Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech. I said that I would be there before the clock struck twelve.
I said, “I will be here before the clock strikes twelve.”
Working backwards from indirect to direct speech reverses every change made when the words were reported.
Modal: the backshifted would returns to will.
Verb: the backshifted struck returns to the present strikes.
Adverb of place: the distant there becomes the near here, since the speaker is at the place when speaking.
Form: that is dropped and quotation marks are added.
That gives ‘I said, “I will be here before the clock strikes twelve.”’
Why the others fail:
‘I should be here…’ — replaces will with should, which expresses obligation rather than the original intention.
‘I will have been here…’ — uses the future perfect, adding a completed-before-a-point sense the original never carried.
‘I have been here…’ — uses the present perfect, reporting a past visit rather than a future arrival.
Note: ‘before the clock strikes twelve’ keeps the present tense because it is a time clause — the same rule seen in E52 of this paper.
Similar Questions
Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
The commander said to the soldiers, “Don’t think twice. Jump off the plane now.”
Directions: Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
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Direction : In the following question, a sentence is given in Direct/Indirect speech. Out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the sentence in Indirect/Direct speech.
The teacher told me that I was neglecting my duties
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The officer told his peon that he was not efficient.
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You asked me what I was doing there.
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Important Questions from Direct and Indirect Speech
Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
I asked my brother if he had visited his friend who was in the hospital.
Direction : Choose the option that is in the indirect form of the sentence.
He said to his boss, "I had completed my task before the end of the day."
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The manager said to the staff, “Please work with dedication. You will be paid overtime whenever you work late.”
Identify the direction narration of the given sentence.
Rahul said, "What a pleasant surprise!"
Directions: Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
The lion asked the lioness, "Where will you hide yourself, until I return?”
