Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
He said that something might be missing in there.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct direct form of the given sentence is:
He said, "Something may be missing in there."
This is because direct speech is the exact words that someone spoke. In the direct form, the subject and tense of the verb do not change.
The other options are incorrect because they change the direct form of the sentence in some way:
- He said, "Something had to be missing in there." - This sentence changes the modal verb "may" to "had to," which is more assertive.
- He said, "Something is been missing in here." - This sentence is grammatically incorrect.
- He said, "Something could be missing in there." - This sentence changes the modal verb "may" to "could," which is less assertive.