NCERT Solutions Class 9th English (Workbook) Unit 7 Reported Speech

It wasn’t fair. Tony and Barry were going. In fact, nearly all of them in Class Three and Four were going, except me. It wasn’t fair. Why wouldn’t my mum let me go?

(a) “I’ve told you. You are not going camping. You’re far too young.”
Huh! She said that last year.
‘You said that last year.”
You can go next year when you’re a bit older.”
She said that last year, too.
You said that last year and all.”
“Do you want a clout?”
“Well you did, Mum, didn’t you?”

(b) “Go and wash your hands for tea.”
(c) “Aw, Mum, everybody else is going to school camp. Why can’t I?”
(d) “Because you’re going to Bridlington with me and your aunt Doreen, like you do every year!”

Oh! Every year my mum, me and Aunt Doreen stay at Mrs. Sharkey’s boarding house. I suppose we’ll have that same room again.

“Don’t be cheeky! Mrs. Sharkey saves the room for me every year. It’s the best room in the house facing the sea.”
“Aw, Mum, I never get any sleep – the sea splashing on one side.”
My mum gave me a clout right across my head.
“Well, you’ve done it now. You’ve dislocated my jaw – ow!”
She clouted me again, right in the same place.

“It’s not fair. Tony’s mum and dad are letting him go to school camp, and Barry’s going too. Why don’t you let me go?”

She suddenly bent down and put her face right next to mine, right close. She made me jump.

(e) “Now listen to me, my lad. What Tony’s mum and dad do, and what Barry’s mum and dad do, is their look out. You will come with me and your Auntie Doreen to Bridlington and enjoy yourself, like you do every year!”

Question 1.1 Suppose Tony overheard this conversation, and wrote a letter to Barry. Write and complete Tony’s letter for him.

Dear Barry,
It’s just two weeks more for our school camp! I can’t wait to have a great time with our class mates. I was hoping you, George and I get to share a tent together! But I was at George’s place and got to hear what his mother felt about our trip.

To start with his mother said he wasn’t eoins campins. adding that he was far too young for it. George reminded his Mum that she had said that the previous year.

She felt that (a) __________ older. He protested that she had said the previous year, too. To this, she simply ordered (b) __________ for tea.

He wanted to know why (c) __________ when every body else, was going. She reasoned with him saying (d) __________ George objected to being disturbed by the splashing sea waves. But, his mother clouted him twice and in a threatening manner, told him (e) __________ so, that’s it. Probably, George won’t be with us.
Affectionately
Tony.
?‍♂️Ans:
(а) he could go next year when he would be a bit
(b) him to go and wash his hands
(c) he couldn’t go
(d) that he was going to Bridlington with her and his aunt Doreen as he did every year. At this George complained that every year they stayed at Mrs. Sharkey’s boarding house and he supposed they would have that same room again. Hearing this his mother snubbed him saying not to be so cheeky. She also added that Mrs. Sharkey saved the room for her every year and it was the best room in the house facing the sea.
(e) that what Tomy’s mum and dad did and what Barry’s mum and dad did was their look out. She then ordered him that he would come with her and his Auntie Doreen to Bridlington and enjoy himself, like he did every year… .

Did you know?
Sometimes it is not necessary to report everything that is said word for word. It may be better to use “reporting verbs” which summarise what was communicated. Below are some of the most commonly used verbs of this kind.

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A (first speaker)
B (Questions)
C (”Reporter”)

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Allen : It’s remarkable! A city of fifty thousand people and no cars!
Minister : I agree with you. Masdar city in Abu Dhabi will be the world’s first zero- carbon city.
Allen : How will you achieve this?

Minister : Our city will soon run entirely on renewable energy, including solar panels to trap the abundant resources offered by the desert sun.
Allen : So, you will be a shining model for other Governments. Congratulations, Sir.
Minister : Thank you. We are investing in our future. You may wonder how people would go about the city, don’t you?

Allen : I have wondered about it, Sir.
Minister : Our futuristic city will have people moving about in automated pods.
Allen : It’s unbelievable. Forgive me if I find it so fantastic.
Minister : Our Government assures you that this unique city will be ready for people to settle in by 2015. It will have a light railway line, transport pods and no carbon footprints.
Allen : We need air conditioners, don’t we? It’s impossible to live without them here.
Minister : Masdar city will take full advantage of the sea breezes. The city will have a perimeter wall that will protect it from the hot air.

Allen : I wish other countries could plan their expansion in this way.
Minister : In addition to what I have mentioned earlier, the city will be protected from the noise of the nearby Abu Dhabi Airport.

Uae plans futuristic city
by Allen Kuwana

The Zero-Carbon City Project, initiated by the government of the United Arab Emirates, is a milestone in mankind’s efforts to save its planet from the ravages of climate change. The Minister for Environment and Forests, Abu Dhabi, assures our readers that __________________
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… their city will run entirely on renewable energy, including solar panels to trap the abundant resources offered by the desert sun. The Minister told this reporter that their futuristic city would have people moving about in automated pods. When this reporter won-dered at such an unbelievable happening the Minister assured him that the unique city would be ready for people to settle in by 2015. The city would have a light railway line, transport pods and no carbon footprints. The Minister was told that air conditioners were needed as it was impossible to live without them.

He replied that the city would take full advantage of the sea breezes. It would have a perimeter wall that would protect it from the hot air. Hearing him, this reporter wished other countries could plan their expansion in that way. The Minis¬ter concluded that the city would be protected from the noise of the nearby Abu Dhabi Airport.

feeling are you better (?)
___________________________
she if feeling better were asked you (•)
___________________________
did kalias live where the (?)
___________________________
asked he the kalias where lived (•)
___________________________
they will be leaving when (?)
___________________________
asked be he when they leaving would (•)
___________________________
can open the please you window (?)
___________________________
you open asked window could she whether the (•)
___________________________
model how have finished that quickly so you (?)
___________________________
that model quickly so how had finished they asked you (•)
___________________________
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Are you feeling better ?
She asked if you were feeling better.
Where did the Kalias live ?
He asked where the Kalias lived.
When will they be leaving ?
He asked when they would be leaving.
Can you please open the window ? / Can you open the window, please ?
She asked whether you could open the window.
How have you finished that model so quickly ?
They asked how you had finished that model so quickly.

Have you met my sister?
She asked _________________ (use you and her)
Do you want a drink?
He asked _________________ (use you)
Why didn’t you study for the Unit test?
She asked _________________ (use he)
Can you help me with my homework this evening?
He asked _________________ (use she)
Have you had lunch yet?
They asked _________________ (use he)
?‍♂️Ans:
She asked if you had met her sister.
He asked if you wanted a drink.
She asked why he hadn’t studied for the Unit test.
He asked if she could help him with his homework that evening.
They asked if he had had lunch yet.

What would you use when ordering somebody to do something: told or said?
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After ‘told’ we put words like ‘me’ and ‘us’. Other words put after ‘told’ are—you, them, him, her, it (pronoun used as the object of the verb/accusative form of personal pronouns).

We use ‘told’ when a person is ordering someone to do something, that is, if there is an object in the Reporting Verb.

Now read the following paragraph, which reports what happened in the cartoon.

A customer walked into a bakery and complained that the bread he had bought the previous day had too much baking powder in it. The man at the counter told him that that was because they only served those people who wished to rise and shine.

Note the choice of tense in reported speech.

In the box below list the words that have been changed

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List the two verbs of speaking that have been added.

__________ that …..
__________ that ….
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complained that …..
told that …..

Read the dialogue between Mr Coomer (Mr C), the British Scholarship Officer, and an applicant, Miss Reena Banerjee (R).
Mr C : Come in, Miss Banerjee.
R : Thank you.
Mr C : Please sit down. Can I get you a cup of coffee or a cold drink?
R : Yes thank you. A cold drink, please.
Mr C : I’m just going to ask you a few questions. How long have you been studying English?
R : I’ve had private as well as school lessons for 14 years.
Mr C : Just as background information, what do you do in your spare time?
R : I’ve always enjoyed drama, and also debating.
Mr C : Why do you wish to obtain a scholarship to study in Britain?
R : Well, I’m interested in studying Immigration Law, and there are several good colleges in Britain dealing with his.

Mr C : Very interesting. Finally, do you know that the grant only covers teaching fees?
What about your living expenses?
R : My sister will pay for my personal expenses.
Mr C : Well, Miss Banerjee, we’ll be writing to you next week. Thank you for coming.

Reena meets her friend, Latha, after the interview. She is very excited and tells Latha exactly what happened. Fill in the spaces using reported speech.
Fill in the [boxes] with reporting verbs.

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Reena : I think it went quite well. The interviewer was very pleasant.
Latha : What did he ask you?
Reena : Well, first of all he [offered] me a drink. Of course I [accepted] because my
throat was dry ! Then he [told] me he was just going to ask a few questions.
He asked me how long I had been studying English.
Latha : What did you reply?
Reena : I [replied] that I’d had prwate as well as school lessons for 14 years— which is more or less true.
Next, he [asked] what I did in my spare time and I [replied] I that I had always enjoyed drama and debating.
Latha : Did he ask why you had applied?
Reena : I’mjust getting to that ! Yes, he did. [said] I was interested in studying Immigration Law because there were lots of excellent colleges in Britain teaching this.
Latha : Very good answer.
Reena : Yes, he said it was vevy interesting. Finally, he [warned] me that the grant only covered teaching fees and [asked] me about living expenses. [assured] him that my sister would pay for my personal / living expenses.
Latha : What happens now?
Reena : He said they would be writing to me following week.
Latha : I do hope you get it!

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Merely guess work. Meant for discussion at class level. One version of the answer is given below :
1. (a), (b) The boy is smiling at seeing the hot eatables as he is hungry.
He asks his mother, “Mother, yummy, give me these at once”.
The mother says, “Wait, darling, let me put these on the table”.

2. (c), (d) The boy sitting to the left says, “Let me drink the water first”.
The boy looking at him says, “Leave some water for me. Don’t drink the whole of it”.

3. (e), (f) The man holding the little girl, “Look straight and balance yourself’.
The girl replies, “Yes dad, I am trying. See I am moving the cycle slowly”.

4. (g), (h) Mother tells her daughter, “Look here, darling. You have to draw the picture like this”.
Daughter says, ‘Yes, mom, I am trying to do like this”.

5. (i),(j) The policeman to the boy driver, “Hold, show me the driving licence”.
Boy driver (flustered), ‘Yes, yes sir, here it is”.

6. (k), (l) The TV mechanic (confused) says, “I have done my best to see the fault in your television…”.
The man (showing his anger) says, ‘You can’t go till you set my television in order”.

Raghu : I think one of my snakes has escaped.
Sheela : Isn’t it dangerous? You really must stop collecting snakes, Raghu.
Raghu : But I like snakes – they are unusual pets.
Sheela : But I think it’s a dangerous thing to keep such pets.
Raghu : No, they’re not dangerous; they are really… .er… .quite friendly.
Sheela : Huh, snakes require a great deal of careful handling and are still a risk.
Raghu : i don’t mind. What matters is that I like them.
Sheela : Well, quite frankly, I hate them. They are awfully frightening to look at.
Raghu : Look, I am very careful and I handle them very gently. In fact, I don’t have many.
Sheela : Have you ever been bitten?
Raghu : Well, it’s true I’ve been bitten once or twice, but…

You are a friend who has overheard this conversation between Raghu and Sheela. Write to your sister reporting it. Give the conversation an interesting, unexpected or humorous ending. (The first part has been done for you.)

Janpath
5 January 2016
Dear Varsha

As you’re very interested in Raghu and his snakes, I thought I’d tell you about a conversation I heard between him and Sheela.

He told her he thought one of his snakes had escaped and, as usual, she told him to stop collecting them because they were dangerous. (Typical of Sheela, don’t you think?)
?‍♂️Ans:
… But Raghu insisted that despite that they were unusual pets and quite friendly. Sheela cautioned him that they required a great deal of careful handling and still they were at risk. Raghu told her that he did not mind because what mattered was that he liked them. Sheela (You know how frank she is !) told Raghu frankly that she hated them as they were awfully frightening to look at. Raghu reminded Sheela that he was very careful and handled them very gently. He added further that he didn’t have many. Sheela asked him if he had ever been bitten. Raghu admitted that he had been bitten once or twice. But he had taken medicines immediately.

I now tell you an interesting feature of their conversation. Once a thief had entered his house. When he had been ransacking the house, the big snake (cobra) had woke him up through wriggling over him. Sheela exclaimed with wonder that it was very strange. Raghu told her that it was not complete yet. He added further that another snake had begun hissing near the thief. (You can imagine how Sheela was wonderstruck at this !) Raghu told her that the thief had frozen with fear. A cry had escaped his throat. By then, all at home had woken up. The thief had been caught and handed over to the Police.

Pay my regards to uncle and aunt.
Yours affectionately
Minu