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 CEO admitted that the company’s projections had been overly optimistic.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4, i.e. The CEO said, 'The company's projections had been overly optimistic.'
In indirect speech, “had been overly optimistic” is the past perfect tense, which in direct speech remains the same when the statement is already in past perfect (no further backshift needed). Also, “company’s projections” remains unchanged in meaning. The reporting verb “admitted” can come before or after the quote.
Option Analysis:
A – changes tense to simple past “were,” which is incorrect because the original is past perfect
B – changes tense to present “are,” which is incorrect
C – incorrect phrasing and unnecessary alteration of structure
D – correct because it preserves the past perfect tense and meaning accurately