Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.

The mechanic said, 'I can fix your car by tomorrow'.

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

OSSC Excise SI (Mains) Official Paper (Held On: 17 Oct, 2024 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Option 2.

Key Points

Indirect Speech: The mechanic said that he could fix my car by the next day.
Key Conversions:
- "I can fix your car" becomes "he could fix my car"
  - Pronoun "I" is changed to "he" to match the subject of the reporting verb.
  - Modal verb "can" is changed to "could" to match the past tense.
  - Possessive pronoun "your" is changed to "my" to match the listener's perspective.
- "by tomorrow" becomes "by the next day"
  - Time expression "tomorrow" is changed to "the next day" to match the indirect speech format.
- Reporting verb:
  - Remains the same: "said".
Punctuation and Format:
- Indirect speech does not use quotation marks.
- Reported speech is introduced with "that" and follows the reporting verb.
- Pronouns and time expressions are adjusted to match the indirect speech format.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

Correct Sentence: The mechanic said that he could fix my car by the next day.

Additional Information

Option 1: The mechanic said that he could fix my car by tomorrow.
- Incorrect time expression: "tomorrow" should be changed to "the next day" in indirect speech.
Option 3: The mechanic said that I could fix your car by the next day.
- Incorrect pronouns: "I" and "your" should be "he" and "my" respectively.
Option 4: The mechanic said that I could fix your car by tomorrow.
- Incorrect pronouns: "I" and "your" should be "he" and "my" respectively.
- Incorrect time expression: "tomorrow" should be changed to "the next day" in indirect speech.