Choosing the most appropriate answer from the given list, convert the following sentence in Indirect speech to Direct speech.
I asked Sara whether Bill had given her that ring.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → "Did Bill give you that ring?", I asked Sara.
Indirect to direct speech (a yes/no question):
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connective | whether | “ ...?” | “Whether” is removed. The question is put in inverted commas and ends with a question mark. |
| Word order | Bill had given | Did Bill give ...? | A direct question uses the question order with did: “Did Bill give ...?” |
| Tense change | had given | did ... give | The past perfect “had given” goes back to the simple past “did ... give”. |
| Pronoun change | her | you | “Her” (Sara) becomes “you”, since the speaker now addresses Sara. |
| Full sentence | I asked Sara whether Bill had given her that ring. | “Did Bill give you that ring?”, I asked Sara. |
"Asked" stays: "I asked Sara".
"That ring" stays.
Example: He asked me whether I had seen the film. → He said to me, “Did you see the film?”
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: "Did Bill willing to give that ring?, "I asked Sara. — Incorrect. "Did Bill willing" is ungrammatical (did needs a base verb), the idea of willingness is added, and "you" is missing.
Option 3: "Can Bill give you a ring?", I asked Sara. — Incorrect. "Can" asks about possibility in the future, and "a ring" loses the particular ring. The question was whether he had given it.
Option 4: "Should Bill give you rings?", I asked Sara. — Incorrect. "Should" asks for advice, and "rings" is plural. Both change the meaning.