Question

3
select the correct text in the passage.
which pair of lines is an example of free indirect speech?

1. within a short walk of longbourn lived a family with whom the bennets were particularly intimate. sir william lucas had been formerly in trade in meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty. the distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. it had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town, and, in quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from meryton, denominated from that period lucas lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. for, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to everybody. by nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his presentation at st. james’s had made him courteous.
2. he was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and, to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party. nothing could be more delightful! to be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of mr. bingley’s heart were entertained. “if i can but see one of my daughters happily settled at netherfield,” said mrs. bennet to her husband, “and all the others equally well married, i shall have nothing to wish for.”

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Explanation:

To determine the pair of lines with free indirect speech, we analyze:

• Free indirect speech blends a narrator’s voice with a character’s thoughts/voice, lacking quotation marks but reflecting character perspective.
• In the second set of lines: "Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained." This reflects Mrs. Bennet’s thoughts (about Mr. Bingley and her daughters’ marriage) without direct quotation, blending the narrator’s voice with her perspective. The first set focuses on Sir William Lucas’ background (narrator’s voice, no character’s internal perspective).

Free indirect speech blends narrator and character voice (no quotes). The lines "Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained." reflect Mrs. Bennet’s thoughts (her perspective on Mr. Bingley and her daughters’ marriage) without direct quotes, fitting free indirect speech. The first pair is objective narration about Sir William Lucas.

Answer:

1. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and, to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party.

Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained.