Question

Change the following statement into indirect speech.
The student said to the teacher, "Sir, mark me present."
a) The student told the teacher to mark me present.
b) The student respectfully requested the teacher to mark him present.
c) The student proposed the teacher to mark him present.
d) The student urged the teacher to mark him present.

Answer 1

Hint:Indirect or reported speech (grammar) is a form of speech used to express what another has said; often involves a change in tense. For example- It was her who said it.

Complete answer:
In the given question, we have to convert the given sentence which is in direct speech, in indirect speech.
The sentence in the question includes a request, thus, it is an imperative sentence, in which the reported verb uses ‘to’ before it. Also, the pronoun ‘me’, which is in first person, will have to be changed into the third person.
Let us thus analyze the options given to us in this question:
Option (a.), ' The student told the teacher to mark me present.', refers to the pronoun ‘me’, which should be changed into ‘him’ or ‘her’ in the third person.
Therefore, option (a.) is incorrect.

Option (b.), ‘The student respectfully requested the teacher to mark him present.', refers to a sentence that follows all the given rules of narration and reporting.
Therefore, option (b.) is correct.

Option (c.), ‘The student proposed the teacher to mark him present.', uses the reporting verb ‘propose’. In this kind of imperative sentence, the reporting verb should be changed into- advise, instruct, forbid, request, beg, order.
Therefore, option (c.) is incorrect.

Option (d.), ‘The student urged the teacher to mark him present.', is incorrect as the reporting verb does not follow the rules of narration, just like option (c.).

Note:
In this question, it will be helpful for the student to understand direct speech as well. Direct speech is (grammar) the writing of speech, using the exact words of the speaker, usually between quotation marks.