Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
The reporter reported, “The US President is arriving to India this week.”
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. The reporter reported that the US President was arriving to India that week.
Tense Back‑shift Rule
Since the reporting verb “reported” is in the past tense, the present continuous “is arriving” must be shifted to past continuous, i.e. “was arriving” .
Time Expression Change
The original phrase “this week” is changed in reported speech to “that week” to reflect the shift in perspective in time.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
Option 1: “is arriving … next week” – Incorrect because the reporter uses past tense ('reported'), so “is arriving” should change, and “next week” is wrong: it should be “that week,” not 'next week.'
Option 3: Uses “reports” (present reporting verb) – incorrect, because we know the original reporting verb is past “reported.” Also “is arriving … that week” violates backshift rules.
Option 4: “was arriving … this week” – Here “this week” is wrong; it should be changed to “that week” in indirect speech.