Choose the most appropriate option which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct speech.
He said, "Sita, when is the next train?"
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) - He asked Sita when the next train was.
When converting a sentence from direct to indirect speech, the following rules apply:
- Change in Reporting Verb: Since it is a question, "said" changes to "asked."
- Change in Sentence Structure: The question format (e.g., "when is") becomes a statement format in indirect speech (e.g., "when the next train was").
- Tense Adjustment: The present tense in the direct speech ("is") changes to past tense ("was") in indirect speech, as the reporting verb ("asked") is in the past tense.
Other Options
- "He said to Sita when the next train was": Incorrect because "said" does not indicate a question being asked.
- "He asked Sita about the next train": Incorrect because it doesn't capture the full meaning of "when is the next train."
- "He asked when the next train is": Incorrect because the tense ("is") has not been appropriately changed to match the past reporting verb.