Mastering Active and Passive Voice with Reported Speech

Active and Passive Voice

Authorities have just announced that Saint Paul's Bank was robbed yesterday. Two men went into the bank at 9:30, armed with automatic guns. The customers and workers were told to lie down on the floor, and one of the bank clerks was asked at gunpoint to give them all the money. Then, the two robbers left the building quickly.

Local authorities have informed that about 500,000 dollars were stolen yesterday, but fortunately, nobody was injured. Police investigators assured residents that the robbers will be found soon.

The History of Wine Production

Wine has been produced for thousands of years. The earliest known evidence of wine comes from Georgia (Caucasus), where 8,000-year-old wine jars were found in 2008. Wine reached the Balkans by c. 4500 BC and was consumed in ancient Greece, Thrace, and Rome. Throughout history, wine has been consumed for its intoxicating effects, which are evident at normal serving sizes.

Wine has also played an important role in religion for centuries. Red wine was associated with blood by the ancient Egyptians and was used by both the Greek cult of Dionysus and the Romans in their Bacchanalia. Nowadays, both Judaism and Christianity incorporate wine in their religious rituals.

Indirect and Reported Speech

'I work in a bank.' ⇒ He said that he worked in a bank.

• Present simple (direct speech) ⇒ past simple (reported speech).

'I am working today.' ⇒ She told us she was working that day.

Reported Speech Practice

'I need to see Sarah this weekend.' ⇒ George said that ______.

• C. he needed to see Sarah that weekend

'I haven't seen Barbara since last year.' ⇒ Brendan told me ______.

• he hadn't seen Barbara since the year before

Questions and Sentence Completion

'Where is the post office?' ⇒ He asked me where the post office was.

'Are you going to the beach today?' ⇒ She asked me if I was going to the beach that day.

1. Go up into the attic and search for that old town map Uncle Peter gave us last summer.
2. You need to put at least one other window in this room to let in more light.
3. Your assignment was not understood by your tutor. You will have to do it again.
4. Are you familiar with the expression "time and tide wait for no man"? Could you explain what it means, please?
5. Switzerland has its own navy, even though it is a landlocked country without any coastline.
6. Finally, this restaurant has an outdoor section, making it perfect for those summer evenings with friends.
7. The red cars are selling very well, but far fewer of the blue ones have been bought.
8. Eagles are among the most beautiful of birds in the world.