Question : Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.
The little boy said, "My cat can climb the tree."
Option 1: The little boy said that his cat climbed the tree.
Option 2: The little boy said that his cat had climbed the tree.
Option 3: The little boy said that his cat could climb the tree.
Option 4: The little boy said that his cat can climb the tree.
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Correct Answer: The little boy said that his cat could climb the tree.
Solution : The correct choice is the third option .
Indirect speech involves converting direct speech (spoken words) into indirect speech (reported words).
Narration Conversion:
- The reporting verb "said" remains unchanged.
- The possessive pronoun "my" changes to "his" to reflect the shift from the little boy's perspective to the third person.
- The verb "can" changes to its past tense form "could" to maintain the proper sequence of tenses in indirect speech.
- The connector "that" is used to introduce the reported clause.
Therefore, the correct sentence is: " The little boy said that his cat could climb the tree."
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