Question

He said to Rita, "Am I ill ?"
(Choose the correct indirect speech)

• A. He says that he is ill to Rita.
• B. He will say to Rita that he is ill.
• C. He asked Rita if he was ill.
• D. He said to Rita if he is ill.

Hint:

When converting questions to indirect speech, a common mistake is keeping the question format (e.g., "...if was he ill"). Always change the reported question back into a statement format (Subject + Verb), for example, "...if he was ill."

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question involves converting a direct interrogative (question) sentence into indirect (reported) speech. Specific rules apply to reporting questions.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
1. Reporting Verb: Change "said to" to "asked" or "enquired of".
2. Conjunction: For yes/no questions (questions starting with a helping verb), use "if" or "whether" to connect the reporting clause and the reported clause. Do not use "that".
3. Sentence Structure: The question form in direct speech ("Am I...") is changed to a statement form in indirect speech ("...he was..."). The subject comes before the verb.
4. Tense and Pronoun Change: Backshift the tense (present → past) and change pronouns appropriately.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
1. Change Reporting Verb: "said to" becomes "asked". So, "He asked Rita...".
2. Add Conjunction: The question "Am I ill?" is a yes/no question. So, we use "if" or "whether".
3. Change Pronouns: The first-person pronoun "I" changes according to the subject of the reporting verb, "He". So, "I" becomes "he".
4. Change Tense and Structure: The verb "Am" (simple present) is backshifted to the simple past, which is "was" for the subject "he". The question structure "Am I...?" is changed to the statement structure "...he was...".
5. Construct the Indirect Sentence: Combining these changes, we get: "He asked Rita if he was ill."
6. Analyze the Options:
- (A) "He says..." - Incorrect reporting verb tense.
- (B) "He will say..." - Incorrect reporting verb tense.
- (C) "He asked Rita if he was ill." - Correctly follows all the rules for reporting a question.
- (D) "He said to Rita if he is ill." - Incorrect reporting verb ("said to" instead of "asked") and incorrect tense ("is" instead of "was").
Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech is (C) "He asked Rita if he was ill.".