Class 8 Exam  >  Class 8 Questions  >  Change the direct speech into reported speech... Start Learning for Free
Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.
Q. Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."
Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.
  • a)
    was sleeping
  • b)
    has been sleeping
  • c)
    had been sleeping
  • d)
    were sleeping
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct opt...
Understanding Reported Speech
When converting direct speech into reported speech, certain grammatical changes are necessary. In this case, Radhika's sentence needs to be transformed appropriately while maintaining the original meaning.
Original Direct Speech
Radhika said, "I was sleeping when Swati called."
Key Changes in Reported Speech
1. Shift in Tense:
- The verb tense typically shifts back in reported speech. The past continuous ("was sleeping") becomes "had been sleeping" in many cases. However, if the action is still relevant or if the context remains immediate, the original tense can often be retained.
2. Pronoun Changes:
- The first-person pronoun "I" changes to "she" when reported.
Correct Option Explained
- The correct answer is option 'a': "was sleeping."
Why Option 'a' is Correct
- In this context, "was sleeping" indicates an ongoing action at the time when Swati called. Since the call is a specific past event and Radhika's sleeping is also in the past, the past continuous tense can be maintained here without shifting to the past perfect ("had been sleeping").
- The use of "was sleeping" effectively conveys that Radhika was in the middle of an action when the call occurred, which aligns with the original statement she made.
Summary
In this case, retaining the past continuous tense "was sleeping" is appropriate because it reflects the timing of both actions (sleeping and calling) accurately. Thus, Radhika said that she was sleeping when Swati called.
Free Test
Community Answer
Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct opt...

To change the direct speech into reported speech, we need to make a few changes in the sentence.
Given direct speech: "I was sleeping when Swati called."
Reported speech: Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.
To choose the correct option, let's analyze the options one by one:
A: was sleeping - This is the correct option as it accurately represents the past continuous tense used in the direct speech. The verb "was sleeping" remains the same in reported speech as well.
B: has been sleeping - This option represents the present perfect continuous tense, which is not suitable in this context.
C: had been sleeping - This option represents the past perfect continuous tense, which is not appropriate in this case as it implies that the sleeping occurred before another past event.
D: were sleeping - This option uses the wrong subject-verb agreement. "Were" is the plural form of the verb "to be," but the subject in the reported speech is "she," which requires the singular form "was."
Therefore, the correct answer is option A: was sleeping.
Attention Class 8 Students!
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed Class 8 study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in Class 8.
Explore Courses for Class 8 exam

Similar Class 8 Doubts

Nobody knows why we sleep, but we all need to. There are no rules about how much sleep is necessary but on an average an adult sleeps for 7 hours 20 minutes. About 8% of adults are happy with 5 hours or less and 4% want 10 hours or more. Babies need between 14 to 18 hours whereas the elderly need less than they did when young but often take a nap during the day.If you miss a couple of hours of sleep, no harm is done. You may feel tired and irritable the next day but the body soon makes up for the loss if you try to stay awake night after night, however, you soon begin to behave strangely. You lose the ability to concentrate and your judgment is impaired. You begin to imagine strange things and your behaviour becomes deranged.There are a number of causes for sleeplessness. Worry and depression are the most common. All kinds of things in the environment can affect sleep—noise, light, cold, new surroundings, etc. Pain in illness can also keep people awake. Many people become addicted to their sleeping pills but sleeping pills do not deal with the causes of insomnia and it is better to avoid them if you can. It is much better to identify the problem and remove it.On the basis of your reading of the passage, choose the correct option:Q. Mark the following statement as True or False.1. On an average an adult sleeps for 7 hours and 20 minutes.2 . If not slept properly even for a day one is unable to concentrate and starts behaving peculiarly.3. If one stays awake night after night, he soon begins to imagine strange things.4. Worry and depression are not the causes of sleeplessness rather they are results of sleeplessness.

Top Courses for Class 8

Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for Class 8 2024 is part of Class 8 preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Class 8 exam syllabus. Information about Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for Class 8 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for Class 8. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for Class 8 Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Change the direct speech into reported speech choosing the correct option.Q.Radh ika said , "I was sleepin g wh en Swati called."Radhika said that she _______ when Swati called.a)was sleepingb)has been sleepingc)had been sleepingd)were sleepingCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice Class 8 tests.
Explore Courses for Class 8 exam

Top Courses for Class 8

Explore Courses
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev