Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
He asked me if anybody had been rude to me.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 i.e. He said to me, “ Has anybody been rude to you?”
The sentence "He said to me, 'Has anybody been rude to you?'" is the correct direct form of the given reported speech because:
Direct Speech Structure: Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken by someone. In this case, the direct speech is "Has anybody been rude to you?"
Reporting Verb: "He said to me" is used to introduce the direct quotation. In formal writing, it is often preferred to use "said" rather than "said to" for clarity and conciseness, so "He said" is more commonly used.
Question Formation: The original sentence "if anybody had been rude to me" is a reported question. In direct speech, this becomes a direct question. The tense "had been" is adjusted to "has been" to fit the direct speech format, and the direct question format "Has anybody been rude to you?" is used.
Quotation Marks: The direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks to indicate the exact words spoken.