Question

Choose the correct indirect speech of the given below:

He said to me, "I don't believe you."

1. He said to me that I didn't believe him
2. He told me that he didn't believe me
3. He asked me to believe him
4. He said that he would believe me
5.

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : He told me that he didn't believe me

The correct answer is 'He told me that he didn't believe me.'

• To get the indirect form of the speech, we follow the below steps (if reported clause is assertive):
  • 'said to' is generally changed into 'told'.
  • Conjunction 'that' is used to add reported clause to reporting clause.
  • The first person pronoun 'I' is changed into 'He; i.e. according to the subject :(He) of the reporting verb. 
  • The second person pronoun 'you' is changed into 'me'; i.e. according to the object (me) of reporting verb.
  • Since the reporting verb 'said' is in past tense, the tense of 'reported speech' should be changed.
    • Present Indefinite -- Past Indefinite
    • don't believe --- didn't believe
• On following the above steps, we get the indirect form of speech:
  • He told me that he didn't believe me.

Therefore, the correct answer is option 2).