12C      REPORTED SPEECH
into town? My car has broken down.'
2  'Hop in,' said the driver.
3   ' What about stopping for a coffee?' said the man after a few moments.
4   T very much hope,' said Sheila, 'that you'll drive straight on so I can keep an important appointment.'
5   But the man stopped the car. 'If I were you,' he said, 'I'd hand over that bag of yours without a struggle.'
6  However, it was the man who was soon struggling/For God's sake let me go!' he cried. 'You're breaking my arm!'
7   'Now,' snapped Sheila, 'you'll drive me first to a garage and afterwards to my weekly appointment at the judo school.'
8   ' Whatever you do,' she said, 'don't try any more monkey business.'
her car had broken down.
The driver told her to hop in. After a few moments, the man suggested stopping/that they should stop for a coffee. Sheila urged the man to drive straight on so she could keep an important appointment.
Having nevertheless stopped the car, the man advised Sheila to hand over her bag without a struggle. However, it was the man who was soon struggling and begging/imploring/entreating Sheila to let him go, as she was breaking his arm. Sheila then ordered him to drive her first to a garage and afterwards to her weekly appointment at the judo school.
She warned him not to try/against trying any more monkey business.
Explanation
a A more forcible alternative to ask (1) is request, but it is too formal to I included among the above Examples:
'Please be sure to be punctual at all my lectures,' she told her students ------► She requested her students to be punctual....
b A more forcible alternative to tell (2) is order (7), or sometimes command-Although order is more common in military and similar contexts, it may be suitable in other contexts, such as this one. Instead of order . . . not we generally use forbid (17A):
'No talking!' ordered the headmaster------> The headmaster forbade
them to talk.
c   We have already met suggest (3) and its use with or without should in UFa and, when we are less positive and talking only about possibilities' its use with might in 12Ap. When our suggestions are based upon a possibility of choice we may use recommend (17Db):
REPORTED SPEECH      12C
'Why not try the Greek restaurant further up the street?'
She recommended (us to try/trying/that we should try) the Greek
restaurant....
Note that recommend, unlike suggest but like all the other verbs in this
section, may be used with an object + infinitive (17C).
d For more serious matters, which may involve telling people not to do
things, we normally use advise (5) instead of suggest or recommend (but see 17Db).
e When we ask urgently, in order to try and persuade someone to do or not to do something, we use urge (4). If this is not strong enough, and we wish to convey anguish, pain or tears, we use beg, implore or entreat (6). Plead with (followed by object + infinitive) is also possible, but more in the context of a highly emotional situation of some duration.
f When someone tells or advises us not to do something wrong, imprudent or dangerous, the appropriate introductory verb is warn (8). This verb is also used with that to give us notice of possible danger or inconvenience:
'Take care,' he said, 'the roads will be icy.'------► He warned (us) that
the roads would be icy.
'The trouble is,' she said, 'the supermarket closes in half an hour.'
------> She warned (us) that the supermarket closed in half an hour.
Exercise 1
Report the following direct speech using the introductory verbs shown in the Examples or mentioned in the Explanation.
1   'Let's send away for this electric kettle advertised in the paper as a special offer,' said my wife.
2   It was about three weeks later that I said: 'Will you plug it in while I get the cups?'
3   'You mustn't,' I said, 'fill it with the switch on, whatever you do.'
4   'Stand back,' I cried, 'while I disconnect it!'
5   'Don't ever touch that kettle again,' I said. 'It's live.'
6   'Don't you think,' said my wife, 'we should get a lawn-mower the next time there's a special offer?'
7   'If I were you,' said the girl from next door, who'd just come in, 'I'd get the whole house rewired.'
8   'I do hope you'll follow such an excellent piece of advice,' said my wife.
9   'Mind your own business!' I snapped, still tense after the affair of the kettle.
10 'Don't ever speak to me like that again,' she said, 'if you want any more
meals cooked.' H  'I'm sorry, dearest,' I said. 'Please, please forgive me.' 12  'How about eating out this evening?' I then said, by way of a peace
offering.
t:*1
12C      REPORTED SPEECH
13   'Oh, yes!' said our neighbour. 'Why not go to the new Chinese restaurant? 'I've heard it's excellent.'
14   'Mind you,' she went on, 'you'll have to reserve a table.'
15   'And you'd better put on a tie,' she said, eyeing me disapprovingly.
16   'Yes,' said my wife, 'go upstairs and change into something decent.'
17   'You're not to come out with me looking like that,' she said.
18   'If I were you,' said our neighbour, 'I'd telephone the restaurant first.
19   'Hurry up,' said my wife, 'whichever you do first.'
20   I suddenly felt a great need for peace and quiet. 'Look,' I said, 'why don't you two go out instead of me?'
Exercise 2
Oral practice (general revision): Without using the book yourself, get someone to say the following to you and then report, as if to a third person, what you have heard, beginning She/He as shown below. Since the reporting is immediate, do not change the reference to time such as this morning or to place, such as here (see 12Ae).
Excuse me for being late this
morning; I was held up by the
traffic.
I'd have got here quicker if I'd
come on a bicycle.
I should leave early this evening if
I were you.
She asked me to excuse her for being late this morning; she said she was held up by the traffic. She said she'd have got here quicker if she'd come on a bicycle. She advised me to leave early this
evening.
m

1   Where do you come from? Are you staying here long?
2   Is this the first time you've been here?
3   I've been living here for over a year and quite like the place.
4   But I'd rather live in London. Wouldn't you?
5   You must find this place rather dull compared with your home town.
6   What can we do this evening if we decide to go out?
7   We could go to the cinema if there are any good films on.
8   How about going to a concert? Do you like music?
9   You needn't decide now; you can let me know later.
10   Shall I come round to your house or wait for you here?
11   Will you be ready if I call for you at six o'clock?
12   Don't forget to bring an umbrella, as it may rain.
13   I wish my car was in order, so I could have given you a lift.
14   It's being repaired, and won't be ready until the end of the week.
15   1 wish I knew more about cars than I do.
16   1 could save a lot of money if I was able to do the maintenance myself.
17   I had to come here by bus this morning, as I'm without my car.
18   Did you walk or drive to work this morning?
19   You mustn't drive on the right here whatever you do.
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REPORTED SPEECH      12C
20   If you've been to Japan, you'll know that they drive on the left there too.
21   Do you think I'd like your country if I visited it?
22   Tell me the things I should make a point of seeing.
23  I must try and save some money so that I can visit you.
24  I must go now, as I have to correct some homework.
25   You mustn't forget that you have some homework to do for tomorrow.
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