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.
She said, "I must leave now to catch the bus."
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer:-
She said that she had to leave then to catch the bus.
Explanation:-
Modal Verb Change: The modal verb "must" indicates a present obligation in direct speech, which changes to "had to" in indirect speech when the reporting verb is in the past tense ("said").
Time Word Change: The adverb of time "now" shifts to "then" to reflect the change from direct to reported time perspective.
Pronoun Change: The first-person pronoun "I" changes to the third-person pronoun "she" to align with the subject of the reporting verb.
Key Points
Core Definition: Converting direct speech into indirect speech requires modifying modals, personal pronouns, and time-specific expressions to keep the perspective consistent.
Grammatical Role: Present obligation modals like "must" change systematically to the past form "had to" when placed in a past reporting context.