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 analyst said that were the policies amended earlier, the crisis could have been avoided.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. 'Had the policies been amended earlier, the crisis could have been avoided,' said the analyst.
Changes required:
Structure: The given indirect sentence uses an inverted conditional form (“were the policies amended earlier”), which in direct speech changes to “Had + subject + been + verb” structure.
Conjunction: “that” is removed and inverted commas (“__”) are added.
Verb: The modal “could have been avoided” remains the same as it expresses a past possibility.
Pronoun: No change required as there is no pronoun shift.
Others: Proper direct speech format is followed with reporting clause at the end.
Converted sentence: 'Had the policies been amended earlier, the crisis could have been avoided,' said the analyst.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.