In the following question, a sentence is given in direct speech. Choose the option that best expresses the same idea in indirect speech: "Ooh! What a dirty child!" said my aunt.

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of changing a sentence from direct speech to indirect or reported speech, especially when the original sentence is an exclamation that expresses a strong feeling such as disgust. Exclamatory sentences in direct speech often use an exclamation mark and words like "oh", "ah", or interjections such as "Ooh". When such a sentence is reported indirectly, the tone of feeling is usually conveyed through the reporting verb and the exclamatory structure is converted into a normal statement clause. Recognising the correct tense change and the appropriate use of conjunctions is essential for scoring well in reported speech questions in English grammar.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• Direct speech: "Ooh! What a dirty child!" said my aunt. • Reporting verb: said, which expresses an exclamation of disgust. • The reporting verb is in the past tense. • The aim is to convert an exclamatory sentence into an indirect statement.

Concept / Approach:
In indirect speech, exclamatory sentences are converted into statements using reporting verbs like exclaimed, exclaimed with disgust, or exclaimed with joy to show emotion. The exclamation "What a dirty child!" is changed into a statement using a conjunction such as "that" followed by a normal clause. Because the reporting verb "said" is in the past tense, the verb inside the reported clause also usually shifts one step back in time, for example from "is" to "was". The focus is on preserving the meaning, the feeling of disgust, and the correct tense sequence, rather than copying the punctuation of the direct sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify the speaker: the sentence is spoken by "my aunt". 2. Recognise that the sentence is an exclamation expressing disgust about a dirty child. 3. Replace the neutral reporting verb "said" with an expressive one such as "exclaimed with disgust". 4. Introduce the reported clause with "that" to convert the exclamation into a statement. 5. Convert "is very dirty" to "was very dirty" to follow the backshift of tense from present to past because the reporting verb is in the past. 6. Form the final reported sentence: "My aunt exclaimed with disgust that the child was very dirty."

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification method is to ask if the reported sentence sounds like a natural past report of a previous reaction. The statement "My aunt exclaimed with disgust that the child was very dirty" clearly sounds like something said about a situation that already happened. It preserves the strong negative emotion and correctly expresses the content without using the original exclamation structure. The use of "that" plus a complete clause shows correct grammar. The tense consistency between the past reporting verb and the past form "was" confirms that the standard rules for indirect speech are correctly applied.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B uses "is very dirty", which is present tense and breaks the usual backshift rule after a past reporting verb. Option C keeps "it is", which again wrongly keeps the present tense in the reported clause and also follows a more direct exclamatory pattern, so it does not fully convert to indirect speech. Option D uses "had been very dirty", which suggests an earlier time before another past reference point and introduces an unnecessary past perfect aspect that changes the sense of a simple observation. Therefore those options are less accurate than the standard reported version in option A.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often forget to change the tense of the verb inside the reported clause from present to past when the reporting verb is in the past. Another common mistake is to keep the exclamatory structure and punctuation instead of turning it into a simple statement. Many learners also ignore the emotional content and use a flat verb like "said" without any expression such as "exclaimed with disgust", which can make the reported speech sound weak or incomplete. Careful attention to tense, conjunctions, and tone will help avoid these problems in exam questions.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is My aunt exclaimed with disgust that the child was very dirty.