Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

English

Chapter

Direct/indirect

Question:

Select the option that expresses the given sentence in reported speech.

“Is he alright now?” I asked my neighbour’s wife about her husband, Mr. Gulyani.

Options:

I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if her husband had become alright then.

I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if her husband is alright now.

I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if your husband will be alright now.

I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if her husband was alright then.

Correct Answer:

I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if her husband was alright then.

Explanation:

The correct indirect form of the given sentence is I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if her husband was alright then.

The other options are incorrect:

  • I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if her husband had become alright then. This is incorrect because the modal verb "had become" is not necessary in indirect speech.
  • I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if her husband is alright now. This is incorrect because the tense of the reported speech should be the past tense, not the present tense.
  • I asked Mrs. Gulyani, my neighbour's wife, if your husband will be alright now. This is incorrect because the pronoun "your" should be "her" to match the speaker.