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 director noted that the figures had been inflated.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. The director said, "These figures have been inflated."
Changes required:
Conjunction: The conjunction “that” is removed and inverted commas are used in direct speech.
Verb: “Noted” changes to “said” in direct speech.
Tense: As the reporting verb is in the past tense, past perfect tense “had been inflated” changes to present perfect tense “have been inflated.”
Pronoun: “The figures” changes to “These figures” according to the context of direct speech.
Converted sentence: The director said, “These figures have been inflated.”
Hence, the chosen option is correct.