Vidyalelo
English · Q11

Direct And Indirect Speech

Competitive Exams · English · question 11

Q11

He said,"I cannot help you at present because I am myself in difficulty."

A.
He said that I cannot help you at present because I myself in difficulty.
B.
He said that he could not help me at present because he was himself in difficulty.
Answer
C.
He told that he could not help you at present because he was himself in difficulty.
D.
He asked that he could not help you at present because he was himself in difficulty.

Answer: Option B

Solution

Answer: Option B
Solution:
Original Sentence (Direct Speech):
He said, "I cannot help you at present because I am myself in difficulty."

Step-by-step Conversion:
1. Sentence type: This is a statement, so we will use “said that” in indirect speech.
2. Pronoun changes:
“I” becomes “he” (referring to the speaker)
“you” becomes “me” (since the speaker is talking to “me”)
3. Tense changes (as reporting verb 'said' is in past):
“cannot” becomes “could not”
“am” becomes “was”
4. Time expression: “at present” becomes “at that time” (to indicate a past reference)

Correct Sentence:
He said that he could not help me at that time because he was himself in difficulty.

However, since none of the options mention “at that time” and only Option B has the correct tense and pronouns (even though it uses “at present”), it is the best available answer.

Correct Answer: Option B

Why other options are incorrect:
Option A: “I cannot help you…” — ❌ Incorrect tense and pronouns are not changed.
Option C: “told” without an object — ❌ Incorrect structure. We say “told me” or “told him”, but not just “told”.
Option D: “asked” — ❌ Incorrect reporting verb. The sentence is a statement, not a question.

Final Answer: Option B – He said that he could not help me at present because he was himself in difficulty.