Question

The correct narrated form of the given sentence is :
He said, "I like sweets".

• A. He said I like sweets.
• B. He says that he likes sweets.
• C. He said that he liked sweets.
• D. He said that he used to like sweets.

Hint:

Direct Speech: He said, "I like sweets." 1. {Reporting verb} "said" is past tense. 2. {Conjunction:} Add "that". 3. {Pronoun change:} "I" (referring to "He") becomes "he". 4. {Tense change (backshift):} "like" (Simple Present) becomes "liked" (Simple Past) because the reporting verb is in the past. Indirect Speech: He said that he liked sweets.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: This question asks for the conversion of a direct speech sentence into indirect speech (also known as reported speech or narrated form). Rules for converting direct speech to indirect speech: 1. Remove quotation marks. 2. Change the reporting verb if necessary (e.g., "said to" might become "told"). "Said" often remains "said." 3. Use a conjunction like "that" (though it can sometimes be omitted). 4. Change pronouns (e.g., "I" might become "he/she"). 5. Change the tense of the verb in the reported clause (backshift of tenses), especially if the reporting verb is in the past tense (like "said").
Simple Present \(\rightarrow\) Simple Past
Present Continuous \(\rightarrow\) Past Continuous
Simple Past \(\rightarrow\) Past Perfect
Present Perfect \(\rightarrow\) Past Perfect Exception: If the reported statement is a universal truth, a habitual action still true, or if the reporting verb is in the present/future tense, the tense of the reported verb may not change. Step 1: Analyze the direct speech sentence Direct Speech: He said, "I like sweets."
Reporting verb: "said" (Past Tense).
Reported speech: "I like sweets."
Pronoun: "I" (refers to "He").
Verb: "like" (Simple Present Tense). Step 2: Apply the conversion rules (A) Reporting verb "said" remains "said". (B) Introduce conjunction "that". (C) Change pronoun "I" to "he" (since "I" refers to "He"). (D) Change the tense of "like" (Simple Present) to Simple Past because the reporting verb "said" is in the past. The simple past of "like" is "liked". So, the indirect speech becomes: "He said that he liked sweets." Step 3: Evaluate the options
(1) He said I like sweets. Incorrect. Pronoun and tense are not changed, and "that" is missing (though optional, its absence here with no other changes makes it look like a direct quote without punctuation).
(2) He says that he likes sweets. Incorrect. The reporting verb "said" (past) is changed to "says" (present), which changes the original sentence's reporting time. If the reporting verb were "says," then "likes" would be correct.
(3) He said that he liked sweets. Correct. Pronoun "I" changes to "he", and verb "like" (simple present) changes to "liked" (simple past) because the reporting verb "said" is in the past.
(4) He said that he used to like sweets. "Used to like" implies a past habit that is no longer true. The original sentence "I like sweets" (simple present) suggests a current liking or general preference. While a backshift to simple past ("liked") is standard, "used to like" changes the nuance significantly and is not a direct conversion unless context implies the liking has ceased. Option (3) is the most standard and direct conversion.