Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect voice. The student said, 'I have been practicing for the competition for months, but I am still nervous, as the other competitors are very skilled.'
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
- was still nervous, as the other competitors were very skilled.
- When converting a sentence from direct to indirect voice, if the reporting verb ('said' in this case) is in the past tense, the tense of the verbs within the reported clause typically shifts backward in time.
- 'I have been practicing' (present perfect continuous) becomes 'he had been practicing' (past perfect continuous).
- 'I am still nervous' (present simple) becomes 'he was still nervous' (past simple).
- 'competitors are very skilled' (present simple) becomes 'competitors were very skilled' (past simple).
- Option B correctly applies these tense changes throughout the entire sentence.