Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect voice.
The professor said, 'The students who had been absent yesterday will have to submit their assignments by tomorrow, or they will be penalized.'
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
have to submit their assignments by the next day, or they would be penalized.)
The original sentence in direct speech is in the past perfect continuous tense ('had been absent') and future tense ('will have to', 'will be penalized'). When converting to indirect speech, several changes are necessary:
The reporting verb 'said' indicates the past tense, so subsequent clauses must also shift to the past.
'will have to submit' changes to 'would have to submit'.
'will be penalized' changes to 'would be penalized'.
Time references shift: 'yesterday' becomes 'the day before' and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day'.
Option ‘A’ correctly has all these changes.