Question

Convert the sentence into DIRECT SPEECH: He said he had been working.

• A. He said, “I have been working”
• B. He said, “he has been working”
• C. He said, “he had been working”
• D. He said, “I have worked”

Hint:

When converting indirect to direct speech, change past perfect back to present perfect if the original speech is implied in present context.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: Past perfect in indirect speech often converts back to present perfect continuous in direct speech. Explanation: The phrase “he had been working” becomes “I have been working” when converted to direct speech. The pronoun changes from third person (“he”) to first person (“I”), and the tense returns to its original form. Thus, option (A) is correct.