Which example illustrates an indirect statement?

Which example illustrates an indirect statement?

• A. Tell me what you've been doing since your retirement?
• B. Are you taking your medications?
• C. What is your full name?
• D. Please rate your pain on a scale of 1-10.

Answer: (A)

An indirect statement presents information without quoting it directly, often by embedding the content of what’s asked or said inside another clause. In this sentence, the speaker uses a command—“Tell me”—and then supplies an embedded clause, “what you’ve been doing since your retirement,” which is the content to be revealed. It’s not asking the listener directly about their actions in a plain question; instead, it prompts them to report that information indirectly, through the embedded clause. The other options are direct questions or a direct command with no embedded content to be reported: they ask for a specific piece of information outright or request action without conveying information indirectly. That’s why this example best illustrates the indirect form.

An indirect statement presents information without quoting it directly, often by embedding the content of what’s asked or said inside another clause. In this sentence, the speaker uses a command—“Tell me”—and then supplies an embedded clause, “what you’ve been doing since your retirement,” which is the content to be revealed. It’s not asking the listener directly about their actions in a plain question; instead, it prompts them to report that information indirectly, through the embedded clause.

The other options are direct questions or a direct command with no embedded content to be reported: they ask for a specific piece of information outright or request action without conveying information indirectly. That’s why this example best illustrates the indirect form.