A sentence is provided in direct speech. From the four given options, choose the one that most accurately conveys the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech. Ravi said, “I like this pen.”

Correct — A. Three changes, each with its own trigger:

The reporting verb said is past, so the present simple 'like' shifts back to 'liked'.
'I' refers to Ravi, so it becomes he.
'This' becomes that, since the report is made away from the moment of speaking.

Option (a) makes all three: 'Ravi said he liked that pen.'

Why the others are wrong

• (b)
  Ravi said he like that pen. — He like breaks subject-verb agreement before reported speech is even considered: a third-person singular subject needs 'likes', or after backshift 'liked'.
• (c)
  Ravi said he liked this pen. — Backshifts the verb but keeps this. The standard conversion turns this into 'that' once the words are reported.
• (d)
  Ravi said he likes that pen. — Keeps the present likes after the past reporting verb said. The standard conversion shifts it back to 'liked'.

Reporting direct speech after a past verb such as said brings three routine changes.

Tense moves back one step: am → was, like → liked, will → would.
Pronouns follow the speaker: 'I' said by Ravi becomes 'he'.
Words of nearness move away: this → that, here → there, now → then.

The conjunction 'that' after said is optional, which is why option (a) can leave it out.

Key facts

• After a past reporting verb, present simple becomes past simple: like → liked.
• In indirect speech this becomes that, and here becomes there.
• 'That' after said is optional: 'Ravi said (that) he liked that pen.'

Common traps

• Changing the tense and forgetting this → that, as option (c) does.
• Rejecting (a) because the conjunction 'that' is missing — it is optional.

No directly related past PYQ was found.