Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
Rita said, “For the last two months I have been trying to lose weight.”
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1, i.e., Rita said that for the last two months she had been trying to lose weight.
Narration Concept: When changing direct speech in the present perfect continuous tense (“have been trying”) into indirect speech, the tense shifts to past perfect continuous (“had been trying”).
Grammatical Explanation:
Direct speech: I have been trying → Indirect speech: she had been trying.
Pronoun I changes to she.
Time expression for the last two months remains the same.
Correction: had been trying
Final Sentence: Rita said that for the last two months she had been trying to lose weight.
Conclusion: The correct option is Rita said that for the last two months she had been trying to lose weight.