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.
She said, "Let him not be disturbed during the meeting."
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 i.e. She advised that he should not be disturbed during the meeting.
Changes required:
-
Reporting Verb: The reporting verb "said" is changed to "advised" or "suggested" because the sentence expresses a proposal or a desire regarding someone else's state.
-
Conjunction: The inverted commas are removed, and the conjunction "that" is used to introduce the reported clause.
-
The "Let" Rule: When "Let" is used to express a suggestion or a request in direct speech, it is often converted in indirect speech using the structure: Subject + should + verb.
-
Pronoun: The third-person pronoun "him" (objective case) remains in the third person but changes to its subjective form "he" to act as the subject of the new "should" clause.
-
Tense: The passive infinitive "be disturbed" is maintained within the "should not be" structure to preserve the original meaning.
Converted sentence: She advised that he should not be disturbed during the meeting.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.