Optative Sentences in Narration

In the previous lesson, you learned exclamatory sentences.

Now we will learn another special type:

Optative sentences

These sentences express:

wish

prayer

blessing

curse

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What Is an Optative Sentence

An optative sentence expresses a wish, prayer, blessing, or curse.

Examples:

May you live long

May Allah bless you

May you succeed

May he fail

These sentences often begin with “May”.

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Main Idea

To change optative sentences:

said becomes wished, prayed, or cursed

Use that

May usually becomes might

Change the sentence into statement form

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Basic Structure

Subject + wished/prayed/cursed + that + subject + might + verb

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Types of Optative Sentences

Wish

Prayer

Blessing

Curse

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Wish

Example 1

Direct:

He said, “May you be happy.”

Step 1

Identify:

Wish

Step 2

said → wished

Step 3

May → might

Step 4

you → I

Final:

He wished that I might be happy.

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Example 2

Direct:

She said, “May you succeed.”

Final:

She wished that I might succeed.

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Prayer and Blessing

Example 1

Direct:

Mother said, “May Allah bless you.”

Step 1

Identify:

Prayer

Step 2

said → prayed

Step 3

May → might

Step 4

you → me

Final:

Mother prayed that Allah might bless me.

Example 2

Direct:

The teacher said, “May you prosper in life.”

Final:

The teacher prayed that I might prosper in life.

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Curse

Example 1

Direct:

He said, “May you fail.”

Step 1

Identify:

Curse

Step 2

said → cursed

Step 3

May → might

Step 4

you → I

Final:

He cursed that I might fail.

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Example 2

Direct:

The old man said, “May you suffer.”

Final:

The old man cursed that I might suffer.

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One Sentence Step by Step

Sentence:

Father said, “May you live long.”

Step 1

Identify:

Blessing

Step 2

said → prayed

Step 3

May → might

Step 4

you → I

Final:

Father prayed that I might live long.

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Another Step by Step Example

Sentence:

He said, “May you win the prize.”

Step 1

Wish

Step 2

said → wished

Step 3

May → might

Final:

He wished that I might win the prize.

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Important Notes

May usually becomes might

Use:

wished for wish

prayed for prayer/blessing

cursed for curse

Use that

Change into statement form

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Common Mistakes

Mistake 1

Keeping “May”

Wrong:

He wished that I may succeed.

Correct:

He wished that I might succeed.

Mistake 2

Using wrong reporting verb

Mistake 3

Not using that

Mistake 4

Not changing pronoun

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Quick Revision

Optative = wish, prayer, blessing, curse

Rules:

said → wished/prayed/cursed

May → might

Use that

Statement form

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Practice

A. Change into indirect speech

1. He said, “May you be happy.”

2. Mother said, “May Allah bless you.”

3. Father said, “May you live long.”

4. He said, “May you fail.”

5. The teacher said, “May you prosper.”

6. She said, “May you win the prize.”

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B. Fill in the blanks

1. Optative sentence shows ______

2. “May” usually becomes ______

3. We use ______ for blessing

4. We use ______ for curse

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C. Choose the correct answer

1. “May Allah bless you” is a

   curse

   prayer

   question

2. “May you fail” is a

   wish

   curse

   advice

3. “May” usually becomes

   may

   might

   must

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Answers

A.

1. He wished that I might be happy.

2. Mother prayed that Allah might bless me.

3. Father prayed that I might live long.

4. He cursed that I might fail.

5. The teacher prayed that I might prosper.

6. She wished that I might win the prize.

B.

1. wish/prayer/blessing/curse

2. might

3. prayed

4. cursed

C.

1. prayer

2. curse

3. might

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Self Check

Can I identify optative sentence

Can I choose wished, prayed, or cursed

Can I change may to might

Can I change pronoun correctly

Homework

Write five optative sentences in direct speech.

Use wish, blessing, and curse.

Then change them into indirect speech.