Hello teachers,
The context:
[color=blue]At about three o’clock Alex opened his eyes, and saw an old woman in front of him.
‘What are you doing in my field, young man?’ she said.
The previous context is for a listening exercise. It means the students have the question, but not the text.
The question:
What did the old woman ask Alex? Explain your answer using direct and reported speech respectively.
What is underlined is what the students have to write. What it’s not, is what I give them for the exercise.
a) What are you doing in my field, young man?’ she [color=red]asked.
b) She asked what he was doing in her field.
My question:
Can I give them the verb ‘ask’ for direct speech, even though that verb is not in the listening text?
Thanks in advance.
I don’t see why not. It fits the question.
I’m still uncomfortable with the way you expect particular answers from students. English doesn’t work that way.
Incidentally, I think most native English speakers who were not constrained by your directions about reported and direct speech would naturally begin an answer with the phrase from the question and use reported speech:
The old woman asked Alex what he was doing in her field. Note that this is NOT what you expect as a response for (b) even though it fulfils the criteria and both are equally correct. I am still uncomfortable with the fact that you seem to expect very prescribed answers. Marksheets for native English speakers would simply indicate, “Accept any answer which indicates that the woman asked Alex what he was doing in her field.” and leave the exact wording to the students.
Hi Beeesneees,
Thanks for your reply.
As ALWAYS I really appreciate your advice. The truth is that after your considerations about the answers the student have to give to my questions. I’m absolutely open to accept any answer that fits the question apart from mine.
The exercise before was as follows:
What did the old woman ask Alex? Explain your answer using direct and reported speech respectively.
a) ‘_________ _______ ________ __________ ______ _____ _________, __________ ______?’ she asked.
Now it is like this:
a) ______________________________________________________________.
That way any answer which indicates, in this case, what the woman asked Alex, is possible besides mine.
What do you think?
RtL
That makes more sense. Now the students do not need to second-guess what you were thinking.
Hi Beeessneees,
Thanks to you!
RtL