Direct & Indirect Speech

21. He asked, 'Shall I bring you a cup of tea, or would you prefer cold coffee?'

D. He asked me that shall I bring a cup of tea or would I prefer cold coffee.
B. He asked whether he should bring me a cup of tea or whether I would prefer cold coffee.
C. He offered to bring me a cup of tea or asked if I would prefer cold coffee.
A. He asked if he should bring me a cup of tea, or would I prefer cold coffee.

Answer: 'Shall I...?' used for an offer can be reported using the verb 'offered'. The second part of the question 'would you prefer...' remains as an indirect question.

22. 'You should take the exam again,' the professor advised, 'as you might score better this time.'

B. The professor advised that I should have taken the exam again, as I might score better that time.
C. The professor advised me to take the exam again, as I may score better that time.
D. The professor advised me take the exam again, as I might had scored better that time.
A. The professor advised me to take the exam again, as I might score better that time.

Answer: 'You should...' can be reported with 'advised me to...'. The modal 'might' does not change, and 'this time' becomes 'that time'.

23. The judge said, 'Let the witness be brought in and the proceedings begin.'

D. The judge requested that the witness might be brought in and the proceedings may begin.
C. The judge commanded for the witness to be brought in and the proceedings to begin.
A. The judge said to let the witness be brought in and the proceedings begin.
B. The judge ordered that the witness should be brought in and the proceedings should begin.

Answer: When 'Let' is used to give an order or instruction, it is reported using 'ordered' or 'commanded', followed by a 'that' clause with 'should'.

24. She said, 'Had I known the consequences, I would never have done this.'

D. She said that if she would have known the consequences, she would never have done that.
C. She said that had she known the consequences, she would never have done that.
A. She said that if she knew the consequences, she would never do that.
B. She said that she had not known the consequences, so she did that.

Answer: This is an inverted third conditional sentence. Its structure does not change in indirect speech, only the pronoun/adverb ('this' to 'that').

25. The diplomat said, 'I will raise this matter at the next summit, come what may.'

D. The diplomat stated that he would have raised that matter at the following summit, come what may.
C. The diplomat stated that he would raise that matter at the following summit, if anything came.
B. The diplomat stated that he will raise that matter at the next summit, come what may.
A. The diplomat stated that he would raise that matter at the following summit, whatever happened.

Answer: 'Will' changes to 'would', 'this' to 'that', and 'next' to 'following'. The idiom 'come what may' can be reported as 'whatever happened' or kept as is, but this option is the most complete transformation.

26. He said to his friend, 'Please, please don't take such a drastic step.'

B. He told his friend to please not take such a drastic step.
A. He begged his friend that he should not take such a drastic step.
C. He earnestly begged his friend not to take such a drastic step.
D. He requested his friend to not take such a drastic step.

Answer: The repetition of 'please' indicates earnestness. It is best reported using a strong verb like 'begged' or 'implored', and the structure 'not to' for the negative imperative.

27. The hermit said to the king, 'May heaven's choicest blessings be showered upon you!'

B. The hermit prayed that heaven's choicest blessings might be showered upon the king.
A. The hermit told the king that heaven's choicest blessings may be showered upon him.
C. The hermit wished for the king that heaven's choicest blessings should be showered upon him.
D. The hermit said that may heaven's choicest blessings be showered upon the king.

Answer: Optative sentences expressing a prayer or wish are reported with verbs like 'prayed' or 'wished', 'may' changes to 'might', and pronouns are adjusted.

28. 'Who is responsible for this chaos and why has no action been taken yet?' the manager thundered.

B. The manager thundered who was responsible for that chaos and why had no action been taken yet.
C. The manager asked who is responsible for this chaos and why no action has been taken yet.
D. The manager thundered that who was responsible for that chaos and why no action had been taken till then.
A. The manager thundered who was responsible for that chaos and why no action had been taken till then.

Answer: Both are wh-questions. Tenses shift to past (is -> was, has been taken -> had been taken), adverbs change (this -> that, yet -> till then), and the word order is assertive (subject-verb).

29. She said, 'I used to live here, but I had to move out two years ago.'

B. She said that she used to live there, but she had had to move out two years before.
C. She said that she used to live here, but she had to move out two years ago.
D. She said that she lived there before, but she had to move out two years previously.
A. She said that she had used to live there, but she had to move out two years before.

Answer: 'Used to' remains unchanged. 'Had to' (simple past form) changes to 'had had to' (past perfect). 'Here' becomes 'there' and 'ago' becomes 'before'.

30. 'You must be joking!' he said. 'I could never have imagined this outcome.'

C. He said that he must be joking and that he could never imagine that outcome.
B. He exclaimed that he must have been joking and he could never have imagined that outcome.
D. He exclaimed that I must be joking and added that he could never have imagined that outcome.
A. He said that I must be joking and that he could never have imagined that outcome.

Answer: 'Must be' for deduction/disbelief doesn't change tense. 'Could have + V3' also remains unchanged. The reporting verb 'exclaimed' fits the tone. 'This' changes to 'that'.

31. The student said respectfully, 'Sir, may I be excused from the lecture tomorrow?'

A. The student asked respectfully if he might be excused from the lecture the next day.
C. The student respectfully asked the sir to excuse him from the lecture tomorrow.
B. The student respectfully said to the sir that he may be excused from the lecture the next day.
D. The student respectfully asked whether he may be excused from the lecture the following day.

Answer: A question seeking permission with 'may' is reported with 'asked if/whether', and 'may' changes to 'might'. 'Tomorrow' changes to 'the next day'.

32. 'Don't invest all your savings in one company,' my financial advisor said. 'It's a risky move.'

C. My financial advisor warned me to not invest all my savings in one company, because it is a risky move.
D. My financial advisor advised that I should not invest all my savings in one company and said it was a risky move.
B. My financial advisor advised me not to invest all my savings in one company, adding that it was a risky move.
A. My financial advisor said not to invest all my savings in one company, as it was a risky move.

Answer: The negative imperative 'Don't invest' is reported as 'advised me not to invest'. The second sentence is linked with 'adding that', and its tense changes from present to past.

33. She said, 'Oh, I am utterly ruined! What is to become of me now?'

B. She exclaimed sorrowfully that she was utterly ruined and wondered what was to become of her then.
C. She exclaimed that she is utterly ruined and asked what was to become of her now.
A. She cried that she was utterly ruined and asked what was to become of her then.
D. She cried that she was utterly ruined and asked what was to become of me then.

Answer: 'Oh' shows sorrow, so 'exclaimed sorrowfully' is appropriate. Tenses, pronouns, and adverbs change accordingly ('am' -> 'was', 'me' -> 'her', 'now' -> 'then').

34. 'By God!' he swore, 'I will not spare you this time.'

C. He swore by God and said that he would not have spared me that time.
D. He swore by God that I would not be spared that time.
B. He swore to God that he will not spare me that time.
A. He swore by God that he would not spare me that time.

Answer: An oath is reported using 'swore'. 'Will' changes to 'would', 'you' changes to 'me', and 'this time' changes to 'that time'.

35. The boy said, 'Hurrah! We have won the inter-school championship.'

C. The boy exclaimed with joy that they had won the inter-school championship.
B. The boy exclaimed with joy that they won the inter-school championship.
D. The boy exclaimed joyfully that they have won the inter-school championship.
A. The boy said hurrah that they had won the inter-school championship.

Answer: The interjection 'Hurrah!' is replaced by 'exclaimed with joy'. The present perfect tense ('have won') changes to the past perfect tense ('had won').

36. The faqir said, 'Curse on you! May you be childless and die a miserable death.'

C. The faqir cursed that he should be childless and die a miserable death.
D. The faqir cursed him that may he be childless and die a miserable death.
A. The faqir cursed him and prayed that he might be childless and die a miserable death.
B. The faqir said a curse on him and wished he was childless and died a miserable death.

Answer: An optative sentence expressing a curse is reported using the verb 'cursed'. 'May' changes to 'might' in the subsequent clause.

37. He said to them, 'Let's wait for our friends here, shall we?'

B. He told them to wait for their friends there.
D. He suggested them to wait for their friends here.
C. He proposed to them that they should wait for their friends there.
A. He asked them if they should wait for their friends there.

Answer: 'Let's' indicates a proposal. The question tag 'shall we?' reinforces this. The correct structure is 'proposed that they should...'. 'Here' changes to 'there'.

38. She said, 'You needn't worry about me; I can manage on my own.'

D. She said that I needn't worry about her because she can manage on her own.
B. She said that I hadn't to worry about her as she could manage on her own.
A. She said that I needn't have worried about her as she could manage on her own.
C. She said that I did not need to worry about her as she could manage on her own.

Answer: 'Needn't' can be reported as 'did not need to' or 'would not have to'. 'Can' changes to 'could'.

39. The policeman said to the driver, 'Show me your license, or I will have to book you.'

A. The policeman ordered the driver to show him his license, or he would have to book him.
D. The policeman told the driver, show me your license or I will book you.
C. The policeman demanded the driver to show him his license, or else he will have to book him.
B. The policeman asked the driver to show him his license and said he will book him.

Answer: The first part is an imperative, reported with 'ordered...to show'. The second part is a statement where 'will have to' changes to 'would have to'.

40. 'Good heavens!' she cried, 'I have dropped my keys somewhere here.'

B. She cried good heavens that she dropped her keys somewhere there.
D. She cried that she had dropped my keys somewhere there.
C. She exclaimed that she has dropped her keys somewhere here.
A. She cried with surprise that she had dropped her keys somewhere there.

Answer: The interjection 'Good heavens!' is reported as 'cried with surprise/alarm'. Present perfect ('have dropped') becomes past perfect ('had dropped'), and 'here' becomes 'there'.

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