Select the correct direct form of the given sentence. I asked Mary if she would lend me a pencil.

Question

Select the correct direct form of the given sentence. I asked Mary if she would lend me a pencil.

1. A. I said, “Mary, will you lend me a pencil?” (Correct answer)
2. B. I said to Mary, “Can you lent me a pencil?”
3. C. I said, “Mary, will she lend me a pencil?”
4. D. I asked to Mary, “Would you lend me a pencil?”

Correct Answer

Option A — I said, “Mary, will you lend me a pencil?”

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is I said, "Mary, will you lend me a pencil?"

Key Points

• Converting indirect to direct reverses the backshift: would returns to will.
• The reported *if* disappears, interrogative word order is restored, and the sentence takes quotation marks and a question mark.
• Because Mary was the person addressed, she is named in direct address and set off by a comma.
• Option B uses the non-word *lent* in place of *lend*, C keeps the third-person *she* instead of restoring *you*, and D misuses "asked to Mary".

Additional Information

• Backshift reversal on the way to direct speech: *would* → will, *could* → *can*, *might* → *may*, past perfect → present perfect or past simple.
• Pronouns shift back to the speaker's viewpoint — the reported *she* becomes the addressed you.
• Ask takes a direct object without a preposition: *I asked Mary*, never *I asked to Mary* — a frequently tested error.
• A reported request framed with *if … would* is usually a polite question in direct form, so *will you* rather than a bare imperative is the natural restoration.