Question

A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech. The manager informed the employees that the deadline for submission had been extended by two days.

• A. "You may submit the work two days later than planned," the manager informed.
• B. "The deadline has been extended by two days," said the manager.
• C. "We are extending the submission deadline by two days," the manager said.
• D. "You must finish it within two extra days," the manager said.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. "The deadline has been extended by two days," said the manager.

Converting from indirect speech back to direct speech requires reversing the standard transformation rules. We must look at the tense, pronouns, and the overall meaning of the reported clause to reconstruct the exact words spoken.

• Step 1: Analyze the Tense in Indirect Speech

  • The indirect sentence uses the Past Perfect passive voice: "had been extended".

  • According to the rules of backshifting, when moving from direct to indirect speech, a Present Perfect tense ($has/have + been + V3$) shifts backward into a Past Perfect tense ($had + been + V3$).

  • Therefore, when reversing the process, "had been extended" must revert to "has been extended" (since the subject "the deadline" is singular).

• Step 2: Match the Voice and Structure

  • The indirect statement is formal and passive: "...the deadline... had been extended by two days."

  • The matching direct option maintains this passive clarity: "The deadline has been extended by two days..."