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.
The supervisor asked whether the reports that were supposed to be finalized last week had been submitted to the review committee.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
“Did you submit the reports meant to be finalized last week to the review committee?” the supervisor asked. (Option 1)
Explanation
To accurately convert a sentence from indirect speech to direct speech, reverse the standard backshifting and pronoun rules:
Identify the Question Type: The indirect clause uses 'whether', which indicates that the original direct speech was a polar (Yes/No) question.
Analyze Tense Backshifting:
The indirect text uses the past perfect tense: '...had been submitted...'
When reversing this back into direct speech, a past perfect verb generally reverts to either the Simple Past Tense or the Present Perfect Tense.
Evaluate the Modifier Clause:
The indirect statement contains the passive descriptive phrase '...the reports that were supposed to be finalized last week...'
Option 1 preserves this complete thought accurately by using the adjectival phrase '...the reports meant to be finalized last week...' and frames the question using the active simple past tense: 'Did you submit...?'
Option 2 alters the original meaning by changing the description to 'the final reports from last week', which changes the syntax of what was originally a dependent relative clause.
Key Points
Formula Reversal: ...asked whether [Subject] had been submitted → “Did you submit [Subject]...?” or “Have you submitted...?”
Exam Shortcut: Look for options that preserve all structural details of the nouns. Option 1 is the only choice that maintains both the specific mention of the 'review committee' (Option 4 changes it to review team) and accurately represents the relative clause regarding how the reports were 'supposed to be/meant to be' finalized.