1. Direct = The nurses told me, “We weren’t surprised by Cousin’s book.”

[sb70012]

Write each of the following in direct speech:

1. Direct = The nurses told me, “We weren’t surprised by Cousin’s book.”
2. Indirect = The nurses told me that they hadn’t been surprised by Cousin’s book.

Hello teachers,

I have made another direct speech for number regarding number 1and 2 but I am not sure it's correct or not.

3. Direct = The nurses told me, “We haven't been surprised by Cousin’s book.”

Can I replace number 3 by number 1?
Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

No. You could use "hadn't been" or "weren't" but not "haven't been".


I told her that I am not surprised that my father has resigned from his job.
I told her that I wasn't surprised that my father had resigned from his job.
I told her that I hadn't been surprised that my father had resigned from his job two weeks earlier.

The only way I can think of to use "haven't been surprised" is in something like "I haven't been surprised by anything in years!" It might be used when expressing a habitual state of surprise - "I have been surprised recently at how many times I've seen the word 'honest' used in news stories about politicians". That shows that the surprising thing happened several times and it caused surprise each time.

 

[sb70012]

No.

But I disagree with you. Suppose that I give you this sentence:

3. Direct = The nurses told me, “We haven't been surprised by Cousin’s book.”

Would you please tell me how we can write it's Indirect form?

Sure it will be: Indirect = The nurses told me that they hadn’t been surprised by Cousin’s book.

Isn't it?

 

[emsr2d2]

But I disagree with you. Suppose that I give you this sentence:

3. Direct = The nurses told me, “We haven't been surprised by Cousin’s book.”

Would you please tell me how we can write it's Indirect form?

Sure it will be: Indirect = The nurses told me that they hadn’t been surprised by Cousin’s book.

Isn't it?

As you will have noticed, I added some extra information to post #3 while you were typing this. I hadn't meant to hit "Submit" after only typing the word "No". Sorry about that.

The problem with the example you have given in this post is that "We haven't been surprised by Cousins' book" is not a natural statement. The nurses would have said "We weren't surprised by Cousins' book".

 

[sb70012]

No. You could use "hadn't been" or "weren't" but not "haven't been".


I told her that I am not surprised that my father has resigned from his job.
I told her that I wasn't surprised that my father had resigned from his job.
I told her that I hadn't been surprised that my father had resigned from his job two weeks earlier.

The only way I can think of to use "haven't been surprised" is in something like "I haven't been surprised by anything in years!" It might be used when expressing a habitual state of surprise - "I have been surprised recently at how many times I've seen the word 'honest' used in news stories about politicians". That shows that the surprising thing happened several times and it caused surprise each time.

I think you misunderstood me.
I say for this indirect speech: Indirect = The nurses told me that they hadn’t been surprised by Cousin’s book.
We can write two direct speeches:
Direct = The nurses told me, “We weren’t surprised by Cousin’s book.”
Direct = The nurses told me, “We haven't been surprised by Cousin’s book.”

These two Direct speeches are correct. Aren't they?

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't know how many other ways I can say that "We haven't been surprised by Cousins' book" is not a natural statement in English. There is no point in you writing a sentence which would never be uttered.