In the following question, a sentence is given in direct speech. Select the option that best expresses the same sentence in indirect (reported) speech. He said, "I had gone to my native place last month."

Introduction / Context:
This question involves reporting a statement that already uses past perfect and contains the time phrase "last month". The speaker talks about an earlier visit to a native place. In indirect speech, we must keep the past perfect correctly and change the time expression to fit the new point of view. Such questions test attention to both tense and time phrase adjustment.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Reporting verb: "said" in simple past.
• Direct speech: "I had gone to my native place last month."
• Pronoun "I" changes to "he" in the reported clause.
• Verb phrase "had gone" is already in past perfect.
• Time expression "last month" should become "the month before" in indirect speech.

Concept / Approach:
Past perfect generally remains unchanged when converted into reported speech, even when the reporting verb is in past tense, because it already indicates an action completed before another past time. The main change needed is to adapt the time phrase. "Last month" is relative to the time of speaking in the direct quote, so in reported speech it becomes "the month before". Pronoun changes and removal of quotation marks and comma complete the transformation.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Introduce the reported clause with "He said that". Step 2: Change "I" to "he" to show third person reference. Step 3: Keep "had gone to his native place" as it is, because past perfect is already the correct tense for an action completed before another past point. Step 4: Replace "last month" with "the month before" to fit the indirect speech time frame. Step 5: The final sentence is "He said that he had gone to his native place the month before."

Verification / Alternative check:
The reported sentence clearly describes an action that took place one month before the time of speaking in the original situation. By keeping past perfect, we preserve the sense of an earlier completed journey. The change from "last month" to "the month before" avoids confusion when the sentence is read later by someone who was not present at the original conversation. Grammar, pronouns, and time phrases all follow standard reported speech conventions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B keeps "last month", which is not suitable when the time of speaking has moved. Option C uses "has gone", which is present perfect and does not fit with the past reporting verb. Option D repeats this present perfect problem and also keeps "last month", so it does not follow the correct pattern.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often focus only on verb tense and forget about time expressions. Another common mistake is to over change the tense, attempting to modify past perfect further or replacing it with a simple past. Remember that past perfect is already a backshifted form and normally stays as it is in reported speech. Recognizing these patterns through practice helps to answer such questions quickly and accurately in exams.

Final Answer:
The correct reported sentence is He said that he had gone to his native place the month before.