Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
She said that she could not believe him.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct direct form of the given sentence is:
She said, "I cannot believe him."
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:
- She said, "You cannot believe him." - This sentence changes the subject of the sentence from "I" to "you."
- She said, "I may not believe him." - This sentence changes the modal verb "cannot" to "may not," which is less assertive.
- She says, "I could not believe him." - This sentence changes the present tense to the past tense.