Select the most appropriate indirect form of the given sentence.
The teacher says, “The monkey is a clever animal.”

Correct option is D

The correct indirect speech is “The teacher says that the monkey is a clever animal.”
Explanation:
· The reporting verb “says” is in present tense, so no change is made in the tense of the reported speech.
· Therefore, “is” remains unchanged.
· The conjunction “that” is added to connect the reporting and reported parts.
Rule:
If the reporting verb is in Present or Future tense, the tense of the reported speech does not change.
Incorrect options:
· (a) “has been” – changes tense unnecessarily.
· (b) “has said” – changes reporting verb form.
· (c) “was” – tense changed wrongly since reporting verb is present.
Example:
She says, “I am busy.” → She says that she is busy.
Information Booster:
For universal truths, habitual facts, or scientific laws, tense remains unchanged even if the reporting verb is in past form.