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 envoy reported that the negotiations were languishing because neither party would concede procedural precedence.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Given Indirect Speech:
“The envoy reported that the negotiations were languishing because neither party would concede procedural precedence.”
Step 1: Identify tense changes
Indirect Speech Tense:
were languishing (Past Continuous)
would concede (Past modal)
Step 2: Convert to Direct Speech
Rule of Reported Speech:
When converting from indirect to direct speech,
Past Continuous → Present Continuous
would → will
Therefore:
were languishing → are languishing
would concede → will concede
Correct Direct Speech:
“The negotiations are languishing because neither party will concede procedural precedence.”
Option Analysis:
Option 1 — retains past tense (“languish”, “would concede”) – incorrect.
Option 2 — incorrect structure (“will be conceding”).
Option 3 — correct tense restoration and structure.
Option 4 — grammatically incomplete.
Hence, the correct answer is:
The envoy said, "The negotiations are languishing because neither party will concede procedural precedence."