Question

Select the correct option for the Direct Speech conversion of the sentence below. The ecologist cautioned that the region's carrying capacity might be surpassed if invasive organisms multiplied without control.

• A. The ecologist said, "The region's carrying capacity will be surpassed if invasive organisms multiply without control."
• B. The ecologist said, "Had invasive organisms multiplied without control, the region's carrying capacity would be surpassed."
• C. The ecologist said, "The region's carrying capacity might be surpassed if invasive organisms multiply without control."
• D. The ecologist said, "If invasive organisms multiplied without control, the carrying capacity had been surpassed."

Answer 1

Answer:

C. The ecologist said, "The region's carrying capacity might be surpassed if invasive organisms multiply without control."

The ecologist said, "The region's carrying capacity might be surpassed if invasive organisms multiply without control." • When changing this back to direct speech, the modal verb "might" often stays as "might" when expressing a structural condition or possibility. • Option (c) perfectly maintains the original conditional structure ("if... multiply") and reporting tone without introducing unnecessary tense clashes like the other choices do.