Mumbai; will be handed over to police for investigation said
official.
You may write this report in 3-4 paragraphs.