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A sentence is provided in indirect speech. Choose the correct direct speech conversion: She stated that seldom had she encountered such procedural ambiguity.

1. “Seldom have I encountered such procedural ambiguity,” she stated.
2. “Seldom had I encountered such procedural ambiguity,” she stated.
3. “I seldom encountered such procedural ambiguity,” she stated.
4. “I have seldom encountered such procedural ambiguity,” she stated.

Correct answer: “Seldom had I encountered such procedural ambiguity,” she stated.

Solution

In indirect speech, the clause “seldom had she encountered” is reported in the past perfect with inversion. In direct speech, it becomes the same inverted statement in quotation marks, with the pronoun changed to first person.

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