Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
The Professor said that nobody could solve the problem.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct direct form of the given sentence is:
The Professor said, "Nobody could solve the problem."
The other options are incorrect for the following reasons:
- The Professor exclaimed, ‘Nobody can solve the problem?’ - The past tense verb "could" is not appropriate in this context, as the professor is talking about a general statement, not a specific event.
- The Professor said, ’Nobody could solve the problem’ - The quotation marks are missing.
- The Professor exclaimed, ‘Nobody could solve the problem’ - The past tense verb "could" is not appropriate in this context, and the exclamation point is not necessary.