Reported/Indirect Speech Practice- Festivals and celebrations vocabulary

What to say during important life events
Reported/Indirect Speech Practice- Festivals and celebrations vocabulary
Functional language

Choose one of the life events on the next page but don’t tell your partner which one you
chose. Report what people usually say, what people really said during a situation of that
kind, etc until your partner guesses which one you are talking about. Then discuss if you
have the same opinions about what people usually say. Switch roles and do the same until
your teacher stops the game.

Possible people to talk about
I
The head teacher
The CEO
My father
My mother
My grandmother
My grandfather

Useful reporting verbs
advise/ recommend/ encourage/ suggest
agree
announce
ask
command/ order
congratulate
discuss
insist
offer
pray
promise
remind
request
say
shout
sing
tell
thank
warn
wish

Possible events to talk about
1

st

birthday

18

th

birthday

20

th

birthday

21

st

birthday

after someone dies
anniversary of someone’s death
April Fool’s Day
asking someone out on a date
birth/ having a baby
birthday
careers fair
christening/ naming a baby
Christmas Day
Christmas Eve
coming of age (= becoming an adult)
engagement
(school/ university) entrance tests
Father’s Day
first day in a new company
first day of school/ entering school
first day of work
funeral/ wake
getting your driver’s license
graduation ceremony
having your… blessed
job interview
leaving home
marriage proposal
meeting someone in the new year
Mother’s Day
moving house
national day
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Eve
on the… th… of… (every year)
retirement
saint’s day
split up/ got divorced
starting university
summer festival
teacher’s day
training in a new company
Valentine’s day
wedding anniversary
wedding ceremony
wedding proposal

wedding reception (= party)
when someone has died
Xmas Day

Which are the most important occasions above for people in your country? What do
people usually say on those occasions?

Which ones are not marked in any special way (like first day of school in the UK)?

How do these things vary from country to country?

Match these phrases to the situations above. Some have the words above taken out (so
guessing isn’t too easy). Two match one situation above.


“… to love and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness or health, till death do us part”



“Congratulations on the __________ of a beautiful baby girl”



“Happy ________________”



“I’m sorry for your loss”



“Merry ________________”



He congratulated me for successfully finishing university.



He got down on one knee and asked me if I would marry him.



He told me it was just a joke.



He warned me not to drink too much.



I asked my father to give a speech.



I sent an anonymous card that told a girl that I liked her.



I thanked everyone for the lovely presents.



I thanked my wife for 25 happy years together.



I told my mother that she could stay in bed because I would bring breakfast to her
there.



My father told me that it was really important that I do well.



My father told me to shake hands firmly but not too firmly.



My mother waved at me from the gates and told me to be good.



The best man told everyone lots of embarrassing stories about the groom.



The godfather and godmother promised to help look after the baby.



We promised to support each other for the rest of our lives.

Which two match?

Write direct speech of the other reported speech ones above. As with the matched
examples above, often the reported version uses quite different words to the direct
version.

Write other pairs of direct and reported speech for the situations above, then discuss if
that is the same as what English speakers would usually say.