Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
He said, “I wish I didn’t have to take the examination.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → He said that he wished he didn’t have to take the examination.
A wish in indirect speech:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joining word | " " (quotation marks) | that | There is no listener, so "said" stays. "That" joins what he said. |
| Pronoun change | I, I | he, he | The speaker is the man himself. So both "I" become "he". |
| Tense change | wish | wished | "Said" is past, so the simple present "wish" becomes the simple past "wished". The simple present is formed with the base form (V1), or V1 + s / es with he, she, it. The simple past is formed with the past form of the verb (V2). |
| Tense kept | didn't have | didn't have | After "wish", we use a past form like "didn't have" to talk about now. So it does not change. |
| Full sentence | He said, "I wish I didn't have to take the examination." | He said that he wished he didn't have to take the examination. |
"I wish I didn't have to" means that he has to, but would like not to. Example: Anu said, "I wish I knew the answer." → Anu said that she wished she knew the answer.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: He told he wished he didn’t have to take the examination. — Incorrect. "Told" must have a listener after it. No listener is named, so "said" stays.
Option 3: He asked that he wished he didn’t have to take the examination. — Incorrect. "Asked" reports a question. He did not ask anything.
Option 4: He told that he wishes that he didn’t have to take the examination. — Incorrect. "Wishes" is left in the present. After a past reporting verb it should be "wished".