Choose the correct form of the given sentence in indirect speech.
Shilpa said to Renu, "I didn't tell a lie,"
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Shilpa told Renu that she hadn't told a lie
Statement in indirect speech:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said to | told ... that | “Said to” becomes “told”, and “that” joins the reported statement. The quotation marks go. |
| Pronoun change | I | she | “I” becomes “she”, since Shilpa speaks about herself. |
| Tense change | didn’t tell | hadn’t told | The reporting verb is in the past, so the simple past “didn’t tell” becomes “hadn’t told” (past perfect). |
| Full sentence | Shilpa said to Renu, “I didn’t tell a lie.” | Shilpa told Renu that she hadn’t told a lie |
Example: Ravi said to me, “I didn’t break the glass.” → Ravi told me that he hadn’t broken the glass.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Shilpa said to Ranu I didn't tell lie — Incorrect.
- The words of the speaker are kept unchanged: "I didn't tell" should become "she hadn't told".
- "that" and the article "a" are missing, and the name is misspelt as "Ranu".
Option 3: Shilpa told Renu I hadn't told a lie — Incorrect. The tense is changed, but the pronoun "I" is not. It must become "she".
Option 4: Shilpa told Renu I don't tell lies — Incorrect.
- "I" is not changed to "she".
- "don't tell lies" is a present habit. It changes the meaning of a remark about one past act.