Reported Speech- Same or Different

Reported speech the same or different

Write S or D on each line of the next page below if the things have the same or different meanings. If there are more than two, they are all the same or all different. Small differences mean “different”. 

---------------------------cover, fold or cut-------------------------------

Suggested answers

Only these ones have the same meaning:

• I asked for sugar/ I requested sugar
• say that it works/ tell someone that it works
• comment on his proposal/ remark on his proposal
• mention expenses/ touch on expenses
• suggest problems/ imply problems/ give the impression of problems
• emphasise his suitability/ stress his suitability
• acknowledge that something is true/ recognise that something is true
• acknowledge his guilt/ admit his guilt/ concede his guilt/ confess his guilt
• It is said that he is a criminal./ He is said to be a criminal.
• He asked me whether I agreed to do it./ He asked me if I agreed to do it.
• He advocated more funding./ He argued for more funding.
• We asked about prices./ We enquired about prices.
• We forecast a blip./ We predict a blip./ We project a blip.
• I have been ordered to press the button./ I have been commanded to press the button.
• I was promised a 10% profit./ I was guaranteed a 10% profit
• suggest using the subway/ recommend using the subway/ propose using the subway

Test each other on the phrases:

• Say the ones on one line and see if your partner can say if they have the same or different meanings
• Say two with different meanings and see if your partner can explain how they are different
• Say one of the S phrases below and help your partner make a sentence with the same meaning

• tell someone that it comes later/ tell someone to come later
• tell someone to call you back/ ask someone to call you back
• I asked for sugar/ I requested sugar
• ask someone to stay/ beg someone to stay/ demand that someone stay
• I begged for his help/ I prayed for his help
• say that it works/ tell someone that it works
• claim that is stolen/ state that it is stolen/ announce that it is stolen
• claim that it is broken/ complain that it is broken/ criticise it for being broken
• mention his interest/ declare his interest
• comment on his proposal/ remark on his proposal
• mention expenses/ touch on expenses
• suggest problems/ imply problems/ give the impression of problems
• insist on good time keeping/ stress good time keeping
• emphasise his suitability/ stress his suitability
• maintain his opinion/ confirm his opinion
• he says that it is suitable/ he said that it is suitable
• he said that he lives there/ he said that he lived there
• he said that he lived there/ he said that he had lived there
• acknowledge that something is true/ recognise that something is true
• acknowledge his guilt/ admit his guilt/ concede his guilt/ confess his guilt
• acknowledge his skill/ congratulate him on his skill/ boast of his skill
• deny having seen him/ refuse to see him
• explain the mechanism/ describe the mechanism
• It is said that he is a criminal./ He is said to be a criminal.
• It is said to be pointless./ It has been said to be pointless.
• He asked me whether I agreed to do it./ He asked me if I agreed to do it.
• advocate cuts/ support cuts/ approve of cuts/ approve cuts
• He advocated more funding./ He argued for more funding.
• He agreed to meet her./ He agreed with meeting her.
• He disagreed with investing./ He objected to investing./ He refused to invest.
• They disputed over the investment./ They disagreed with the investment.
• We discussed the topic./ We debated the topic.
• We asked about prices./ We enquired about prices.
• I checked whether he was coming./ I confirmed that he was coming.
• We forecast a blip./ We predict a blip./ We project a blip.
• We forecasted a rebound./ We speculated about a rebound.
• I have been ordered to press the button./ I have been commanded to press the button.
• I was commanded to come/ I was instructed to come/ I was reminded to come
• I was promised a 10% profit./ I was guaranteed a 10% profit
• I was accused of the crime./ I was blamed for the crime.
• allege that he did it/ accuse him of doing it
• warn him about violence/ threaten him with violence/ discourage using violence
• suggest using the subway/ recommend using the subway/ propose using the subway
• invite him to come/ urge him to come
• bring up the weakness/ point out the weakness/ bring the weakness to our attention
• indicate the leak/ refer to the leak
• persuade him to retire/ reassure him about retirement