Choose the most appropriate reported construction of the following sentence:
The hostel warden said to the boys, “Who has taken this kettle from the common room? It was bought only yesterday.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The hostel warden asked the boys who had taken that kettle from the common room and said that it had been bought only the day before.
Changing a “Who” question and a statement into indirect speech:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said to the boys | asked the boys ... and said | The first part is a question, so “said to” becomes “asked”. The second part is a statement, so it is brought in with “and said”. |
| Joining word | “ ” (quotation marks) | who ... that | The question word “who” itself joins the question. Here “who” is also the subject, so the order “who” + verb stays as it is. “That” joins the statement. |
| Tense change | has taken, was bought | had taken, had been bought | “Has taken” is in the present perfect. The present perfect is formed with has / have + past participle (V3). After the past “said” it becomes the past perfect “had taken”. The past perfect is formed with had + V3. “Was bought” is in the simple past, in the passive (was / were + V3). So it becomes “had been bought”. |
| Time and place words | this, yesterday | that, the day before | The words are reported later, away from the hostel. So “this” becomes “that” and “yesterday” becomes “the day before”. |
| Full sentence | The hostel warden said to the boys, “Who has taken this kettle from the common room? It was bought only yesterday.” | The hostel warden asked the boys who had taken that kettle from the common room and said that it had been bought only the day before. |
When the question word is not the subject, the subject is put before the verb. Example: The warden said to me, “Where have you kept the keys?” → The warden asked me where I had kept the keys.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The hostel warden asked the boys who has taken that kettle from the common room and said that it had been bought only the day before. — Incorrect. The present perfect “has taken” is kept. After the past “said” it must become “had taken”.
Option 3: The hostel warden asked the boys who had taken this kettle from the common room and said that it had been bought only the day before. — Incorrect. “This” is left unchanged. In the report it becomes “that”.
Option 4: The hostel warden asked the boys that who had taken that kettle from the common room and said that it had been bought only the day before. — Incorrect. “That who” puts two joining words together. A reported question takes the question word alone.