Select the most appropriate direct form of the given sentence.
I asked him where he had lost the pen I had brought for him the previous day.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. I said to him, “Where have you lost the pen I brought for you yesterday?”.
Identify the reporting verb and the subject, which in this case are "I asked him."
In direct speech, this becomes "I said to him" to introduce the spoken words.
Consider the question component "where he had lost the pen."
In direct speech, this needs to be changed to a present perfect question, "Where have you lost the pen," reflecting that the speaker is asking directly about the recent loss of the pen.
Change the pronoun "he" to "you" to directly address the person being spoken to.
The verb tense also needs adjustment from "had lost" (past perfect) to "have lost" (present perfect) to suit the direct question format.
Modify the time expression from "the previous day" to "yesterday," which is a more natural and immediate reference in direct speech.
Combining these elements, the direct speech form of the sentence is "I said to him, 'Where have you lost the pen I brought for you yesterday?'" This construction maintains the original meaning while adhering to the grammatical rules of direct speech.