Correct Answer:
A. He said he could solve that problem
Converting direct speech to indirect (reported) speech involves several key changes, including tense shifts, pronoun changes, and adjustments to demonstratives. The original statement is "I can solve this problem."
- The correct answer is A: "He said he could solve that problem." This option correctly applies all necessary transformations. The pronoun "I" changes to "he" to reflect the speaker. The modal verb "can" shifts to its past equivalent "could" because the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense. Finally, the demonstrative "this" changes to "that" to reflect the shift in context from immediate to reported.
- B: "He said he can solve that problem" is incorrect because "can" does not change to "could," violating the rule of tense shift in reported speech when the reporting verb is in the past.
- C: "He said he could solve this problem" is incorrect because "this" should change to "that" in reported speech to indicate a distance in time or place from the original statement.
- D: "He says he could solve that problem" is incorrect because the reporting verb "says" is in the present tense, while the original statement used "said" (past tense). This alters the original context and tense of the reporting.
Option A accurately reflects all the required grammatical changes for reported speech.