Which is the accurate indirect speech for: "He said, I must finis...
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."
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Which is the accurate indirect speech for: "He said, I must finis...
Understanding Indirect Speech
Indirect speech, also known as reported speech, is used to convey what someone has said without quoting them directly. When converting direct speech to indirect speech, certain changes in tense, pronouns, and time expressions are necessary.
Original Statement
- "He said, I must finish this report today."
Analysis of Options
1. He said that he had to finish the report that day.
- This is the correct transformation.
- "Must" changes to "had to" in indirect speech to reflect the past tense.
- "Today" changes to "that day" to indicate the time reference is now in the past.
2. He said that he must finish the report today.
- Incorrect because "must" should change to "had to" in indirect speech.
3. He said that he must finish the report that day.
- Incorrect for the same reason as option 2; it fails to reflect the past tense properly.
4. He said that he had to finish the report today.
- Incorrect as it retains "today," which should be changed to "that day."
Conclusion
The correct answer is option A: "He said that he had to finish the report that day." This option accurately reflects the changes needed in tense and time expression for indirect speech, making it the most precise transformation of the original statement.