A sentence is provided in indirect speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding direct speech.
She asked whether, in view of the delays caused by external vendors, the timeline for delivery could be reconsidered.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
“Could the delivery timeline be reconsidered because of the delays by external vendors?” she asked.
Explanation
When converting from indirect to direct speech, we look to reverse the tense backshifts and maintain the structural integrity of the original statement.
The reporting conjunction "whether" tells us that the direct speech must be a Yes/No question.
The modal verb "could" in the indirect speech statement ("could be reconsidered") maps directly back to the question form starting with "Could..." in the direct speech statement.
Option 1 retains the exact passive action voice ("be reconsidered") and preserves all key vocabulary roots ("delivery timeline", "delays by external vendors") without arbitrarily switching them out for synonyms like "review" or "extended".
Key Points
Indirect Speech: She asked whether... the timeline... could be reconsidered.
Direct Speech: “Could the delivery timeline be reconsidered...?” she asked.
Rule: A conditional/interrogative "whether" structure in indirect reporting is opened up into a direct modal question format in quotation marks.