Choose the option that is the most appropriate conversion of the following sentence into Direct Speech.
During the tour, the guide explains that the artefacts date back to the 12th century.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer: During the tour, the guide explains, "The artefacts date back to the 12th century."
Explanation:
• Reporting Verb Tense: The reporting verb in the sentence is in the simple present tense (explains). It must remain in the present tense in direct speech and should not be changed to the past tense (explained).
• Tense in Reported Speech: When the reporting verb is in the present or future tense, the tense of the verb inside the quotation marks does not change. Therefore, date back remains unchanged.
• A comma and quotation marks are added to enclose the exact spoken words, retaining the original present tense fact.