Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
She said that she had already eaten her dinner.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. She said, “I have already eaten my dinner.”
Narration Concept: Changing from indirect to direct speech involves identifying the original verb tense and converting it accurately.
Grammatical Explanation:
– Indirect: She said that she had already eaten her dinner.
– To change this to direct speech, we reverse the backshift.
– "Had already eaten" in indirect speech usually comes from "have already eaten" in direct speech.
– The pronoun "she" becomes "I" in direct speech.
Incorrect Options:
"I had already ate" – grammatically incorrect (wrong verb form)
"I had my dinner" – changes meaning
"I am already eating" – changes tense and meaning
Final Sentence: She said, “I have already eaten my dinner.”
Conclusion: The correct direct speech form is She said, “I have already eaten my dinner.”