Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The principal said that he would hold a meeting the next day.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. “I will hold a meeting tomorrow,” said the principal.
The given sentence is in indirect speech:
'The principal said that he would hold a meeting the next day.'
To convert this into direct speech, follow these steps:
Step 1:
Reported verb 'said' → Keep it in past tense, so no change needed.
Step 2:
'He would hold' → This is the reported version of 'I will hold' in direct speech.
Step 3:
'The next day' → Becomes 'tomorrow' in direct speech.
Now let’s examine the options:
“A meeting will be held by me,” said the principal.
– Passive voice; doesn’t match the original meaning directly.
“I will be holding a meeting tomorrow,” the principal said.
– Slight tense mismatch (future continuous instead of simple future).
“I will hold a meeting tomorrow,” said the principal.
– Correct tense, voice, and time expression.
“Tomorrow, I will hold a meeting,” says the principal.
– “Says” is present tense, but the reporting verb in the original is past.