Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The carpenter told Mrs Gill that he would deliver that table the next day.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → The carpenter said to Mrs Gill, “I will deliver this table tomorrow.”
Changing a promise from indirect back into direct speech:
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | told Mrs Gill | said to Mrs Gill | In direct speech “told” goes back to “said to”. |
| Joining word | that | “ ” (quotation marks) | “That” is dropped. The spoken words go inside quotation marks. |
| Pronoun change | he | I | The carpenter is the speaker. In his own words “he” becomes “I”. |
| Tense change | would | will | Going back, the past “would” returns to “will” (will + base form (V1)). |
| Time and place words | that, the next day | this, tomorrow | In the speaker’s own words the table is near him and the day is still to come. So “that” becomes “this” and “the next day” becomes “tomorrow”. |
| Full sentence | The carpenter told Mrs Gill that he would deliver that table the next day. | The carpenter said to Mrs Gill, “I will deliver this table tomorrow.” |
Other words go back too: then → now, that day → today, there → here. Example: Rehan told me that he was busy that day. → “I am busy today,” Rehan said to me.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The carpenter said to Mrs Gill, “Will I deliver this table tomorrow?” — Incorrect. The carpenter made a promise, not a question. “Will I ...?” turns his statement into a question.
Option 2: The carpenter said to Mrs Gill, “He will deliver this table tomorrow.” — Incorrect. The carpenter is talking about himself. “He” must become “I”.
Option 3: The carpenter said to Mrs Gill, “I will deliver this table the next day.” — Incorrect. “The next day” is kept. In the spoken words it becomes “tomorrow”.