A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech.
He said to me, 'You should work harder.'
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 i.e. He told me that I should work harder.
About the given sentence:
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Type of sentence: Assertive (Advice/Suggestion)
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Tense: Modal (should)
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Given voice: Direct speech
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Reporting Verb: Said to
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Reported Clause: 'You should work harder.'
Structure for conversion:
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Direct: Subject + said to + object, 'Reported Clause.'
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Indirect: Subject + told + object + that + Reported Clause (Pronoun shifted).
Changes required:
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Reporting Verb: When 'said to' is followed by an object (me), it changes to told in indirect speech.
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Connective: The comma and quotation marks are replaced by the conjunction that.
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Pronoun Change: The second-person pronoun You changes according to the object of the reporting verb (me). Therefore, You becomes I.
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Modal Verb: The modal should usually remains unchanged in indirect speech as it already represents a suggestion or obligation.
Converted sentence: He told me that I should work harder.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.