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. They said, “We are going on a trip.”

Correct — B. The reporting verb said is past, so the reported words move one tense back.

'We are going' is present continuous. One step back is past continuous: 'were going'.

The speakers' we becomes they, because someone else now reports their words. 'They said they were going on a trip' → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  They said they are going on a trip. — Keeps the present are after the past verb said. The regular backshift makes it were, and nothing marks the trip as still ahead when it is reported.
• (c)
  They said they went on a trip. — Went is simple past, which reports a trip already taken. Present continuous backshifts to past continuous, so the -ing form stays: were going.
• (d)
  They said they had going on a trip. — Had going is not an English verb form. Had needs a past participle (had gone), and an -ing form needs a form of be (were going).

Reporting a statement after a past verb such as said changes two things here.

Tense moves one step back: am/is/are become was/were, and the -ing form stays, so are going becomes were going.

Pronouns follow the people: the speakers' we becomes they when someone else reports it.

The connector that after said may be dropped, as all four options do, without changing the grammar.

Key facts

• After a past reporting verb, present continuous (am/is/are + -ing) becomes past continuous (was/were + -ing).
• First-person pronouns change to match the reporter's view: we becomes they, I becomes he or she.
• 'Had going' is ungrammatical: had takes a past participle, and an -ing form takes a form of be.

Common traps

• Choosing 'are going' because it sounds natural in speech.
• Choosing 'went' and losing the continuous form.

No directly related past PYQ was found.