Select the option that expresses the given sentence in indirect speech.

The teacher said, “There are 8 planets in the solar system.”

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SSC JHT 2024 Official Paper-I (Held On: 09 Dec, 2024)
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  1. The teacher said that there must be 8 planets in the solar system.
  2. The teacher said that there are 8 planets in the solar system. 
  3. The teacher said that there will be 8 planets in the solar system.
  4. The teacher said that there were 8 planets in the solar system. 

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 2 : The teacher said that there are 8 planets in the solar system. 
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SSC JHT Previous Year Paper (Held On: 19 November 2020)
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Detailed Solution

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The correct answer is '2' i.e. The teacher said that there are 8 planets in the solar system.

Key Points

  • The given sentence is a statement of fact: "There are 8 planets in the solar system."
  • While converting the sentence to indirect speech, the tense does not change because it is a universal or scientific fact.
  • Therefore, the correct form of indirect speech is: The teacher said that there are 8 planets in the solar system.

Correct sentence: The teacher said that there are 8 planets in the solar system.

Additional Information

  • General Rule for Indirect Speech:
    • When the reported speech is a universal or scientific fact, the tense in the indirect speech remains unchanged.
    • Example: Direct speech: "The Earth revolves around the Sun." → Indirect speech: He said that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
  • Other Incorrect Options:
    • Option 1: "There must be 8 planets" introduces a modal verb "must" which changes the meaning of the sentence.
    • Option 3: "There will be 8 planets" changes the tense and implies a future event, which is incorrect.
    • Option 4: "There were 8 planets" changes the tense to past, which is incorrect for a scientific fact.
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-> According to the official notice, the SSC   Applications will be activated from 5th June to 26th June 2025.   

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