Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
The tourist said to the guide, “Where can I buy fresh fruit?”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The tourist asked the guide where he could buy fresh fruit.
A wh-question in indirect speech:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said to the guide | asked the guide | The tourist put a question. So "said to" becomes "asked". |
| Joining word | " " (quotation marks) | where | The question word "where" itself joins the two parts. "That" is not added. |
| Pronoun change | I | he | The tourist is the speaker. So "I" becomes "he". |
| Tense change | can | could | The reporting verb is past. So "can" becomes "could" (could + base form (V1)). |
| Word order | can I buy? | he could buy | The subject now comes before the verb, as in a statement. The question mark goes. |
| Full sentence | The tourist said to the guide, "Where can I buy fresh fruit?" | The tourist asked the guide where he could buy fresh fruit. |
Who, what, when, why and how work the same way as "where". Example: Meera said to me, "When will you come?" → Meera asked me when I would come.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The tourist asked the guide where could he buy fresh fruit. — Incorrect. "Could he" keeps the question order. In a reported question the subject comes first, "he could".
Option 3: The tourist asked the guide where he can buy fresh fruit. — Incorrect. "Can" is not moved back. After the past "asked" it becomes "could".
Option 4: The tourist said to the guide where he could buy fresh fruit. — Incorrect. A question is reported with "asked". "Said to" is used for statements.