Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
“Doctor,” the patient cried, “please tell me how much time I have.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → The patient pleaded with the doctor to tell her how much time she had.
Indirect form of a request:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | cried, "Doctor, please ..." | pleaded with the doctor | "Please" shows a request made with strong feeling. Plead with means beg someone. "Doctor" becomes the person spoken to. |
| To + verb | please tell | to tell | An order or request takes "to" + verb. "Please" is dropped. |
| Pronoun change | me, I | her, she | The speaker is the patient, so "me" and "I" become "her" and "she". |
| Tense change | have | had | "Have" is in the simple present. The simple present is formed with the base form (V1), or V1 + s / es with he, she, it. The reporting verb "cried" is in the past, so it becomes the simple past "had". The simple past is formed with the past form of the verb (V2). |
| Full sentence | "Doctor," the patient cried, "please tell me how much time I have." | The patient pleaded with the doctor to tell her how much time she had. |
Other reporting verbs for requests and orders: requested, begged, ordered, advised + person + to + verb. Example: Ravi said to me, "Please lend me your pen." → Ravi requested me to lend him my pen.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The patient pleaded the doctor how much time she will have. — Incorrect. "Plead" needs "with" before the person. "Pleaded the doctor" is wrong.
Option 2: The patient exclaimed to the doctor that how much time she had. — Incorrect. "That" and "how" are two joining words together. A reported question is joined by the question word alone.
Option 4: The patient cried to the doctor that how much time had she. — Incorrect. "Had she" keeps the question word order. In indirect speech the subject comes before the verb ("she had").