Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct voice.
The historian concluded that the ancient civilization had developed advanced irrigation techniques long before its demise.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The original sentence in indirect speech is "The historian concluded that the ancient civilization had developed advanced irrigation techniques long before its demise."
When converting from indirect to direct speech, the tense inside the reported clause typically shifts back one step in time. The original sentence uses the past perfect tense ("had developed"). The corresponding tense in direct speech is the simple past tense ("developed"). The phrase "long before its demise" indicates a clear sequence of events, which makes the simple past tense appropriate in the direct speech version.
Option B correctly uses the above changes.