In each of the following sentences, choose the best option in which the direct form of narration has been changed into its indirect form.

I said to her, "Why are you working so hard?"

The correct answer: I asked her why she was working so hard.

Key Points 

• Rules for changing Direct Speech to Indirect Speech:
  • We must remove the question mark and replace it with a full stop in Direct Speech.
  • The reporting verb said/said to is changed to asked, demanded, ordered, enquired as per the nature of the sentence.
  • Reporting verb is changed according to the form and sense of the sentence.
  • Inverted commas are removed in indirect speech.
  • The first person in the reported speech changes according to the subject of reporting speech.
  • In Reported Speech, change of the second person depends on the object of reporting speech.
  • The third person remains unchanged.
  • Example: 
    • They said to me, “Why are you going to meet him?” (Direct speech)
    • They asked me why I was going to meet him. (Indirect speech)
  • 'you' changes to 'she'.
  • Present Continuous tense (are working) changes to past continuous tense (was working).
• Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.
   

Correct sentence: I asked her why she was working so hard.