Directions: Select the option that expresses the given sentence in reported speech. He said to his sister, “Please help me with my homework.”
He requested his sister to help him with his homework.
Understanding Reported Speech
Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is when we tell someone what another person said, but we do not use the speaker's exact words. We often need to change the tense, pronouns, and sometimes time or place adverbs.
The given sentence is: He said to his sister, “Please help me with my homework.”
This is a direct speech sentence. The part inside the inverted commas (“Please help me with my homework.”) is the exact words spoken by 'He'. The phrase 'He said to his sister' is the reporting clause.
Converting Imperative Sentences to Reported Speech
When the direct speech is an imperative sentence (a command, request, or instruction), we usually use a reporting verb like 'ask', 'request', 'order', 'advise', 'tell', etc., followed by the object (the person being addressed) and then the infinitive form of the verb (to + base verb).
In the given sentence, the word “Please” indicates a request. Therefore, the reporting verb 'said to' should be changed to a verb that expresses a request, such as 'requested' or 'asked'.
Step-by-Step Conversion:
- Identify the reporting verb and the reported speech. Reporting verb: 'said to'. Reported speech: “Please help me with my homework.”
- Identify the type of sentence in reported speech. It is an imperative expressing a request (due to “Please”).
- Change the reporting verb to a verb that fits the request, e.g., 'requested'. So, 'He said to his sister' becomes 'He requested his sister'.
- Remove the inverted commas and the word “Please”.
- Join the reporting clause and the reported clause using 'to' + the base form of the verb from the reported speech. The verb is 'help'. So, it becomes 'to help'.
- Change pronouns and possessive adjectives in the reported speech to match the subject of the reporting clause.
- 'me' refers to 'He', so 'me' changes to 'him'.
- 'my' refers to 'He', so 'my' changes to 'his'.
- Combine the parts: He requested his sister + to help + him + with + his homework.
The reported speech sentence is: He requested his sister to help him with his homework.
Analysis of Options for Reported Speech
Let's examine the given options based on the rules of reported speech conversion for requests:
| Option | Analysis | Correctness |
|---|---|---|
| 1. His sister told him that he should help her with her homework. | The subject is incorrect (His sister instead of He). The action is reversed (he helping her, instead of her helping him). The structure "that he should help" is not standard for reporting this type of imperative. | Incorrect |
| 2. His sister was asked by her brother that she should help him with his homework. | This uses a passive structure for the reporting clause, which is unusual here. The structure "that she should help" is not the standard imperative reporting structure. | Incorrect |
| 3. He told his sister that she should help him with his homework. | While "He told his sister" is grammatically possible, "requested" is more appropriate for a sentence with "Please". The structure "that she should help" is not the standard way to report a direct imperative request. | Incorrect |
| 4. He requested his sister to help him with his homework. | The reporting verb "requested" correctly reflects "Please". The structure "to help" correctly reports the imperative verb. The pronouns "him" and "his" are correctly changed to refer back to "He". | Correct |
Based on the analysis, Option 4 correctly transforms the direct speech into reported speech, accurately reflecting the request and following the grammatical rules for imperative sentences.
Revision Table: Key Changes in Reported Speech
| Direct Speech Element | Change in Reported Speech | Example from Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb 'said to' + object + “Please...” | Reporting verb expressing request ('requested', 'asked') + object + 'to' + base verb | 'said to his sister, “Please help”' becomes 'requested his sister to help' |
| Pronoun 'me' (object) | Changes based on the subject of the reporting clause. | 'me' (referring to 'He') becomes 'him' |
| Possessive adjective 'my' | Changes based on the subject of the reporting clause. | 'my' (referring to 'He') becomes 'his' |
Additional Information on Reported Speech of Imperatives
The choice of reporting verb depends on the type of imperative:
- Commands: 'ordered', 'commanded', 'told'. Example: "He said to the soldier, “March!”" → "He ordered the soldier to march."
- Requests: 'requested', 'asked', 'begged'. Example: "She said, “Please lend me your pen.”" → "She asked me to lend her my pen."
- Advice: 'advised', 'urged'. Example: "The doctor said to the patient, “Stop smoking.”" → "The doctor advised the patient to stop smoking."
- Instructions: 'told', 'instructed'. Example: "The teacher said to the students, “Open your books.”" → "The teacher told the students to open their books."
Negative imperatives (e.g., “Don't go!”) are reported using 'not to' + base verb. Example: "He said to me, “Don't wait for me.”" → "He told me not to wait for him."
Important Questions from Direct and Indirect Speech
Select the option that expresses the given sentence in reported speech.
The captain announced, “The flight will be delayed due to bad weather.”Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The actor said that what he did in films was something he had never attempted in real life.Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
Mother said that when we pluck a flower it dies so we should let it beautify the world as long as it lives.Select the option that expresses the given sentence in reported speech.
The children said to the nurse, “Reema slipped and fell from the stairs.”Select the option that expresses the given sentence in reported speech.
The teacher says, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.”
