choose the sentence in its corresponding indirect speech. I said, “Why are you crying?”

Explanation:

Step 1: Identify the type of sentence

Direct speech:
“Why are you crying?”

• It is an interrogative sentence (question)
• So, in indirect speech, we use “asked”, not “said”

Step 2: Apply rules of indirect speech

1. Remove quotation marks
2. Change “said” → “asked”
3. Use “why” as a connector (no “that”)
4. Change tense (Present → Past)
   • are crying → was crying
5. Change pronoun
   • you → he (depending on context)

Step 3: Final sentence

👉 I asked why he was crying.

❌ Why other options are wrong:

1. I said why are you crying.
   ❌ No tense change + wrong reporting verb
2. I told why you cried.
   ❌ “told” is incorrect here + wrong structure
3. I asked why he cried.
   ❌ Grammatically possible, but less accurate (loses continuous sense)

💡 Extra Facts:

1. Question → Indirect Speech
   • Use asked / inquired
   • Do not use “that”
2. WH-questions remain same
   • why, what, when, where, etc.
3. No question form in indirect speech
   • ❌ why was he crying?
   • ✔ why he was crying

✅ Final Answer:

I asked why he was crying.