Choose the most appropriate reported construction of the following sentence:
Mr Kurian says, “My daughter studies in Pune and calls me every Sunday.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Mr Kurian says that his daughter studies in Pune and calls him every Sunday.
Changing a statement into indirect speech when the reporting verb is in the present:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joining word | “ ” (quotation marks) | that | “That” joins the statement. |
| Tense change | studies, calls | studies, calls (no change) | The reporting verb “says” is in the present. So the tense does not move back. “Studies” and “calls” stay in the simple present. The simple present is formed with the base form (V1), or V1 + s / es with he, she, it. |
| Pronoun change | my, me | his, him | The speaker is Mr Kurian. So “my” becomes “his” and “me” becomes “him”. |
| Full sentence | Mr Kurian says, “My daughter studies in Pune and calls me every Sunday.” | Mr Kurian says that his daughter studies in Pune and calls him every Sunday. |
The tense stays the same after “has said” or “will say” too. Example: Priya has said, “I am ready.” → Priya has said that she is ready.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Mr Kurian says that his daughter studied in Pune and called him every Sunday. — Incorrect. “Studied” and “called” move the tense back. After the present “says” the tense stays as it is.
Option 3: Mr Kurian says that my daughter studies in Pune and calls me every Sunday. — Incorrect. “My” and “me” are not changed. Mr Kurian speaks of himself, so they become “his” and “him”.
Option 4: Mr Kurian tells that his daughter studies in Pune and calls him every Sunday. — Incorrect. “Tells” needs the person after it, as in “tells me that”. With no person named, “says that” is used.