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 manager said, "When will the report be ready?"
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
The manager asked when the report would be ready.
Explanation
To convert an interrogative direct speech sentence starting with a "wh-" word into indirect speech, the reporting verb "said" changes to "asked." The question word ("when") serves as the connector, the word order changes from interrogative to assertive (subject preceding the verb), and the modal verb "will" shifts into its past form "would" to maintain proper tense alignment.
Key Points
Core Definition Indirect speech reports a speaker's questions by converting them into declarative statements while shifting back the tenses and modal verbs.
Grammatical Role Indirect transformation of a "wh-" interrogative clause requires using "asked" and converting the structural frame from "will be" to "would be."