Question

Choose the correct indirect speech form of the sentence : ‘Have you understood this topic?’ the teacher asked the students.

• A. The teacher asked the students whether they have understood that topic
• B. The teacher asked the students whether they had understood that topic
• C. The teacher questioned the students whether they understood that topic
• D. The teacher asked the students whether they have had understood that topic

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The teacher asked the students whether they had understood that topic

Understanding Indirect Speech: A Comprehensive Guide for Competitive Exams

• Direct vs. Indirect Speech: Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, enclosed in quotation marks (e.g., ‘Have you understood this topic?’). Indirect speech (or reported speech) rephrases what was said, without quotation marks, and often involves changes in tense, pronouns, and time/place references.
• Key Changes in Indirect Speech:
• Tense Shift: When the reporting verb (e.g., 'asked') is in the past tense, the verb in the reported clause usually shifts back one tense. Present Simple becomes Past Simple, Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous, Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect, Past Simple becomes Past Perfect, and Future Simple becomes Conditional.
• Pronoun Changes: Pronouns change to reflect the perspective of the person reporting the speech. For example, 'you' might change to 'he', 'she', 'they', 'I', etc., depending on the context.
• Time and Place References: Words indicating proximity in time or place often change to indicate distance. For instance, 'this' becomes 'that', 'here' becomes 'there', 'today' becomes 'that day', 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day' or 'the following day', 'yesterday' becomes 'the previous day' or 'the day before'.
• Interrogative Sentences (Questions):
• Yes/No Questions: When reporting a question that can be answered with 'yes' or 'no', use 'if' or 'whether' after the reporting verb. The sentence structure in the reported clause changes from interrogative to assertive (subject before verb).
• Example Breakdown:
  • Original: ‘Have you understood this topic?’ the teacher asked the students.
  • Reporting Verb: 'asked' (past tense).
  • Question Type: Yes/No question.
  • Reported Clause Analysis:
    • 'Have you understood' (Present Perfect) changes to 'had understood' (Past Perfect).
    • 'you' (second person pronoun) changes to 'they' (third person plural, referring to 'the students').
    • 'this' (demonstrative pronoun) changes to 'that' (to indicate distance).
  • Indirect Speech: The teacher asked the students whether/if they had understood that topic.
• Wh- Questions: For questions starting with 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', 'how', these question words are retained in the indirect speech, and the sentence structure becomes assertive.
• Reporting Verbs: Common reporting verbs include 'said', 'told', 'asked', 'enquired', 'replied', 'shouted', 'whispered', etc. The choice of reporting verb can sometimes convey the tone or manner of the original speech.
• Common Pitfalls in Exams:
• Incorrect tense shifts.
• Failure to change pronouns correctly.
• Not converting 'this/these' to 'that/those' when reporting.
• Using 'that' instead of 'if' or 'whether' for yes/no questions.
• Maintaining the interrogative sentence structure in the reported clause.
• Practice Tip: Break down each sentence, identify the reporting verb and the reported clause, and systematically apply the rules for tense, pronoun, and time/place changes.