Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
The policeman said, “We are stopping the defaulters of the lock down.”
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. The policeman said that they were stopping the defaulters of the lock down..
Narration Concept: Indirect Speech (Reporting Verb in Past + Present Continuous → Past Continuous)
Grammatical Explanation: When converting direct speech to indirect speech, a past reporting verb like said requires the verb tense to shift back. The present continuous tense are stopping becomes were stopping. The pronoun we is also changed to they to maintain correct reference.
Correction:
Direct: The policeman said, “We are stopping the defaulters of the lock down.”
Indirect: The policeman said that they were stopping the defaulters of the lock down.
Final Sentence: The policeman said that they were stopping the defaulters of the lock down.
Conclusion: Correct answer – The policeman said that they were stopping the defaulters of the lock down.