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. I said, “He will be here by noon.”

Correct — C. The reporting verb said is past, so the reported words shift back:

Tense: will be → would be
Place: here → there

'He' stays he, since the person spoken about is still a third person. Both shifts together give I said that he would be there by noon → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  I said he will be there by noon. — Keeps will. After the past reporting verb said, the future will shifts back to would; only the place word has been changed.
• (b)
  I said that he would be here by noon. — Shifts the tense but keeps here. Words of nearness move to distance in reported speech, so here becomes there.
• (d)
  I said he shall be there by noon. — Shall is not the past form of will, so the tense has not shifted back at all — after said, will becomes would.

When the reporting verb is past (said), the reported words usually shift back one step: will → would, is → was, can → could.

Words of nearness shift to distance: here → there, this → that, now → then, today → that day.

Pronouns change only as the viewpoint requires, and the linking word that may be dropped.

Key facts

• After a past reporting verb, will becomes would in the reported clause.
• In indirect speech here becomes there, this becomes that, and now becomes then.
• That after said is optional: 'I said he would' and 'I said that he would' are both correct.

Common traps

• Stopping at the tense change — option (b) has would but leaves here untouched.
• Rejecting an option only because it drops that — that is optional, and the tense and place words decide.

No directly related past PYQ was found.