Direct and Indirect Speech — Important Questions

He asked if I could swim.

Step 1: This is a yes/no question, so we use 'if' or 'whether'. Step 2: 'Can' changes to 'could' in indirect speech. Step 3: 'You' changes to 'I' from the reporter's perspective. Step 4: Remove quotation marks and question mark. Step 5: The structure is: reporting verb + if/whether + statement form. Option B keeps direct question form. Option C incorrectly uses 'that'. Option D doesn't change 'can' to 'could'.

She requested him to help her.

Step 1: This is an imperative sentence with 'please', showing a polite request. Step 2: 'Said' changes to 'requested' for polite commands. Step 3: Use the structure: subject + requested + object + to + verb. Step 4: Change 'me' to 'her' (third person perspective). Step 5: Remove 'please' as it's implied in 'requested'. Option B keeps direct speech format. Option C misses 'to' and uses wrong reporting verb. Option D is grammatically incorrect.

The teacher told us not to make noise.

Step 1: This is a negative imperative sentence. Step 2: 'Said' changes to 'told' for commands. Step 3: The structure for negative imperatives is: told + object + not to + base verb. Step 4: Add 'us' as the implied object (students). Step 5: Place 'not' before 'to', not after. Option B keeps direct speech form. Option C places 'not' incorrectly. Option D misses the object 'us'.

John said that he had finished his work.

Step 1: The reporting verb 'said' is in past tense. Step 2: Present perfect 'have finished' changes to past perfect 'had finished'. Step 3: The pronoun 'I' changes to 'he' (third person). Step 4: 'My' changes to 'his'. Step 5: Add 'that' after the reporting verb. Option B doesn't change the tense. Option C keeps the wrong pronoun. Option D uses simple past instead of past perfect.