Direct & Indirect Speech

QUESTION 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.

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'.

QUESTION 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'.

QUESTION 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').

QUESTION 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.

QUESTION 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.

QUESTION 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.

QUESTION 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).

QUESTION 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'.

QUESTION 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'.

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