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.
He said, "What are you doing?"
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4 i.e. He asked what I was doing.
Changes required:
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Reporting Verb: Since the direct speech is a question, the reporting verb "said" is changed to "asked."
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Conjunction: In Wh-questions (starting with what, where, when, why, etc.), no external conjunction like "that" or "if/whether" is used. The "Wh-" word itself acts as the linker.
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Sentence Structure: The interrogative form (verb + subject) in direct speech ("are you") changes to the assertive form (subject + verb) in indirect speech ("I was").
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Pronoun: The second-person pronoun "you" changes according to the object of the reporting verb. Since the object is not specified, it is commonly assumed to be "me," thus changing "you" to "I."
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Tense: The Present Continuous ("are doing") changes to the Past Continuous ("was doing") because the reporting verb is in the past tense.
Converted sentence: He asked what I was doing.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.