1. Reporting verbs: Suggest, apologise, ask and say.

Choose the correct word.

2. Reporting verbs.

Drag the sentences to the correct box.

3. Listen.

Now listen to different speakers. Choose the verb that corresponds to what they say.
For example:

You hear: "Can I have the bill, please?"
You choose: suggest apologise ask say

4. Reporting.

Order the words to repeat, or report, what the speaker says. For example:

"Let's have a break."
have a She we break suggested.
= She suggested we have a break.

Tip

Remember that we use the -ing form of the verb after prepositions, and we can also use it after the verb suggest. For example:

She apologised for making a lot of noise.
She suggested we have a break. = She suggested having a break.

5. Vocabulary: Magazine production.

In the next exercise you will watch a video of a meeting in a magazine office.
Before you watch, check you know some of the vocabulary you will hear in the video.
Match the definitions to the words.

6. A meeting.

Watch the video of a meeting in a magazine office.
Put the topics in the order that Amanda, Paul and Rick talk about them.

7. True or false.

Watch the video again and decide whether the statements are true or false.

 

Watch the video again. Turn on and read the subtitles.

8. Word order.

Put the words in order to complete true sentences from the previous exercise.

9. Reporting what was said.

Look at the examples. Note that after said and asked the verb changes into a past form.

Direct speech:   "I have the photo."
Reported speech: He said (that) he had the photo.
   
Direct question: "Do you have permission?"
Reported question: She asked if he had permission.

Note that after suggested and apologised for we usually use the -ing form of the verb.

Direct question: "Why don't we phone the office?"
Reported question: She suggested phoning the office.
   
Direct speech: "I'm sorry, I can't come to the meeting."
Reported speech: She apologised for not being able to come to the meeting.
Or: She apologised for not being at the meeting.
Or: She apologised for not coming to the meeting.

Go to the Grammar Reference for more information about reported statements.

Type in the missing words to report the direct speech.

10. Writing Tutorial 5.

1. Read the conversation that took place in another meeting.

Rita: Bridget phoned to say she can't come to the meeting.
Albert: Oh, well. Not to worry. We can give her a copy of what we talked about and decided. Now, let's get down to business.
Rita and Polly: Yes. Fine.
Albert: First of all, the music listings. Rita, are they finished?
Rita: Yes, they are finished.
Albert: Good. So, the next item on the list is new cover design. Polly, how is that going?
Polly: Well, it will be another day or so before it is ready.
Albert: OK, fine. Why don't we show it to everybody in the office when it is finished?
Polly: Sure. Good idea.
Albert: Good. So that just leaves the deadline for all the material. How about next week ... Monday the 22nd?
Polly: Yes, that's fine.
Rita: Yes, fine for me too.

2. Now explain to your tutor what happened at the meeting. Use the language you have practised in this section. Write nine sentences. Send the completed sentences to your tutor.