Select the option that expresses the given in indirect speech .
The customer asked the tailor, “Will you have the dress ready by Tuesday?”
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3, i.e. “The customer asked the tailor if he would have the dress ready by Tuesday.”
- The original question is a yes/no style query:
“Will you have the dress ready by Tuesday?”
- In indirect speech:
- Use a reporting verb and change “said” to “asked” to reflect a question format.
- Introduce the question with “if” because it's a yes/no question.
- Shift the tense: “will” becomes “would”, since the reporting is in the past.
Thus: will → would and you → he to adjust for pronouns.
- Confirmed as correct structure in reputable references:
“The designer asked her if she would have the dress ready…”