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, "Please wait here till I come back."
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
He requested me to wait there till he came back.
Explanation
Core Meaning: The sentence conveys a polite demand or appeal made by a speaker for someone to remain in a specific spot until the speaker returns. To solve this quickly for an exam, convert direct speech to indirect speech by tracking three critical changes: the reporting verb, distance words, and tense. The word "Please" signals a request, so the reporting verb "said to" must change to "requested," which eliminates the use of the word "please" later in the sentence. Next, the proximity adverb "here" shifts to the distant "there." Finally, the simple present clause "till I come back" must backshift to the simple past "till he came back" to match the past tense reporting verb. Option 1 seamlessly applies all three rules.
Key Points
Core Definition: Converting imperative direct speech involving requests requires changing the reporting verb to "requested" and applying standard tense and adverbial backshifts.
Grammatical Role: Transforming a direct imperative clause into an indirect object complement using an infinitive verb phrase structure.