English Grammar - Narration

English Grammar
English Grammar - Narration

A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech: The librarian said that silence must be maintained in the library.


Options:

  1. "Silence should be maintained in the library," said the librarian.
  2. "You will maintain silence in the library," the librarian said.
  3. "Maintain silence in the library," said the librarian.
  4. "Must you maintain silence in the library?" asked the librarian.

Right Answer: "Maintain silence in the library," said the librarian.

The reported sentence expresses an instruction rather than a statement of fact, since 'must be maintained' conveys an order from the librarian. When a command is turned back into direct speech, it takes the imperative form, giving the words actually spoken: Maintain silence in the library. Option three does this. Option one substitutes the weaker modal 'should', changing the force of the instruction. Option two turns the order into a prediction with 'will'. Option four converts the sentence into a question, which the original was not. Hence option three is correct.

This question is part of English Grammar - Narration, which has 48 practice questions with answers.

Recent questions from every quiz

Latest Articles

Published: | Last Updated:
Deepak - Educational Content Creator

Written by Deepak

Educational Content Creator

I am an educational content creator dedicated to making learning simple, engaging, and accessible for students preparing for competitive exams. He specializes in creating high-quality study materials, including notes, multiple-choice questions (MCQs), previous year question papers, practice tests, and exam-oriented resources.

Experience: 10+ years in Education and Competitive Exam Content Creator