MCQ: Direct and Indirect Speech - 2 - SSC CGL MCQ

The correct transformation into indirect speech is: b) He said that he could solve this problem.

In indirect speech, the verb typically shifts from the present tense to the past tense, and "this" often changes to "that."

The present continuous tense changes to its past continuous form in indirect speech. Thus, the correct transformation is "He said that he was meeting her next day."

In indirect speech, the modal "must" changes to "had to." Thus, the correct transformation is "He said that he had to finish the report that day."

1. She said that she could swim across the river.

In indirect speech, the present tense "can" changes to "could" to reflect the past tense of the reporting verb "said." The word "that" is commonly used to introduce the reported speech, though it can sometimes be omitted.

2. She said that she could swim across that river.

The word "that" should not be used in this context as it changes the meaning. The phrase "across that river" is less natural and specific compared to "across the river."

3. She said that she can swim across that river.

This option incorrectly retains the present tense "can" instead of changing it to "could" to reflect the past tense of the reporting verb "said."

4. She said that she can swim across the river.

This option incorrectly retains the present tense "can" instead of changing it to "could," and it does not use "that," which is often used in indirect speech to clarify the reported statement.

The correct indirect speech form should reflect the change in tense and preserve the clarity of the original statement. Thus, option 1 is the accurate choice.