Quote:
Originally Posted by Noreen Akbar
NARRATIONS:
1. Our sociology professor said, “I expect you to be in class every day. Unexcused absences may affect your grades.”
Our sociology professor warned us that he should expect us to be in class every day otherwise unexcused absences might affect our grades.
2. My father often told me, “Every obstacle is a steppingstone to success. You should view problems in your life as opportunities to prove yourself.”
My father advised me that every obstacle is a steppingstone to life and I should view problems in my life as opportunities to prove myself.
3. When tom asked jack why he couldn’t go the game, jack said he didn’t have enough money for the ticket.
Tom asked jack, “why he can’t go to the game. Jack said he don’t have enough money for ticket.”
4. When I asked the ticket seller if the concert was going to be rescheduled, she told me that she didn’t know and said that she just worked there.
I asked the ticket seller “is the concert going to be rescheduled. She said I don’t know I just work here.”
5. Ali said, “I must go to Lahore next week to visit my ailing mother.”
Ali said that he should go to Lahore coming week to visit his ailing mother.
6. The policeman told the pedestrian, “You must not cross the road against the red light.”
The policeman warned the pedestrian that he shouldn’t cross the road against the red light.
7. Ahmad asked if what I said was really true.
Ahmad said, “What I am saying is really true.”
8. Sara wanted to know where they would be tomorrow around three O’clock.
Sara asked, “Where we will be tomorrow at three O’clock.”
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1) Our sociology professor said that he expected us to be in class every day and that unexcused absences may affect our graders.
(When there is no object after reporting verb, it is better to keep the original verb unchanged (professor said), Also the professor is only expecting something, he is not warning to students. While joining two sentences in indirect narration, try to use ‘and that’. There is no need of inserting ‘should’ in the sentence.
2) My father advised me to view problems in my life as opportunities as every obstacle is a stepping stone to success.
OR
My father advised me that I should view problems in my life as opportunities as every obstacle is a stepping stone to success.
(It is better to change the arrangement so that the part of sentence in which the father advises something comes after the words: ‘my father advised me’)
3) Tom asked Jack, “Why you cannot go to home?”, “I don’t have enough money for ticket”, said the Jack.
4) I said to the ticket seller, “Is the concert going to be rescheduled?”, “I don’t know, I just work there”, said the ticket seller.
5) Ali said that he would have to go to Lahore the coming week to visit his ailing mother.
(‘must’ is sometimes not changed and sometimes changed into ‘would have to’. Please visit the link given in this post to clarify this)
6) The policeman advised/warned the pedestrian not to cross the road against the red light.
7) Ahmad said, “Is it really true what I say?”
8) Sara asked, “Where will we be tomorrow at three O’clock?”
When the sentence is in interrogative form, always put question mark at the end in place of full stop.
You may find following websites useful for learning rules of Direct/Indirect Narration and doing practice:
Narration, Change of Narration, Direct and Indirect Speech, Direct Speech, Indirect Speech, its use in English Grammar with examples and exercises
Reported speech exercises, rules