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.
Rohit said, 'I had completed the project.'
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. Rohit said that he had completed the project.
Direct Speech: Rohit said, 'I had completed the project.'
Rules for Conversion to Indirect Speech:
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Reporting Verb: The reporting verb 'said' remains 'said' since there is no object (e.g., 'said to me').
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Conjunction: The comma and inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction 'that'.
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Pronoun Change: The first-person pronoun 'I' changes according to the subject of the reporting verb (Rohit). Therefore, 'I' becomes 'he'.
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Tense Change: This is a specific case involving the Past Perfect Tense.
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In English grammar, if the reported speech is already in the Past Perfect (had + V3), it remains unchanged in indirect speech because there is no 'further back' tense to move into.
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Direct: 'had completed' (Past Perfect)
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Indirect: 'had completed' (Past Perfect)
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Hence, the chosen option is correct.