Contributed by Sri Arun K Kuthnikar, Mysore 1

REPORTED SPEECH
1. Report the following conversation.
"Unni, shouldn't you be finishing your homework?" Amma called out.
"It was past ten '0' clock."
"I've almost reached the end, Amma."
"Hurry up, son."
Mutthasi whispered in Unni's ears, "don't rush."

Amma asked Unni if he shouldn’t be finishing his homework and it had been past ten ‘O’ clock. Unni replied to his
mother that he had almost reached the end. She asked her son to hurry up. Mutthasi whispered in Unni's ears and
asked him not to rush.

2. Report the following conversation:

Old man: What are you thinking? Have you decided to over look my request of buying a buffalo ?
Tansukh: I haven't, I was thinking about Kashi 's buffalo.
Old man: Please help me to buy the buffalo.

The old man asked / questioned/enquired what he was thinking and whether he had decided to overlook his
request of buying a buffalo. Tansukh said/replied that he had not. He had been thinking about Kashi's bufallo. The old
man requested Tansukh to help him to buy the buffalo.

3. Report the following conversation:

Joe: Come here, Mary.
Mary: What is it, Joe ?
Joe: Do you see this tiny pointed piece? It is the most important part of my machine.

Joe asked Mary to come there. Mary asked him what it was. Joe asked if she saw that tiny pointed piece and
said that it was the most important part of his machine.

4. Report the following conversation:

Mary: Johnny, Are you sure ?
Johnny: Yes, what do they want father ? What do they mean by it ?
Joe: They want to smash me and my machine.
Mary: Johnny, run and fetch the watch.

Mary asked Johnny whether he was sure. Johnny answered in the affirmative and asked his father what they
wanted and what they meant by it. Joe said to Johnny / told Johnny that they wanted to smash him and his machine.
Mary asked / told / instructed Johnny to run and fetch the watch.

5. Report the following conversation to your friend:

"Unni", said Mutthashi, "Tell me a story."
"What story would you like, Mutthashi ?”
"A nice one", Mutthashi said, "One that will send me to sleep."
"Shall I tell you the story of the glass – tree ?"

Mutthashi asked Unni to tell her a story. Unni asked Mutthashi what story she would like to listen. Mutthashi said
that she would like to listen to a nice story that would send her to sleep. Unni asked her whether he could tell her the
story of the glass tree.

6. Report the following conversation.

Old man: Did you hear what I said ?
Tansukh: Yes, I did. Have you seen one that you want ?
Old man: Yes, if only you could get it settled....
Tansukh: Where is it ?
Old man: It is just here. There is Kashi Regar who lives in your neighbourhood.
Contributed by Sri Arun K Kuthnikar, Mysore 2

The old man asked Tansukh whether he had heard what he had said. Tansukh affirmed he had done and asked
whether he had seen the buffalo that he wanted. The old man accepted that he had seen one and requested him to
get it settled. Tansukh asked where it was. The old man said it was just there in Kashi Regar's house who lived in his
neighbourhood.

7. Report the following conversation:

Mary: Don't listen to the boy. We will go away to another place. Only leave us in peace!
Hob: The boy is a young scamp and idler. I would teach him right with a strap.

Mary requested / asked Hob not to listen to the boy and said that they would go away to another place and
requested / pleaded with him to leave them in peace. Hob said that the boy was a young scamp and idler and he
would teach him right with a strap.

8. Report the following conversation:

Hob: Where is your husband, mistress ?
Mary: In his bed. He is sick and weary. You would not harm him.
Hob: We are going to smash his evil work.

Hob asked Mary where her husband was. Mary replied that he was in his bed and he was sick and weary and
she requested that they would not harm him. Hob said that they were going to smash his evil work.

9. Report the following conversation:

Old man: What are you thinking ? Have you decided to overlook my request of buying a buffalo ?
Tansukh: I haven’t. I was thinking about Kashi’s buffalo.
Old man: Please help me to buy the buffalo.

The old man asked what he was thinking. He further asked if/whether he had decided to overlook his request of
buying a buffalo. Tansukh replied that he had not and that he had been thinking about Kashi’s buffalo. The old man
requested him to buy the buffalo.

10. Report the following conversation between Joe and Mary to your friend. 5
Joe and Mary take stock of the implications of Joe's invention on the villagers (context):
Mary: What is that ? I thought I heard something.
Joe: Only the wind.
Mary: But Joe, the people are frightened and angry.
Joe: They will thank me for my work one day.
Mary: But I am frightened too Joe. I think of Johnny and little Ann asleep upstairs, and I am afraid.

Mary asked what that was and she had thought that she had heard something. Joe replied that it was only the
wind. Mary told Joe that the people were frightened and angry. Joe said that they would thank him for his work one
day. Mary told Joe that she was frightened too. She thought of Johnny and little Ann asleep upstairs and she was
afraid.

11. Report the following conversation.

Johnny: I saw their shadows, and heard them whispering.
Mary: Johnny! Are you sure ?
Johnny: What do they want, father ?
Mary: Johnny, run and fetch the watch.

Johnny said that he had seen their shadows and had heard them whispering. Mary asked Johnny if / whether he
was sure. Johnny asked his father what they wanted. Mary asked Johnny to run and fetch the watch.

12. Report the following conversation:

Mary: Can I help you?
Joe: Give me a thread from the wheel.
Joe: It works Mary! I have won!
Mary: But what will happen to us?

Mary asked if she could help him. Joe asked to give him a thread from the wheel. Joe
Contributed by Sri Arun K Kuthnikar, Mysore 3

exclaimed and told Mary that it worked and that he had won. Mary asked what would happen to them.

13. Report the following conversation:

Johnny: Oh, mother! Father’s work is all spoiled!
Mary: No, here is the secret, the most important part. I have saved it.
Mary: He will build it up again when we get to some peaceful place.
Johnny: Mother, why won’t he rest, and let such dangerous things alone.

Johnny exclaimed and told her mother that her father’s work was all spoiled. Mary replied in the negative and
showed her the secret and the most important part and she had saved it/that. Mary said that he would build it again
when they got to some peaceful place. Johnny asked his mother why he wouldn’t rest and let such dangerous things
alone.

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