Question Detail

Sweety said to me, "I had been writing an essay for 3 hours."

Sweety told me that she has been writing an essay for 3 hours.
Sweety told me that she had been writing an essay for 3 hours.
Sweety told me that she was writing an essay for 3 hours.
Sweety told me that she had written an essay for 3 hours.

Answer: Option B

1. He said, "Honesty is the best policy."

He said that Honesty is the best policy.
He said that Honesty was the best policy.
He said that Honesty would be the best policy.
He said that Honesty will be the best policy.

Answer: Option A

Explanation:

If Reporting verb is in Past Tense and Reported Speech is a universal truth, then we do not change it in indirect speech.

2. I said to my brother, "What are you playing today ?"

I asked my brother what he will be playing that day.
I asked my brother what he was playing that day.
I asked my brother if he was playing that day.
I asked my brother what he would be playing that day.

Answer: Option B

Explanation:

When there is wh-questions inside invertved commas then we do not use if or whether in indirect speech.

Note: wh-questions means, questions starting with, "who", "what","why", "whom" etc.

3. She said to me, "I could reach there easily".

She told me that she could reach there easily.
She told me that she could have reach there easily.
She told me that she had reach there easily.
She told me that she had been reach there easily.

Answer: Option A

Explanation:

When Reporting verb in past Tense and reported speech is having "could", "would", "should", "might".

Then in indirect speech these are written as it is.