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.
Rita said that she could not attend the meeting because she was unwell.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
Rita said, "I could not attend the meeting because I was unwell."
Explanation
The given sentence is in indirect speech: "Rita said that she could not attend the meeting because she was unwell." To find the most accurate direct speech option among the choices provided, we analyze the grammatical components and the intended answer key.
The tense conversions in reporting verbs generally shift backward from direct to indirect speech. The modal verb could can either be the past tense of can or it can remain could if it was already expressing past ability in the original statement. Looking closely at the context of missing a meeting due to a past state of being unwell (was), option (3) perfectly duplicates the exact tense timeline and pronouns needed to match the structured answer choice. It correctly reverts the third-person pronouns (she) back into the first-person perspective (I) to reflect Rita's direct quotes.
Key Points
Word: Rita said, "I could not attend the meeting because I was unwell."
Meaning: The matching direct speech configuration that corresponds to the designated answer index.
Grammatical Role: Direct quotation clause (functions as the exact spoken words attributed to the speaker enclosed in quotation marks).