Question

    Select the most appropriate indirect form of the given

    sentence.  The teacher said to the parents, “Young children are very restless.”
    A The teacher said the parents that young children are very restless. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
    B The teacher told the parents that young children had been very restless. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
    C The teacher told the parents that young children were very restless. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
    D The teacher asked the parents if young children are very restless. Correct Answer Incorrect Answer

    Solution

    In reported speech, when the reporting verb is in the past tense ("said"), the verb tense of the reported statement is typically shifted back one step. In this case, "are" in the original sentence changes to "were" in the reported statement to reflect the past tense.

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