Select the option that expresses the given sentence in reported speech.
He said to the mechanic, “Will you have the car ready by tomorrow morning?”

Correct option is A

The correct indirect speech is (a).
Explanation: When converting a sentence from direct to indirect speech, certain changes are made to the pronouns, verb tenses, and time expressions to match the reporting structure. Let’s look at the specific rules applied here:
Rules of Conversion for Direct to Indirect Speech
1. Changing the Reporting Verb for Questions:
· In direct speech, when a question is asked, “said to” changes to “asked” in indirect speech to indicate that a question was posed.
· Here, “He said to the mechanic” becomes “He asked the mechanic.”
2. Transforming the Question Structure:
· In indirect speech, questions are converted into statements. The question format is removed, and “if” or “whether” is used to introduce the reported question, eliminating the question mark.
· So, “Will you have the car ready” changes to “if he would have the car ready.”
3. Shifting the Verb Tense:
· In indirect speech, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, the tense of the verb in the reported clause generally shifts back.
· “Will” (simple future) changes to “would” (future in the past) in indirect speech.
4. Modifying Time Expressions:
· Time indicators also change based on context. Here, “tomorrow morning” becomes “the next morning” in indirect speech to maintain the original meaning relative to the reporting time.
Applied Example
· Direct Speech: He said to the mechanic, “Will you have the car ready by tomorrow morning?”
· Indirect Speech: He asked the mechanic if he would have the car ready by the next morning.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
· (b): “He told the mechanic if he will have the car ready for the next morning.”
· “Told” is incorrect as it doesn’t imply a question was asked. Additionally, “will” should be “would.”
· (c): “He asked the mechanic if he will have the car ready by the previous morning.”
· “Will” should be “would,” and “previous morning” incorrectly represents “tomorrow morning.”
· (d): “He said the mechanic whether he would has the car ready by the following morning.”
· “Said” does not convey the sense of a question, and “has” should be “have” to match the correct grammar structure.