Change the narration. You said, "They were busy the whole day."
- A. You said that they had busy the whole day.
- B. You said that they were busy the whole day.
- C. You said that they had been busy the whole day.
- D. You said that they have been busy the whole day.
Explanation
With the past reporting verb “said,” the past continuous “were busy” is backshifted to the past perfect “had been busy.” This preserves the earlier time relationship in indirect speech.
Related questions
Choose the correct form: He said that he ____ to Lahore the previous week.
Change to indirect speech: He said, "I am reading a book."
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The traveler enquired to the farmer if he could tell him the way to the nearest inn.
Mother said, "Where are you going? "