Select the most appropriate option to replace the underlined part of the sentence. If no improvement is needed, choose ‘No improvement’.
The tailor told Mummy that he will stitch my kurta before Diwali, but it was still not ready on Diwali morning.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → would stitch
Reported speech after a past reporting verb:
- When the reporting verb is in the past (told, said), the verb in the reported part also moves into the past. So “will” becomes “would”.
- The given sentence says “told Mummy that he will stitch”. This is wrong: “told” is in the past, and Diwali is already over. So “will” cannot stay.
- Complete sentence: The tailor told Mummy that he would stitch my kurta before Diwali, but it was still not ready on Diwali morning.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: is stitching — Incorrect. It is in the present tense. After the past verb “told”, the reported part must be in the past. Example: Look, the tailor is stitching my kurta right now.
Option 3: would stitched — Incorrect. After “would”, the verb takes its base form “stitch”, not the past form “stitched”.