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. "So great was his shock that he could barely utter a word," said the nurse.
The nurse said that his shock was so great that he could barely utter a word.
The nurse said that his shock was so great that he could barely utter a word. is correct.
In reported speech the inverted, emphatic order "So great was his shock" changes to normal statement order (subject + verb): "his shock was so great". The reporting verb "said" is past, so the tense is already past and stays as "was"; "could" remains "could".
The quotation marks are removed and "that" introduces the reported statement.
"Was shocked greatly and barely spoke" changes the wording and meaning. "Had barely spoken" changes "could barely utter a word". "So great had his shock been" keeps the inverted order and wrongly shifts the tense to past perfect.
Similar Questions
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Important Questions from Direct and Indirect Speech
Direction : Choose the option that is in the indirect form of the sentence.
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Sushant said to the elderly lady, “Madam, you can take my place and stand here in the queue.”
