Change into indirect speech. Observe the rules of the sequence of tenses.

(a) ‘I’ve made all the arrangements already,’ Henry Wimbush went on. ‘Some of the larger marquees will be put up to-morrow. The swings and the merry-go-rounds arrive on Sunday.’

‘So there’s no escape,’ said Anne, turning to the rest of the party. ‘You’ll all have to do something. As a special favour you’re allowed to choose your slavery. My job is the tea tent, as usual, Aunt Priscilla…’

‘My dear,’ said Mrs. Wimbush, interrupting her, ‘I have more important things to think about than the Fair. But you need have no doubt that I shall do my best when Monday comes to encourage the villagers.’

‘That’s splendid,’ said Anne. ‘Aunt Priscilla will encourage the villagers. What will you do, Mary?’

‘I won’t do anything where I have to stand by and watch other people eat.’

‘Then you’ll look after the children’s sports.’

‘All right,’ Marry agreed. ‘I’ll look after the children’s sports.’

‘And Mr.Scogan?’

Mr. Scogan reflected. ‘May I be allowed to tell fortunes?’ he asked at last. ‘I think I should be good at telling fortunes.’

(Aldous Huxley, Crome Yellow)

(b) Piper had rejected her not only as an agent but as a woman, and as a woman she wasn’t to be trifled with.

‘Now you just listen to me,’ she said in decibels that made it certain that everyone in the guest-house would. ‘You can’t get out of this so easily. You accepted the money and you…’

‘For God’s sake,’ spluttered Piper, ‘don’t shout like that. What will people think?’

It was a stupid question. In the lounge the residents were staring. It was clear what they thought.

‘That you’re a man no woman can trust,’ bawled Sonia pursuing her advantage, ‘that you break your word, that you…’

But Piper was in flight. As he went down the steps and into the street Sonia followed in full cry.

‘You deliberately deceived me. You took advantage of my inexperience to make me believe…’

(Tom Sharpe, The Great Pursuit)

(c) After the little concert, Leo felt so hot he took Emily and Florence to the bar and bought them all a lemonade; it was nice and cold. ‘We keep it in barrels down in the hold below the waterline, that’s why,’ said the barman, his face red and pouring with sweat.

‘It looks as if you ought to go down there as well,’ said Leo.

‘Let’s go for a walk on the deck, shall we?’ said Florence, cooling herself with a little black fan she’d bought in Malta.

‘Good idea,’ said Bombardier Eggit. ‘It’ll be cooler out there.’

Indeed, it was lovely on deck, a high warm, starry Mediterranean night, and there was a delightful cool breeze.

Leo thought they should go down and have a look at the purser’s notice board. ‘See what time we get into Port Said tomorrow.’

‘Ah, it’s tomorrow morning,’ Leo announced reading from the board. ‘It says trips can be arranged to visit the Pyramids.’

‘Oh, the Pyramids,’ chorused Emily and Florence.

‘Yes,’ said Leo. ‘There’s a train runs along the canal or we can go by horse-drawn vehicle called a “gharry”, the whole trip takes up to five hours.’

‘Oh, shall we go?’ said Bombardier Eggit.

‘Well, yes,’ said Leo beaming. ‘The whole trip costs a pound.’

‘Ten bob each,’ said Eggit.

‘It says the journey is very hot, and that we should all wear some cover on our heads, the servicemen can draw solar topees from the ship’s quartermaster on
“C” deck,’ Leo read from the notice. ‘It says we should take a cold drink with us, but refreshments can be had en route but not to drink any unbottled water. It is best to keep arms covered as there are sand flies that can bite; a good repellent is oil of camphor that can be had from the ship’s doctor.’

‘My God, is it worth going?’ said Florence.

‘It all sounds very exciting!’ said Emily.

(Spike Milligan, It Ends with Magic)

(d) A gentleman enters a telephone call-box in a hurry, takes off the receiver and dials the number.

Voice (at the other end): This is Mr Jones’ house, 24 Strethem Road.

G.: Oh, it’s you, Mary. Will you fetch Mrs Jones as quickly as you can?

Mrs Jones: Is that you, George, dear? How are you? So happy to hear your voice again! When will you be home again?

G.: I can’t hear you, dear. Your voice is ever so faint. There’s some background noise interfering.

Operator: Can you hear your number all right?

G.: No, I cannot, operator. Will you try and clear the line for me, please?

O.: Hold a minute, please. I think that’s better now.

G.: Are you there? Is that you, Lucy, dear? I say, can you hear me?

Mrs Jones: Yes, dear, I can.

G.: I’m arriving at Victoria at 5.40 this afternoon. Will you come to meet me there?

Mrs Jones: Certainly, dear.

G.: All right, dear, so long.

(from Can You Speak over the Telephone?)

(e) Two sisters on the telephone.

Joyce: Well, what have you been up to since I saw you last?

Kate: I haven’t been up to anything, I’m afraid. Just the usual grind. Have you been doing anything?

J.: No. James is off to Italy again tomorrow for his firm. He rings me every night from Turin, which is a comfort.

K.: So you’ll be absolutely tired again with the children?

J.: Of course.

K.: Thefirm would never pay for you to go to Italy as well, I suppose?

J.: As a matter of fact, that’s just come up for the first time. There is a big job of entertaining coming off in about a fortnight – all possible buyers and their wives are invited to Turin for a demonstration and a party afterwards, and they say they’d pay for me to go and play hostess and look nice, but of course, with the children…And anyway, what have I got to look nice in?

K.: I say, ducky, I’ve just got an idea. When is this do at Turin? It wouldn’t be at a week-end by any chance?

J.: It’s to be a Saturday – best time for a party.

K.: Well, look here, why don’t I come and look after Michael and Jane for the week-end? They’re not such demons as you seem to think, you know. We usually get on fine.

J.: Oh – it’s terribly sweet of you, but I couldn’t.

K.: Yes, you could. Now sort it out with James this evening before he goes. I’ll come over on the Friday night, and I’ll stay over the Monday too – I’ll get the day off from the office – so you needn’t get back till late on Monday and you can see a bit of Italy as well.

J.: No, I can’t really…Really you shouldn’t.

K.: Now shut up. No more nonsense. It’s settled. Just see the frig is full of food. I’ll take them to the Zoo on Saturday. And what’s wrong with that trouser suit? You look splendid in it.

J.: Do you really think I could? I never thought of a trouser suit for the party…

(from Can You Speak over the Telephone?)

Exercise 60.

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