Reported speech and reporting verbs

This link will take you to a web page with lots of information about reported speech. At the bottom of the page you can find links to many exercises to practise them.
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/reported-speech.html
These will help you with reporting verbs:
http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/grammar/4g11-reporting-verbs-exercise.php
http://www.eltbase.com/notes.php?id=59

For lazy people, here's some information without looking for another website.

Reported speech

Direct speech and reported speech are the two ways we can say what someone has said.

Directed speech: "I am your neighbour," said James.

Reported speech: James said that he was my neighbour.

Because we are talking about something that happened in the past, we use past tense verbs in reported speech: said not say; was not am.

Reporting verbs

In the sentence "James said that he was my neighbour", said is a reporting verb (was is a reported verb). There are other reporting verbs we can use depending on the statement. We can also use the verbs like told, offered and promised. Let's take a look at some examples.

Told

"My brother is buying a car" said Anne (direct speech) becomes Anne told me (that) her brother was buying a car.

Use told + person + what was said. Don't use told with to: Anne told to me (that) her brother was buying a car is not correct.

Offered

Use offered + to + infinitive verb.

"I'll do the shopping for you", said Simon becomes Simon offered to do the shopping for us.

Promised

Use promise + to + infinitive verb

"I'll buy you lunch", said Mark becomes Mark promised to buy me lunch.

OR Promise + clause (change the tense of the verb):

Mark promised (that) he would buy me lunch.

Put the correct form of one of the verbs in the box into each space.

Accuse, agree, decide, refuse, admit, apologise, deny, offer, advise, confess, doubt, promise suggest

a) 'No, it's not true, I didn't steal the money!'

Jean denied stealing the money/that she had stolen the money.

b) 'Why don't we go to the cinema this evening?'

Peter ………………………………….going to the cinema/that they went to the cinema.

c) 'I've broken your pen. I'm awfully sorry, Jack.'

David …………………………..for breaking Jack's pen.

d) 'Don't forget to post my letter, will you, Sue?'

Diana……………………………. Sue to post her letter.

e) 'Let me carry your suitcase, John.'

Harry………………………….. to carry John's suitcase.

f) 'All right, it's true, I was nervous.'

The leading actor…………………… to being nervous/that he had been

nervous.

g) 'I don't think Liverpool will win.'

Vanessa……………………….. whether Liverpool would win.

h) 'If I were you, Bill, I'd buy a mountain bike.'

Stephen………………………….. Bill to buy a mountain bike.

i) 'You murdered Lord Digby, didn't you, Colin!'

The inspector…………………….. Colin of murdering Lord Digby.

j) 'It was me who stole the money,' said Jim.

Jim …………………………………..to stealing the money.

k) 'Right. I'll take the brown pair.'

Andrew…………………………….. to take the brown pair.