Select the option that expresses the given sentence in Direct Speech.
I told him that I was busy.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Transformation from indirect to direct speech:
To convert the indirect speech sentence "I told him that I was busy" back into direct speech, the following rules apply:
Removal of Conjunction: The word "that" is removed, and a comma followed by quotation marks is added.
Pronoun Change: In the indirect sentence, the pronoun "I" refers to the speaker. Therefore, it remains "I" in the direct speech.
Tense Reversion: The past tense "was" in indirect speech changes back to the present tense "am" in direct speech, as the speaker is reporting their state at the moment they spoke.
Reporting Verb: The reporting verb "told him" is maintained to indicate who was being addressed.
Direct speech: I told him, "I am busy."