A sentence has been given in direct speech; choose the option that best expresses the same idea in indirect reported speech: He said, "The dog died in the night."

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your understanding of changing a statement from direct speech to indirect or reported speech. The original direct speech sentence is He said, The dog died in the night. You must choose the reported version that preserves the meaning and uses correct sequence of tenses.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The reporting verb is said, which is in the simple past. The reported clause is The dog died in the night, also in simple past. Standard rules of reported speech state that when the reporting verb is in the past tense and the reported statement describes a past event, the tense in the reported clause often shifts one step back, from simple past to past perfect, to show that the event happened before the act of reporting.

Concept / Approach:
When converting to indirect speech, we usually remove quotation marks, introduce the conjunction that, and adjust the tense where appropriate. Here, the event of the dog dying clearly occurred before the moment of saying. Therefore, the best reported version uses past perfect had died after the reporting verb said. This expresses completed action prior to another past action.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the reporting verb said and note that it is in past tense.Step 2: Recognise the original reported clause, The dog died in the night, which is simple past.Step 3: Apply the sequence of tenses rule, changing died to had died in the reported clause.Step 4: Introduce the conjunction that after said to link the reporting clause and the reported clause.Step 5: Form the final indirect sentence He said that the dog had died in the night.

Verification / Alternative check:
Ask whether the reported sentence clearly shows that the dog dying happened before the act of saying. The form had died makes that ordering clear. If you keep died in simple past in indirect speech, meaning is still understandable, but exam rules usually prefer past perfect in such cases. The chosen option follows the textbook pattern for reported statements.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
He informed about the death of the dog changes the wording and omits the time reference in the night, so it does not accurately report the original statement. He says the dog died in the night uses present tense says instead of past tense said and therefore changes the time of reporting. He said the dog has died in the night uses present perfect has died, which suggests relevance to the present moment and clashes with the past reporting verb. He said that the dog dies in the night uses simple present tense dies, which implies a habitual action rather than a single event, so it distorts the meaning.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners forget to adjust the tense in the reported clause when the reporting verb is in the past. Others focus only on the word order and miss subtle changes in meaning produced by different tenses such as has died or dies. In exams, it is safest to follow the standard pattern of shifting simple past to past perfect when reporting a completed event from a past point of view.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is He said that the dog had died in the night.