The chief consultant physician inquired of the patient, "How long have you been experiencing these sharp abdominal pains, and did you take any unprescribed medication earlier today?"
Which of the following options correctly renders the statement above into reported speech?
- The chief consultant physician inquired of the patient how long he had been experiencing those sharp abdominal pains and if he had taken any unprescribed medication earlier that day.Answer
- BThe chief consultant physician inquired of the patient how long he has been experiencing those sharp abdominal pains and whether he took any unprescribed medication earlier today.
- CThe chief consultant physician inquired of the patient that how long he had been experiencing those sharp abdominal pains and did he take any unprescribed medication earlier that day.
- DThe chief consultant physician inquired of the patient how long had he been experiencing those sharp abdominal pains and whether he had taken any unprescribed medication earlier today.
Answer
The option stating that the chief consultant physician inquired of the patient how long he had been experiencing those sharp abdominal pains and if he had taken any unprescribed medication earlier that day.
The correct response accurately transforms both clauses of the compound direct question into reported speech: the present perfect continuous 'have been experiencing' shifts to the past perfect continuous 'had been experiencing', the simple past 'did take' shifts to the past perfect 'had taken', the demonstrative 'these' changes to 'those', the time expression 'earlier today' changes to 'earlier that day', subject-verb inversion is removed, and the yes/no clause is appropriately introduced by 'if'.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech
Estimated Time:1m 30s