A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech.
The scientist said, 'We have been working on this project for months.'
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1 i.e. The scientist said they had been working on that project for months.
About the given sentence:
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Type of sentence: Assertive
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Tense: Present Perfect Continuous (have been working)
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Given voice: Direct speech
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Reporting Verb: Said
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Reported Clause: 'We have been working on this project for months.'
Structure for conversion:
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Direct: Subject + Reporting Verb, 'Reported Clause.'
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Indirect: Subject + Reporting Verb + that + Reported Clause (Tense shifted).
Changes required:
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Connective: The comma and quotation marks are replaced by the conjunction that.
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Pronoun Change: The first-person plural pronoun We changes to the third-person plural they to match the speaker (the scientist/scientists).
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Tense Shift: Since the reporting verb (said) is in the past tense, the Present Perfect Continuous ('have been working') shifts to the Past Perfect Continuous ('had been working').
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Time/Place Word Change: The demonstrative this changes to that when moving from direct to indirect speech.
Converted sentence: The scientist said that they had been working on that project for months.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.