Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
Jatin said, “I was at home yesterday.”
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. Jatin said that he had been at home the day before.
The given sentence is in direct speech:
'Jatin said, 'I was at home yesterday.''
When converting it to indirect speech, follow these rules:
The reporting verb 'said' is in the past tense, so the tense in the reported speech must shift:
'was' (past tense) changes to 'had been' (past perfect).
'Yesterday' changes to 'the day before' in indirect speech.
Let’s check the options:
Jatin said he was at home. – No mention of 'yesterday'/'the day before' and tense shift is missing.
Jatin said that he had been at home the day before. – Correct tense and correct time expression.
Jatin said that he was at home yesterday. – Tense and time expression haven’t changed; incorrect.
Jatin said he was at home the day before. – Tense is incorrect ('was' should be 'had been').