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 teacher said that the students were improving with each exam.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. "The students are improving with each exam," the teacher said.
Changes required:
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Conjunction: None (statement form).
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Pronoun change: None needed.
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Tense change: Since the reporting verb said is in past tense, normally the tense in reported speech shifts back. However, here the original reported clause were improving shows an action that was still continuing at the time of reporting. Hence, in direct speech, it remains are improving to reflect the teacher’s actual words.
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Other changes: Remove that and quotation marks are added for direct speech.
Converted sentence: "The students are improving with each exam," the teacher said.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.