Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The Colonel said that it gave him great pleasure to be there that evening
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1, i.e., The Colonel said, “It gave him great pleasure to be there that evening.”
Changes required: No changes are required here because the given sentence is already in direct speech and matches the indirect form provided:
Indirect: The Colonel said that it gave him great pleasure to be there that evening.
Direct: The Colonel said, “It gave him great pleasure to be there that evening.”
Explanation:
The reporting verb “said” is in the past tense and not followed by an object, so no need to change it to “told.”
The sentence is a report of someone else’s experience, not the speaker’s own. That’s why “him”, “there”, and “that evening” are appropriate even in direct speech.
If the Colonel were talking about himself, it would be:
The Colonel said, “It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening.”
But here, he is referring to another person (him).
Hence, the chosen option will be correct.