Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
He said, “I decided not to purchase the house, because it was near the railway track.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct indirect form of the given sentence is: OPTION 1
He said that he had decided not to purchase the house because it was near the railway track.
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Reporting verb ("said"): The reporting verb "said" is appropriate for conveying what someone stated.
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Tense change ("decided" to "had decided"): The verb "decided" in the present changes to "had decided" in the past perfect tense when reported.
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Correct structure: The phrase maintains the structure and meaning of the original statement while using "that" to introduce the reported speech.
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Thus, the correct option is:
He said that he had decided not to purchase the house because it was near the railway track.Incorrect options explained:
- Option 2 ("had decides"): Incorrect because "decides" should be in the past participle form "decided."
- Option 3 ("purchased"): Incorrect because "purchased" is the wrong form; it should be "purchase" as it follows "to."
- Option 4 ("told"): Incorrect because "told" should be followed by an object (e.g., "him" or "me") when reporting speech.