Converting a sentence from direct speech to indirect speech involves making several changes to the original sentence. These changes typically include altering pronouns, adjusting verb tenses, and changing time or place references.

Understanding Direct and Indirect Speech

Direct speech uses the exact words spoken by a person, usually enclosed in quotation marks.

Indirect speech (also known as reported speech) reports what someone said without using their exact words. It typically involves a reporting verb (like 'said', 'told', 'asked') followed by a conjunction (like 'that', 'if', 'whether').

Rules for Converting Direct Speech to Indirect Speech

When converting the given sentence from direct speech ("He said, "I intend to leave for Delhi tonight."") to indirect speech, we need to apply the following rules:

• Reporting Verb: The reporting verb 'said' remains unchanged as there is no object to report to (like 'said to me').
• Conjunction: A conjunction, typically 'that', is added after the reporting verb.
• Pronoun Change: The pronoun 'I' refers to the speaker 'He', so it changes to 'he' in the indirect speech.
• Tense Change: The verb 'intend' is in the simple present tense. When the reporting verb is in the past tense ('said'), the tense in the reported clause usually changes to the corresponding past tense. Simple present ('intend') changes to simple past ('intended').
• Time Reference Change: Words referring to time or place often change in indirect speech to reflect the shift in perspective. 'tonight' becomes 'that night'.

Analyzing the Options for Indirect Speech Conversion

Let's evaluate each option based on the rules mentioned above:

Original Sentence (Direct Speech): He said, "I intend to leave for Delhi tonight."

Option (A): He said I intend to leave for Delhi tonight.

• Does not add the conjunction 'that'.
• Does not change the pronoun 'I' to 'he'.
• Does not change the tense 'intend' (simple present) to 'intended' (simple past).
• Does not change the time reference 'tonight' to 'that night'.

This option fails on multiple conversion rules and is incorrect.

Option (B): He said that he intends to leave for Delhi tonight.

• Adds the conjunction 'that'.
• Changes the pronoun 'I' to 'he'.
• Does not change the tense 'intends' (simple present) to 'intended' (simple past).
• Does not change the time reference 'tonight' to 'that night'.

This option correctly adds 'that' and changes the pronoun but fails on the crucial tense and time reference changes. It is incorrect.

Option (C): He said that he intended to leave for Delhi that night.

• Adds the conjunction 'that'.
• Changes the pronoun 'I' to 'he'.
• Changes the tense 'intend' (simple present) to 'intended' (simple past).
• Changes the time reference 'tonight' to 'that night'.

This option applies all the necessary conversion rules correctly.

Option (D): He said that he was intending to leave for Delhi that night.

• Adds the conjunction 'that'.
• Changes the pronoun 'I' to 'he'.
• Changes the time reference 'tonight' to 'that night'.
• Changes the tense 'intend' (simple present) to 'was intending' (past continuous). While 'was intending' is a past tense form, the standard conversion for simple present 'intend' when reporting a general intention or future plan is simple past 'intended'. Past continuous 'was intending' implies an action ongoing at a specific past time, which doesn't accurately reflect the original 'intend'.

This option makes an incorrect tense conversion for 'intend'. It is incorrect.

Based on the analysis, Option (C) correctly applies all the rules for converting the given sentence from direct speech to indirect speech.

Revision Table: Direct vs. Indirect Speech Changes

Additional Information on Indirect Speech

Understanding direct and indirect speech requires knowing how different parts of the sentence change. Here are some common changes:

Common Tense Changes in Indirect Speech:

• Simple Present becomes Simple Past (e.g., 'I play' → 'He said that he played')
• Present Continuous becomes Past Continuous (e.g., 'I am playing' → 'He said that he was playing')
• Present Perfect becomes Past Perfect (e.g., 'I have played' → 'He said that he had played')
• Simple Past becomes Past Perfect (e.g., 'I played' → 'He said that he had played')
• Future (will) becomes Conditional (would) (e.g., 'I will play' → 'He said that he would play')
• Modals often change (e.g., 'can' → 'could', 'may' → 'might', 'must' → 'had to' or remains 'must')

Common Time and Place Word Changes:

• now → then
• here → there
• this → that
• these → those
• today → that day
• tomorrow → the next day/the following day
• yesterday → the previous day/the day before
• last night → the previous night/the night before
• next week → the following week

It is important to practice converting various types of sentences (statements, questions, commands) to become proficient in direct and indirect speech conversions.