In this direct and indirect speech question, convert the sentence "I said to her, \"I will do it now or never.\"" into the correct indirect speech form.

Introduction / Context:

This question examines your understanding of how to change a sentence from direct speech to indirect (reported) speech in English. The original sentence is "I said to her, \"I will do it now or never.\"". When converting to indirect speech, you must adjust the reporting verb phrase, change pronouns and time expressions appropriately, and maintain the original meaning and intention of the speaker. This is a standard grammar topic in many competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: "I said to her, \"I will do it now or never.\""
• The reporting verb is in the past ("said").
• The options present different possible indirect speech versions.
• We must preserve the meaning that the speaker is willing to do the action at that very moment or not at all.

Concept / Approach:

When changing from direct to indirect speech, several transformations are usually required. The reporting verb "said to" generally becomes "told" when followed by an object pronoun such as "her". The first person pronoun "I" remains "I" because the reporter and original speaker are the same person. The simple future "will do" changes to "would do" because the reporting verb is in the past. The time expression "now" is shifted to "then" in indirect speech. Finally, the structure "now or never" becomes "then or never". A correct indirect form must apply all these rules without changing the overall meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Compare the suggested answer with each option. Option A says "I informed her that I would do it that moment or never." Although close in meaning, the phrase "that moment" is less standard than "then" for reporting "now", and "informed" is not the usual choice when reproducing a promise in direct speech. Option B omits "that", which is acceptable, but "I told her I would do it then or never" is structurally fine and similar to option D. Option C changes the sense completely by saying "would not do it then or ever", which reverses the meaning. Option D, "I told her that I would do it then or never", accurately applies tense shift, time shift, and pronoun consistency. It is the best and most complete answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A uses "informed", which is less natural for reporting a promise or threat and also uses "that moment", which is not the usual indirect equivalent of "now". Option B is grammatically acceptable but is slightly less complete in formal style without "that", and exam keys often prefer the explicitly introduced clause. Option C is clearly incorrect because it changes "I will do it now or never" into a refusal, "I would not do it then or ever", which contradicts the original meaning. Thus only option D fully satisfies the grammar rules and preserves sense.

Common Pitfalls:

Learners sometimes forget to change "now" to "then" or incorrectly keep the future tense "will" after a past reporting verb. Another common error is to alter the meaning while trying to sound formal. You should always apply three checks: change the reporting expression ("said to" to "told"), adjust tense and time adverbs, and confirm that the final statement has the same intention as the original words.

Final Answer:

The correct indirect speech form is I told her that I would do it then or never.