What would be the correct indirect speech form of: "She said, 'I have ...
The present perfect continuous tense changes to its corresponding past perfect continuous form in indirect speech. Thus, the correct transformation is "She said that she had been waiting for hours."
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What would be the correct indirect speech form of: "She said, 'I have ...
Understanding Indirect Speech
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. When converting direct speech to indirect speech, certain changes in tense and pronouns are necessary.
Analyzing the Given Sentence
The original sentence is:
"She said, 'I have been waiting for hours.'"
Here, the speaker (she) mentions that she has been waiting, indicating an action that started in the past and continues to the present.
Reasons for Choosing Option B
The correct indirect speech form is:
"She said that she had been waiting for hours."
Here's why this option is correct:
- Tense Change:
- The present perfect continuous tense "have been waiting" changes to the past perfect continuous tense "had been waiting." This is necessary because the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense.
- Time Reference:
- The phrase "for hours" remains unchanged as it still accurately reflects the duration of the waiting period.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect
- Option A: "She said that she was waiting for hours."
- This option uses the past continuous tense, which does not accurately convey the ongoing nature of the waiting period starting in the past and continuing up to now.
- Option C: "She said that she has been waiting for hours."
- This maintains the present perfect tense, which contradicts the past reporting verb "said."
- Option D: "She said that she have been waiting for hours."
- This option is grammatically incorrect due to the use of "have" instead of "has" for the third-person singular subject.
Conclusion
Thus, option B, "She said that she had been waiting for hours," is the correct transformation into indirect speech, accurately reflecting the original meaning while adhering to grammatical rules.