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Question

Difficulty: MediumDirect and Indirect (Reported) Speech

The chief judge stated, "I will deliver the final judgment on the land dispute next week unless the counsel present a fresh application."

Which of the following options correctly renders the judge's statement in reported speech?

  1. The chief judge stated that he would deliver the final judgment on the land dispute the following week unless the counsel presented a fresh application.Answer
  2. B
    The chief judge stated that he will deliver the final judgment on the land dispute next week unless the counsel present a fresh application.
  3. C
    The chief judge stated that he would deliver the final judgment on the land dispute next week unless the counsel presented a fresh application.
  4. D
    The chief judge stated that he would deliver the final judgment on the land dispute the following week unless the counsel present a fresh application.

Answer

The chief judge stated that he would deliver the final judgment on the land dispute the following week unless the counsel presented a fresh application.
The correct response accurately changes the modal auxiliary 'will' to 'would', shifts the subordinate clause verb 'present' to 'presented', and changes the time expression 'next week' to 'the following week'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the reporting verb and its tense.
The reporting verb 'stated' is in the simple past tense, requiring backshift of modal auxiliaries, tenses, and time expressions in the reported clause.
When the reporting verb is in the past tense, verbs and temporal adverbs within direct speech must shift back accordingly.
2
Shift pronouns and modal auxiliary verbs.
'I' changes to 'he', and 'will deliver' shifts back to 'would deliver'.
First-person pronouns change to third-person, and modal 'will' changes to conditional 'would'.
3
Shift time adverbs and subordinate clause verbs.
'next week' becomes 'the following week', and simple present 'present' shifts back to simple past 'presented'.
Relative time adverbs shift to reflect past reporting context, and present tense verbs in dependent clauses undergo tense backshift.

Key Concept

Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech Tense and Adverbial Transformation
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Topics

Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech

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