Direct And Indirect Speech

I'm not strong in English but suppose that it should be something like this:

He asked ("said to" seems to sound worse) the mother to tell him about herself, her family, why she became a nun

to learn more about the inderect speech you can look over the previous topics

Mother said,"We are never too young to love, I was just like a girl getting ready to get married".

Please convert into Indirect speech..

Mother said.......................................

Rajesh

Mother told (that) they were never too young to love, she was (it seems to me there is no need to write had been instead of was in that context - but as I told you before I'm not strong in English) just like a girl getting ready to get married

The word "(that)" is optional and it is usually omitted.

Mother said that they were never too young to love, she had been just like a girl getting ready to get married.

can we write like this?

-Rajesh

It seems to me that it would be better to write:

Mother told that they were never too young to love, she was just like a girl getting ready to get married

It seems to me that said is more preferable in cases like: She said, or he said.

The same time when the active person(that one who said something) is defined in the sentence it would sound better to use tell instead of said.

I changed had been to was because the Simple Past is used to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

As for the Past Perfect is used to expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

Hi Skif,

Here is another direct speech, which has to change in Indirect speech.

Mrs. Salmon said to counsel for the defence, " I have never had to wear Spectacles".

Rajesh

Mrs. Salmon told counsel for the defence that he had never had to wear Spectacles

1. As there is defined the concrete person(the counsel) to whom the rejoinder was adressed so that it is the case when told should be used instead of said.

2. The Present Perfect (have never had) is changed to Past Perfect(had never had) as the main sentence is in the past

Hello,

It would be a good idea for the original poster to make an attempt at answering the questions himself first.

This forum doesn't exist to just provide solutions to questions (especially ones that look like homework), but to help people learn about the language. Your last post does a nice job of that. Even so, the original poster should try first.

You have a problem with the last one, though. Mrs. Salmon is a female. Take a look at the pronoun you used.