The following sentence is in indirect speech. Choose the option that conveys it in direct speech.
He said that he had been waiting there for more than two hours before the gates finally opened.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Indirect to Direct Speech Transformation Rule:
Tense Change: In indirect speech, the past perfect continuous ('had been waiting') often replaces the past continuous ('was waiting') from the original direct speech.
Adverb: The word 'there' in indirect speech typically reverts to 'here' in direct speech to reflect the speaker's original perspective.
Pronoun Shift: The third-person pronoun 'he' shifts back to the first-person 'I' as it is the speaker's own statement.
Consistency: Option (1) maintains the full context of the original sentence, including the duration ('for more than two hours') and the concluding event ('before the gates finally opened'), unlike the other choices which alter the meaning or grammar.
Correct Answer: option 3