He said to them, “Will you listen to such a man?” CHANGE NARRATION
A. He asked them if they will listen to such a man
B. He asked them that they will listen to such a man
C. He asked them if they would listen to such a man
D. He asked them if he would listen to such a man
Explanation
In indirect or reported speech, the speaker’s original words are changed to a different tense and sometimes even rephrased. In this case, the sentence is changed from direct to indirect speech.
The sentence “He said to them, ‘Will you listen to such a man?'” is in the present tense. In reported speech, the tense needs to be changed to reflect the past tense. Also, the word “will” needs to be changed to “would” to indicate the change from present to past tense. Therefore, the correct answer is C, “He asked them if they would listen to such a man.”
Understanding Indirect Speech
Indirect or reported speech is used to report what someone else has said without repeating their exact words. It is often used in news reports, interviews, and storytelling. In indirect speech, the tense and pronouns of the original statement are often changed to reflect the new speaker’s perspective.
There are several rules to follow when changing direct speech to indirect speech. First, the reporting verb (such as “say” or “ask”) is often changed to reflect the new speaker’s perspective. Then, the tense and pronouns in the original statement need to be changed to match the new speaker’s perspective. Additionally, time and place expressions may also need to be changed.
It is important to note that in indirect speech, quotation marks are not used. Instead, reported speech is often introduced with a reporting verb, such as “say,” “ask,” or “tell.” Additionally, question marks are often replaced with whether or if, as seen in the correct answer to the MCQ above.