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.
She said to me, 'Have you completed the assignment?'.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. She asked me whether I had completed the assignment.
Explanation:
The given sentence is an interrogative sentence in direct speech.
Direct Speech:
“She said to me, ‘Have you completed the assignment?’”
Rules used:
“said to” changes to “asked” in interrogative sentences.
The helping verb “have” changes to “had” because the reporting verb is in the past tense.
The question form changes into statement form in indirect speech.
“you” changes according to the listener, i.e., “I.”
Therefore:
“She asked me whether I had completed the assignment.”
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
“She asked me if I completed the assignment.” is incorrect because the tense should backshift to past perfect.
“She asked me whether I have completed the assignment.” is incorrect because “have completed” does not follow sequence of tenses.
“She said me had I completed the assignment.” is grammatically incorrect in structure.
Final Answer:
“She asked me whether I had completed the assignment.”