Change into direct narration Harry asks if he might smoke.
Correct answer: D. Harry asked, "May I smoke?"
- A. Harry told, "May I smoke"?
- B. Harry said, "may I smoke?"
- C. Harry said, "May I smoke."
- D. Harry asked, "May I smoke?"
Explanation
The original sentence is a request for permission, and the correct reported speech uses the verb "asked" followed by the exact question, using the correct word order and punctuation.
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About Direct and Indirect Speech
Direct speech gives a speaker’s exact words, whereas indirect speech reports the meaning without quotation marks. Questions cover reporting verbs, pronoun changes, tense backshift, time and place expressions, punctuation, and the transformation of questions, commands and requests, including cases where backshift is not required.
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