Question

Change the direct narration into indirect narration-
Amita said, “I can’t possibly finish my work by five o’clock.
A. Amita said that she can’t possibly finish her work by five o’clock.
B. Amita said that she won’t possibly finish her work by five o’clock.
C. Amita said that she couldn’t possibly finish her work by five o’clock.
D. Amita said that she hadn’t been able to possibly finish her work by five o’clock.

Answer 1

Hint: There are few rules that need to be kept in the mind while changing the direct narration into indirect narration-
1)The quotations marks are replaced with ‘that’.
2)We change the tenses of the verbs. (Usually in the past tense)
3)Make sure to use the appropriate pronouns.

Complete step-by-step answer:

 Direct speech refers to the original words of a speaker in quotation marks, whereas Indirect speech refers to the words spoken by the speaker in the past, therefore there is a change in the tense of the verbs.
Example- Direct speech: She said,” I will go to the market.”
 Indirect speech: She said that she would go to the market.
We can see few changes in the given example; The quotation marks have been replaced with ‘that’, use of the pronoun ‘she’, and change in the tense of the verb ‘will’.
Let’s find the correct answer to the above-given question:
a) Amrita said that she can’t possibly finish her work by five o’clock- There is no change in the tense of the verb. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
b) Amita said that she won’t possibly finish her work by five o’clock- It features an inappropriate use of the word ‘won’t. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
c) Amita said that she couldn’t possibly finish her work by five o’clock- The tense of the verb can’t change into couldn’t (Simple Past tense). Hence, it is the correct option.
d) Amita said that she hadn’t been able to possibly finish her work by five o’clock- This sentence features the inappropriate use of the Past perfect tense. Hence, it is an incorrect option.


Note: We do not change the tense of the verb if the reporting verb is in the present or future tense. i.e. Says will say.