Question : Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The officer asked the accountant why the accounts had not been reconciled.
Option 1: The officer said to the accountant, "Why have the accounts not being reconciled?"
Option 2: The officer said to the accountant, "Why the accounts had not been reconciled?"
Option 3: The officer said to the accountant, "Why the accounts have not been reconciled?"
Option 4: The officer said to the accountant, "Why have the accounts not been reconciled?"
New: SSC Stenographer Application Form 2024 Released
Don't Miss: Month-wise current affairs
Suggested: Upcoming government exams
Correct Answer: The officer said to the accountant, "Why have the accounts not been reconciled?"
Solution : The correct choice is the fourth option.
In the direct speech, the exact words spoken by a person are enclosed in quotation marks and attributed to the speaker. The reported question from the indirect speech is directly presented within quotation marks in the direct speech version.
The steps of conversion are as follows:
- The reporting verb "asked" would be changed to "said".
- Rewrite the reported clause as a direct question: "Why have the accounts not been reconciled?"
- Since the reported speech is already in past perfect tense and there are no pronoun changes needed, no adjustments are required.
- Add quotation marks around the reported speech.
Therefore, the correct answer would be: The officer said to the accountant, "Why have the accounts not been reconciled? "
Related Questions
Know More about
Staff Selection Commission Stenographer ...
Application | Eligibility | Dates | FAQs
Get Updates Brochure
Your Staff Selection Commission Stenographer Grade C & D Exam brochure has been successfully mailed to your registered email id “”.
