---
title: "Edit text: soldiers and their leader"
subject: "Communication English"
chapter: 3
key: "semester_5/communication_english:edit-text-your-leader-is-my-son"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/edit-text-your-leader-is-my-son
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Edit text: soldiers and their leader

Communication English · Chapter 3: Contextual Grammar

- Asked in: 2074 Chaitra, 5 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/edit-text-your-leader-is-my-son
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-3

## Question

Edit the following text:
Your leader is my son she said and not one of the soldiers doubt it. They fell in beside her, singing his praises, saying how clever and brave he is, and she listen to them with head proudly raise, showing no surprise.

## Short answer

Enclose speech in quotes; add comma after 'son'; change 'doubt' to 'doubted'; change 'is' to 'was' in reported speech; change 'listen' to 'listened'; change 'raise' to 'raised'.

## Answer

#### Edited text
"Your leader is my son," she said, and not one of the soldiers doubted it. They fell in beside her, singing his praises, saying how clever and brave he was, and she listened to them with head proudly raised, showing no surprise.

#### Corrections made
- Added quotation marks around the spoken words and a comma after "son" before "she said".
- Added a comma before "and" to separate the clauses.
- "doubt" changed to "doubted" (past tense).
- "is" changed to "was" to keep the past tense in reported speech.
- "listen" changed to "listened" (past tense).
- "raise" changed to "raised" (past participle, used as an adjective).

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is added around the spoken words?
   A. Brackets
   B. Quotation marks and a comma after 'son'
   C. A colon
   D. Nothing
   Answer: B. Direct speech needs quotation marks. (Key point: Direct speech)

2. Why is 'doubt' changed to 'doubted'?
   A. To keep the past tense of the passage
   B. To make it plural
   C. To make it a noun
   D. To make it passive
   Answer: A. The passage narrates in the past. (Key point: Tense)

3. Why is 'raise' changed to 'raised'?
   A. It is a noun
   B. It is a present participle
   C. It is an infinitive
   D. It is a past participle used as an adjective
   Answer: D. 'With head proudly raised' uses the participle. (Key point: Participle)

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