Question:medium

Report the dialogue between a shopkeeper and Ramesh:
Shopkeeper: What book do you want?
Ramesh: A reference book for Physics which I can use for my project work.
The shopkeeper asked Ramesh which book did he want. Ramesh replied that __.

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When converting a question to reported speech, change the word order and use the correct verb tense for indirect speech.
Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

The shopkeeper inquired of Ramesh about his book preference. Ramesh answered that he desired a Physics reference book suitable for his project.
In indirect speech, "What book do you want?" becomes "which book he wanted," with a tense shift from present to past.
Ramesh's reply is reported by changing "can use" to "could use," preserving meaning while adjusting for tense.
This guarantees clear and accurate indirect speech representation of the dialogue.
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