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.
"Let it be known that we shall defend every inch of our territory," proclaimed the commander.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Correct Answer
The commander proclaimed that they would defend every inch of their territory.
Explanation
To convert a sentence accurately from direct speech to indirect speech, apply the standard grammatical conversion rules:
Remove Quotation Marks and Add a Conjunction: The reporting verb "proclaimed" is followed by the conjunction "that" to introduce the reported clause.
Handle the "Let it be" Imperative: Phrases like "Let it be known that" are formal introductory devices used in direct speech to add emphasis. When converting to indirect speech, they are typically streamlined into the core declaration to maintain natural sentence flow, as the reporting verb "proclaimed" already captures that declarative tone.
Pronoun Shifts: The first-person plural pronoun "we" shifts to the third-person plural "they", and the possessive determiner "our" shifts to "their" to match the perspective of the reporter.
Tense Backshifting: Because the reporting verb is in the past tense (proclaimed), the modal verb "shall" inside the direct speech shifts to its corresponding past-facing form, "would".
Key Points
Formula Conversion: "We shall defend..." → ...that they would defend...}
Exam Shortcut: Eliminate options that fail the basic backshifting rule. Options 2 retains "shall", which is incorrect. Option 1 omits the necessary conjunction "that", and Option 3 alters the wording entirely into a passive voice summary. Only Option 4 satisfies all pronoun, tense, and conjunction rules perfectly.