Read these sentences and turn form direct into reported speech. Use full verb forms and full stops in your sentences.
1. “Eat your sandwich”, said Mike to Helen.
2. “What is the name of the shop?”, the policeman asked the man.
3. “My boss is discussing the cost of this product with clients,” said Jane.
1) Heavy traffic is one of the most serious problems that our cities have to deal with nowadays. What can we do, then, to reduce traffic in our city centres?
2) To begin with, it is important to improve public transport and to encourage people to use it to commute to work and to school. The result would be fewer cars in the city and consequently fewer traffic jams.
3) Another solution would be to encourage people to participate in car sharing programmes. This means several employees would share one car to work instead of each coming in their own car. Again, this would reduce the number of cars on the streets.
4) Finally, it would be a good idea to create more cycling lanes. If this was done, people would be encouraged to cycle instead of taking their car.
5) To sum up, there are many ways to reduce traffic in the city. Applying just some of these ideas would result in a lot less traffic in our cities.
1) Suggestions
1 Ban cars from city centres.
2 Make drivers pay a tax for driving into the city.
3 Improve public transport.
4 Build car parks outside city limits.
5 Promote car-pooling (drivers take turns driving others into the city).
Results
a) People will think twice about using their cars if it costs them money.
b) People will choose to use buses, trams or trains; there will be less traffic, and less pollution.
c) Drivers will leave their cars outside the city; there will be fewer cars being driven in the city.
d) Traffic will be reduced. For example, instead of four people driving four cars, there will be one car with four people in it.
e) There will be no cars at all; it will be safer and healthier for people who work and live in the city centre.
2) Essays providing solutions to problems are normally written in a formal style, and so you should avoid using colloquial expressions, short forms or personal language. In the first paragraph we state the problem. In the main body paragraphs we write our suggestions supported by possible results. We write our suggestions in separate paragraphs. In the conclusion we summarise our suggestions.
3a) To introduce suggestions: To begin/start with, One way to, Another solution would be, Another way to ... would be ...
To express effect: thus, therefore, as a result, consequently, so, as a consequence To conclude: All in all, To sum up, All things considered
5) What are we going to do with all this litter?
Suggestions
1 Fine people who litter.
2 Get young people involved in clean-up programmes.
3 Set up recycling schemes in your area.
4 Only buy products with biodegradable1 packaging.
Results
a) If people know thai they will have to pay it they litter, they will stop doing it.
b) This way landfill sites will not become so full.
c) They will become interested in keeping parks and their neighbourhoods clean and tidy.