Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The Minister explained that he was working for the benefit of the country.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. The Minister explained, “I am working for the benefit of the country.”
The indirect speech says, 'he was working,' which is past continuous tense.
When changing back to direct speech, the tense usually moves forward, so past continuous ('was working') changes to present continuous ('am working') if the action is still ongoing.
The Minister speaks in the first person 'I,' so the sentence must reflect that.
Option 4 correctly uses first person and present continuous tense: 'I am working.'
Option 1 incorrectly uses past continuous 'I was working,' which does not match the usual tense change back to direct speech.
Option 2 changes the meaning to future tense, which is incorrect.
Option 3 wrongly uses third person 'he' in direct speech, which should be first person.