Change the following sentence into Indirect Speech:
Abhinav said, "Your father will be terribly worried, Rajiv".
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Abhinav told Rajiv that his father would be terribly worried.
Statement in indirect speech:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said ..., Rajiv | told Rajiv | The person spoken to, “Rajiv”, becomes the object: “said” becomes “told Rajiv”. |
| Joining word | “ ” (inverted commas) | that | The statement is joined by “that”. The inverted commas go. |
| Pronoun change | Your | his | “Your” refers to Rajiv, so it becomes “his”. |
| Tense change | will | would | The reporting verb is in the past, so “will” becomes “would”. |
| Full sentence | Abhinav said, “Your father will be terribly worried, Rajiv”. | Abhinav told Rajiv that his father would be terribly worried. |
Example: Meera said, “I will call you, Anu.” → Meera told Anu that she would call her.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Abhinav told him that their father would be terribly worried. — Incorrect. "Him" does not name Rajiv, and "their" wrongly makes the father belong to both boys.
Option 2: Abhinav informed Rajiv about the worries of his father. — Incorrect. It changes the meaning: Abhinav says the father will be worried, not that the father already has worries. The future sense is lost.
Option 3: Rajiv told Abhinav that his father would be terribly worried. — Incorrect. The speaker and the listener are reversed. It is Abhinav who speaks.