Select the most appropriate option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
She said, “I cannot call you at this time.”
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. She said that she could not call me at that time.
Changes required:
Conjunction: The inverted commas (“__”) are removed and the conjunction “that” is used.
Tense: The reporting verb “said” is in the past tense, so “cannot” changes to “could not”.
Pronoun: First person pronoun “I” changes to “she”, and “you” changes to “me” according to the speaker and listener.
Time word: “This time” changes to “that time” in indirect speech.
Converted sentence: She said that she could not call me at that time.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.