The Communicative Grammar of English Workbook - Edward Woods, Rudy Coppieters 2002

15.8. Influencing People 2
Unit fifteen. Modality

Sections 336-338 & 340; 608; 730

The tasks below examine ways of expressing:

Commands

Requests

Advice

Suggestions

Prohibitions

Refusals

Warnings

Promises

Threats

... in reported statements.

Task one *

Match the direct statements in A with the indirect statements in B.

A

1. Pauline, let David tell us himself.

2. You can be sure I’ll be at the station to meet you.

3. Why don’t we spend the day walking in the hills?

4. No parking.

5. You come home late and you won’t be allowed out again for a month.

6. Be careful if you go walking in the hills alone.

7. Could you help me with this work, please?

8. No, I’m sorry. I haven’t the time.

9. Could I go to see that film with you?

10. Sit down!

B

A. It is forbidden to park here.

B. She asked if she could go to see the film with him.

C. He refused to help as he didn’t have the time.

D. He told him to sit down.

E. They told Pauline to let David tell them himself.

F. He asked her to help him with the work.

G. She suggested they spent the day in the country.

H. His father threatened to keep him home for a month if he came home late.

I. She was warned about walking in the hills alone.

J. She promised to be at the station to meet him.

Task two **

Write the original statements. There could be several possibilities for each item.

1. John suggested that he and Mary invested in the new company.

2. Mrs McNorton warned her son not to go near the station after dark.

3. They asked her to stand for President of the society.

4. The doctor told her to do more exercise.

5. The politician refused to support his government on the matter of lowering taxes.

6. They threatened to sue the newspaper if it didn’t publish an apology.

7. He promised to give back all the money he’d borrowed by March.

8. He was prohibited from going into the club until he had paid his debts.

9. It was recommended that they should spend at least four weeks travelling round Australia.

10. Customers were told flights would be delayed because of a strike in France.

Task three ***

Write the reported statements for the statements below, using an appropriate verb according to the description in brackets at the end.

1. Management: There will have to be some redundancies. (warning)

2. Boss: You’re definitely being considered for promotion. (promise)

3. Rob to Don: Let’s finish the work tonight, so we can have a free day tomorrow. (suggestion)

4. Shirley to Mary: You couldn’t lend me £50, could you? (request)

5. I wouldn’t invest in a dot com company, if I were you. (advice)

6. You must finish this by nine o’clock. (command)

7. You finish this quickly or we stay here all night. (threat)

8. Club rules: No member can introduce a person under eighteen years old into the club. (prohibition)

9. Secretary to Manager: The report will be on your desk tomorrow morning. (promise)

10. Will you get the tickets for me. (request)