In this question on direct and indirect speech, choose the option that correctly reports the question: "Where are you going?" father asked me.

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your knowledge of how to convert a direct question into indirect speech. The original sentence is an interrogative sentence about destination and uses the present continuous tense. To choose the correct option, you must know how to change the word order, how to backshift the tense, and how to avoid using question marks in indirect speech. This structure is very common in grammar tests and is a key part of mastering reported questions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct sentence: "Where are you going?" father asked me.
• Reporting verb: asked, which indicates a question.
• The question word used is where.
• The tense in the reported clause is present continuous: are you going.
• The speaker is father, and the listener is me.

Concept / Approach:
When changing a wh question into indirect speech, we keep the question word (where) and change the word order to that of a statement rather than a question. We do not use a question mark in the final sentence. Because the reporting verb asked is in the past tense, we normally backshift the tense inside the reported clause. Present continuous are going becomes past continuous was going in indirect speech. The pronoun you becomes I, since the listener is me reporting the event later. The correct structure is therefore Father asked me where I was going.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Begin with the reporting clause Father asked me. Step 2: Keep the question word where because it introduces the content of the question. Step 3: Change the word order from are you going to I was going, which is statement order. Step 4: Backshift the verb are going to was going following the sequence of tenses rule. Step 5: Remove the question mark and end the sentence with a full stop, as this is now a reported statement of a question.

Verification / Alternative check:
The resulting sentence is: Father asked me where I was going. It correctly reports the question, respects the rules of word order and tense, and uses appropriate pronoun changes. It does not include a question mark because the sentence is grammatically a statement describing the question asked earlier. This is the expected form in most English grammar examinations dealing with indirect wh questions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is incorrect because it inserts that before where, which is not used in indirect wh questions and makes the structure clumsy.
Option C is incorrect because would be going changes the meaning by suggesting a future in the past or a speculative action.
Option D is incorrect because it keeps am going instead of changing it to was going, which fails to follow the tense backshift rule.
Option E is incorrect because had been going implies a longer continuous action in the past, which does not match the simple question about the current destination.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often forget to change the word order from question form to statement form. Another common mistake is leaving the tense unchanged, especially in questions that use continuous forms. It is also easy to add that incorrectly before the question word or to leave the question mark at the end. To avoid these errors, remember that indirect questions with question words keep the wh word, use statement order, and end with a full stop, not a question mark.

Final Answer:
Father asked me where I was going.