Choose the correct indirect speech form of the following sentence.
He said, "Have you brought your original marksheets here with you?"
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
He asked me if I had taken my original marksheets there with me.
Explanation
Reporting Verb and Conjunction: Since the direct speech is a closed, yes/no question, the reporting verb said changes to asked, and the conjunction if (or whether) is introduced to connect the clauses.
Tense Shift: The direct speech is in the present perfect tense (Have you brought). When converted to indirect speech with a past-tense reporting verb, it shifts backward into the past perfect tense (had taken / had brought).
Pronoun and Adverb Modification: The second-person pronouns you and your change to the first-person I and my to align with the implied listener (me). Additionally, the adverb of place here must be updated to there to reflect the shift in perspective.
Key Points
Word: He asked me if I had taken my original marksheets there with me.
Meaning: The grammatically precise indirect transformation that accurately applies tense backshifting and situational pronoun/adverb rules.
Grammatical Role: Indirect interrogative clause (functions as a reported statement embedded within a declarative sentence structure).