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.
Ravi said, "I may join the conference next week."
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
Ravi said that he might join the conference the following week.
Explanation
To convert the sentence into indirect speech, several specific grammar rules must be applied:
The first-person pronoun "I" shifts to the third-person pronoun "he" to match the subject, Ravi. The modal verb "may" backshifts into its past form, "might." Additionally, the time expression "next week" changes to "the following week" to reflect the shift in perspective.
Combining these rules alongside the conjunction "that" produces the correct reported statement.
Key Points
Core Definition Indirect speech conversion requires backshifting modal verbs, updating pronouns, and shifting time expressions relative to when the statement is being reported.
Grammatical Role Proper implementation of past modal tense shifting ("may" to "might") and chronological adverb adjustment ("next week" to "the following week") to ensure correct structural alignment.