Choose the correct direct speech form of the following sentence.
The reporter reported that five people had been drowned in a boat accident.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Conversion from indirect speech to direct speech:
Tense Backshift: In reported speech, the past perfect ("had been drowned") typically stems from the simple past ("were drowned") or the present perfect in direct speech.
Verb Consistency: The phrase "were drowned" in the direct speech correctly shifts to "had been drowned" to indicate the action happened prior to the reporting.
Accuracy of Facts: Unlike other options, this choice maintains the correct noun ("boat accident" vs. "road accident") and the correct state of the subjects ("were drowned" vs. "are drowned" or "were drowning").
Direct speech: The reporter said, "Five people were drowned in a boat accident."