Choose the option that is the direct form of the sentence.
He asked the front office executive if Mr Mahajan was in the office at that time.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. "He asked the front office executive, 'Is Mr Mahajan in the office now?'"
Changes required:
Conjunction: Removed “if” from indirect speech to form a direct yes-no question.
Verb: “Was” (past tense) is changed to “is” (present tense) to match the original direct question.
Tense: Indirect (past) → Direct (present).
Pronoun: “Mr Mahajan” remains unchanged.
Others: Sentence punctuation must reflect the interrogative nature of direct speech.
Converted sentence:
He asked the front office executive, "Is Mr Mahajan in the office now?"
Hence, the chosen option will be correct.