Direct & Indirect Speech

QUESTION 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'.

QUESTION 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.

QUESTION 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').

QUESTION 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'.

QUESTION 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').

QUESTION 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.

QUESTION 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'.

QUESTION 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'.

QUESTION 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'.

QUESTION 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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