Question : Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
The librarian said to her, "Can you return the books?"
Option 1: The librarian asked her if she could return the books.
Option 2: The librarian greeted her if she could return the books.
Option 3: The librarian asked her that if she could return the books.
Option 4: The librarian asked her that could she return her books.
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Correct Answer: The librarian asked her if she could return the books.
Solution : The correct choice is the first option .
In the conversion to indirect speech, we follow the steps as follows:
- In indirect speech, the reporting verb "said" is changed to "asked" because it's a question.
- The pronoun "you" is changed to "she" because the librarian is the one asking.
- The modal verb "can" changes to "could" to maintain the correct sequence of tenses. We need to transform the question into an indirect question format by using "if" or "whether".
- "If" is used to connect subordinate clauses in the case of yes or no questions.
Therefore, the correct answer is: The librarian asked her if she could return the books.
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