Question

Convert in indirect speech:
Tom said to me, “Can you tell me the time?”
A) Tom said to me can you tell me the time.
B) Tom asked me can you tell me the time.
C) Tom asked if he can tell him the time.
D) Tom asked if I could tell him the time.

Answer 1

Hint: Indirect speech is a means of expressing the content of statements, questions or other utterances, without quoting them explicitly as is done in direct speech. It reports something that was said, but does not use the actual words that the speaker uttered.

Complete answer:
The two ways of relating what a person has said are 1)direct and 2)indirect (reported). In the direct speech, the exact words of the original speaker are repeated. In indirect speech (reported speech), the exact meaning of what the speaker told is expressed but not necessarily in the speaker’s exact words. The same meaning is conveyed in speakers' words.

Option D is correct as the given sentence is in the simple present tense and the appropriate introductory verb 'asked ' is used. Options A,B, and C are wrong as 'can', 'me' and 'he' cannot be used respectively as the conversion is not correct in these sentences when direct speech is converted to indirect speech. The correct answer is D Tom asked if I could tell him the time.

There are few exceptions where the direct speech remains the same when it is converted to indirect speech-
Universal/ scientific truth
Eg- water boils at 100 degree Celsius.
She said water boils at 100 degree Celsius.

Historical facts
Eg- the teacher said,”Kalidas is Shakespeare of India.
The teacher said that Kalidas is Shakespeare of India.

Proverbs
Eg- he said,” where there is a will there's a way.”
He said that where there is a will there's a way.

Habitual facts-
Eg- she said,” I snooze my alarm every day.
She said that I snooze my alarm every day.

Note: Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word. When reporting speech the tense usually changes.