Here’s the quiz question with options:
Question:
Biplab said to me, “I was dialling your number.” (Change the narration)
Options:
a) Biplab said to me that he was dialling your number.
b) Biplab told me that he had been dialling my number.
c) Biplab said that he was dialling my number.
d) Biplab told me he had dialled my number.
Correct Answer:
b) Biplab told me that he had been dialling my number.
Do you also have this doubt in your mind?
You said:
Why ‘was’ changed to had been? Can’t I write – Biplab told me that he was dialling my number.
Expert said:
When converting to indirect speech:
- The tense of the verb in the direct speech moves one step back in time.
- Past continuous changes to past perfect continuous.
For example:
Direct: He said, “I was working.”
Indirect: He said that he had been working.
This shift maintains the correct sequence of tenses in indirect speech.
Yes, you can write:
“Biplab told me that he was dialling my number,”
but it depends on the context.
Explanation:
- If the action of “dialling” is still relevant or ongoing at the time of reporting, keeping “was dialling“ in the past continuous tense is acceptable.
- Example: Biplab’s act of dialling was happening just moments before the reporting.
- However, if the action is fully completed and no longer relevant at the time of reporting, the preferred form is:
“Biplab told me that he had been dialling my number.”
Key Rule:
Indirect speech often backshifts the tense (e.g., past continuous → past perfect continuous), but in conversational contexts or where the timing of the action is clear, backshifting may not always be necessary.
So, both can be correct depending on how the situation is framed!
You said:
From an examination point of view, what do you prefer?
Expert said:
From an examination point of view, it is safer and more grammatically accurate to use:
“Biplab told me that he had been dialling my number.”
Why?
- Most exams expect students to strictly follow the rules of backshifting in indirect speech when the reporting verb is in the past tense.
- This aligns with standard grammar rules and avoids ambiguity.
However, if the exam question specifies a conversational or less formal context, “he was dialing my number” could also be considered acceptable.
To be on the safe side in exams, follow the backshifting rule.
Let me know if you need more quiz questions! 😊
Simile to Metaphor Worksheet with Answers Class 6 -12
Top 15 Traditional and Modern Metaphors for Love
Diary Entry – “What I am grateful for in my life”
How I Felt After Anchoring Republic Day Function