Question

A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech.

Ravi said, "I like this pen."

• A. Ravi said he liked that pen.
• B. Ravi said he like that pen.
• C. Ravi said he liked this pen.
• D. Ravi said he likes that pen.

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Ravi said he liked that pen.

• Step 1: Reporting Verb and Conjunction

  • The reporting verb is "said" (past tense).

  • When converting to indirect speech, the quotation marks are removed. The conjunction "that" can optionally be placed after "said" (Ravi said that...), but it is frequently omitted in standard English, as seen in the correct option.

• Step 2: Change of Pronoun

  • The first-person pronoun "I" inside the direct speech refers to the speaker, Ravi.

  • In indirect speech, it must shift to the third-person singular masculine pronoun "he" to match the subject.

• Step 3: Change of Tense (Backshifting)

  • Because the reporting verb (said) is in the past tense, the tense of the verb inside the quotation marks must step one tense backward.

  • The original verb "like" is in the Simple Present Tense. It backshifts into the Simple Past Tense, changing from "like" to "liked".

• Step 4: Change of Demonstratives (Proximity to Distance)

  • Words expressing nearness in time or place generally change into words expressing distance.

  • Therefore, the proximal demonstrative adjective "this" converts to the distal demonstrative adjective "that".