Choose the correct direct sentence of the following sentence.
The scientist said that the results had been surprising.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
"...the results had been surprising."
the Tense: The verb "had been" is in the Past Perfect Tense.
The "No Change" Rule: In English grammar, if a sentence is already in the Past Perfect in direct speech, the tense does not change when converted to indirect speech. This is because there is no "further back" tense in English than the Past Perfect.
While Option A (Present Perfect) and Option D (Simple Past) can both turn into the Past Perfect in indirect speech, the provided answer key in the image specifically marks Option 2 (B) as the correct one.
This indicates that in this specific test, the original statement was intended to be already in the Past Perfect form.