Choose the correct indirect speech of the sentence:
The general said, "May our nation always remain free."
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
When a direct sentence begins with "May" to express a wish or a prayer, we follow these conversion rules:
Reporting Verb: The word "said" is changed to a word that reflects the emotion of the sentence, such as "wished," "prayed," or "expressed the wish."
Conjunction: We use the word "that" to connect the reporting part to the wish.
Tense: The modal verb "may" must be changed to its past form, "might."
Pronoun Change: The first-person possessive pronoun "our" refers to the group the General belongs to. In indirect speech, this shifts to the third-person plural "their."
Sentence Structure: The sentence changes from an exclamation/wish format to a standard statement format (Subject + Might + Verb).