In the following question, a sentence has been given in Indirect Speech. Choose the correct Direct Speech form.
He said that the river flows through the valley.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer: He said, "The river flows through the valley."
Explanation:
• When reported speech expresses a universal truth, habitual action, or a permanent geographical fact, its tense does not change even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
• In the indirect sentence, "the river flows through the valley" describes a geographical reality, so the verb remains in the simple present tense (flows).
• Therefore, the direct speech form must also retain the simple present tense inside the quotation marks: "The river flows through the valley."
Quick Tip: Do not change the tense of statements expressing universal, scientific, or geographical truths during direct-to-indirect or indirect-to-direct conversions.