Question : Select the correct indirect narration of the given sentence.
My neighbour said to me, "I'm sorry, but I will not be able to accompany you to the theatre as my mother is unwell."
Option 1: My neighbour apologises she will not be able to accompany me to the theatre as her mother is unwell.
Option 2: My neighbour apologised to her saying that she would not be able to accompany me to the theatre as her mother was unwell.
Option 3: My neighbour apologised that she was not being able to accompany me to the theatre as my mother was unwell.
Option 4: My neighbour apologised to me, saying that she would not be able to accompany me to the theatre as her mother was unwell.
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Correct Answer: My neighbour apologised to me, saying that she would not be able to accompany me to the theatre as her mother was unwell.
Solution : The correct choice is the fourth option.
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech or indirect discourse, is a way of reporting what someone else has said without quoting their exact words.
- Change the reporting verb from "said" to "apologised".
- Change the first-person pronoun "I" to the third-person pronoun "she" to match the perspective of the neighbour in the reported speech.
- Change the verb tense from the future tense ("will not be able") to the past tense ("would not be able") to maintain the sequence of tenses.
- Change the possessive pronoun "my" to "her" to reflect the neighbour's perspective.
- Change the verb "is" to "was" to match the past tense.
Therefore, the correct answer is: My neighbour apologised to me, saying that she would not be able to accompany me to the theatre as her mother was unwell.
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