In the following section the sentences have been given in Direct or Indirect speech. From the given alternatives, choose the most appropriate sentence that best suits the given sentence in Indirect or Direct speech.
The Captain said to his men,"Stand at ease."
Answer: D
Correct answer: The Captain commanded his men to stand at ease
Stand at ease is a military order, so the reporting verb must carry that force: commanded. Urged and wanted weaken it to persuasion or wish, and told them that they should turns an order into advice.
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Manna asked Rohan,"Have you sat in a trolley bus before?"
Answer: A
Correct answer: Manna asked Rohan whether he had sat in a trolley bus earlier.
A yes-or-no question takes whether or if, and the question order is straightened out, so no inversion survives. The present perfect have you sat moves back to had sat, and before becomes earlier.
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Kiran asked me,"Did you see the cricket match on television last night."
Answer: B
Correct answer: Kiran asked me whether I had seen the Cricket match on television the previous night
Three changes: the question takes whether; the past simple did you see moves back to had seen; and last night becomes the previous night, since last is measured from the moment of speaking.
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Farhan asked Geeta,"Could you lend me a hundred rupees until tomorrow?"
Answer: B
Correct answer: Farhan asked Geeta whether she could lend him a hundred rupees until the next day
Could is already a past form and does not change; the pronouns do - you becomes she and me becomes him. Tomorrow becomes the next day, which is the change the two near-identical options are testing.
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The tailor said to him, "Will you have the suit ready by tomorrow evening?"
Answer: A
Correct answer: The tailor asked him if he would have the suit ready by the following evening
A yes-or-no question takes if, not that; will becomes would; and tomorrow evening becomes the following evening.
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He said to her,"What a cold day!"
Answer: D
Correct answer: He exclaimed that it was a very cold day
An exclamation is reported with a verb of exclaiming, and the force carried by what a…! has to be preserved by an intensifier - hence a very cold day. Dropping very loses that force, told turns the exclamation into a statement, and sorrowfully adds an emotion the original does not express.
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She said to him,"Why don't you go today?"
Answer: B
Correct answer: She asked him why he did not go that day.
Said to becomes asked, the question order is straightened out, the auxiliary do moves back to did, and today becomes that day. Reporting it as asked him not to go turns a question into an instruction.
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The boy said, "Who dare call you a thief?"
Answer: B
Correct answer: The boy enquired who dared call him a thief.
Who dare call…? is a question, so it is reported with a verb of enquiry, the question order is dropped, and dare moves back to dared. You becomes him. Dropping the object, as one option does, leaves call without anyone to call.
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Dinesh asked,"Are you going to the party tomorrow, Eliza?"
Answer: A
Correct answer: Dinesh asked Eliza whether she was going to the party the next day
The vocative Eliza becomes the object of asked, so the person addressed is named once rather than twice. You then becomes she, are going becomes was going, and tomorrow becomes the next day.
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"Are you alone, my son?" asked a soft voice close behind me.
Answer: D
Correct answer: A soft voice behind me asked if I was alone.
A yes-or-no question takes asked… if; you becomes I and are becomes was. The vocative my son is dropped, since the report names the person addressed by the pronoun instead.
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