A sentence has been given in Direct / Indirect Speech. Out of the four given alternatives, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect Speech. The original direct sentence is: "Shyam said, 'My master is eating.'"

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your knowledge of changing a sentence from Direct Speech to Indirect (Reported) Speech. The given direct sentence is "Shyam said, 'My master is eating.'" You must choose the indirect form that is grammatically correct and accurately reflects the time relationship indicated by the reporting verb said and the original present continuous tense is eating.

Given Data / Assumptions:

Direct speech: "Shyam said, 'My master is eating.'"
Reporting verb: said (simple past tense).
Reported clause: My master is eating (present continuous tense).
No specific time expression such as now, today, or tomorrow is given in the original sentence.
We are using standard rules for reported speech in English grammar exams.

Concept / Approach:
When changing from Direct to Indirect Speech, we usually follow a sequence-of-tenses rule. If the reporting verb is in the past tense (said), the tense of the reported clause is often shifted one step back in time. Present continuous (is eating) normally changes to past continuous (was eating). We also remove quotation marks and introduce the reported clause with the conjunction that (which may be omitted in informal speech but is typically kept in exam answers). Pronouns and possessives may need adjustment, but here "my master" naturally becomes "his master" when reported by another speaker about Shyam.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the reporting verb: said (simple past). Step 2: Note the tense of the reported clause: is eating (present continuous). Step 3: Apply the tense change rule: present continuous changes to past continuous, so is eating becomes was eating. Step 4: Change the first person possessive my into his to agree with the subject Shyam. Step 5: Introduce the clause with that and remove quotation marks to get: Shyam said that his master was eating.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check the final sentence: "Shyam said that his master was eating." This correctly represents that, at the time Shyam spoke in the past, the action of eating was in progress. If we temporarily convert it back to direct speech, we can imagine Shyam saying, "My master is eating." This matches the original sentence and preserves both meaning and time reference, which confirms the correctness of the indirect version.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: "Shyam inform that his master is eating." is incorrect because inform should be informed in the past tense and the tense of is eating has not been shifted to was eating.
Option B: "Shyam say that his master is eating." keeps say in the present tense, which does not match the original reporting verb said, and also ignores the required tense backshift rule in the exam context.
Option C: "Shyam and his master was eating." changes the structure completely and suggests both Shyam and his master were eating, which is not what the original sentence states.
Option E: "Shyam said that his master is eating." keeps is eating instead of shifting to was eating, which is usually considered incorrect in formal reported speech when the reporting verb is in the past tense and no special time marker prevents the change.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often forget to apply the sequence-of-tenses rule when the reporting verb is in the past. Another common mistake is failing to adjust pronouns and possessives from first person to third person in reported speech. In exam conditions, you should quickly check three things: (1) verb tense shift, (2) pronoun and possessive changes, and (3) removal of quotation marks with proper use of that. Practising these steps regularly will make such transformations easy and error-free.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is "Shyam said that his master was eating."