Change the following to Direct Speech by choosing the correct answer from the options given:

The judge asked the thief what he had been doing with his hand in the gentleman's pocket.

The judge said to the thief, "What were you doing with your hand in the gentleman's pocket?"

The correct answer is Option (1) - The judge said to the thief, "What were you doing with your hand in the gentleman's pocket?"

1. Identifying the Indirect Speech Structure:

   • The original sentence is in Indirect Speech, with the reporting verb "asked" indicating a question.
   • The tense of the thief’s action is Past Perfect Continuous (he had been doing).

2. Converting to Direct Speech:

   • Replace "what he had been doing" with the exact words of the question: "What were you doing?" (Past Continuous is used for the same meaning in direct speech).
   • The reporting verb "asked" becomes "said to," as it introduces a question in Direct Speech.
   • So the correct sentence is :The judge said to the thief, "What were you doing with your hand in the gentleman's pocket?"

3. Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

   • Option 2: The judge is not asking the gentleman; the question is directed to the thief.
   • Option 3: The tense is incorrect. "What are you doing" changes the context to Present Tense, which does not match the original sentence.
   • Option 4: This rephrases the question, changing the meaning. The original sentence focuses on what the thief had been doing, not why he was doing it.