In this reported speech question, you must convert the given direct speech sentence into indirect speech correctly. The original sentence is: Kabir said to me, "I was waiting for you for a long time." Choose the option that best expresses this sentence in indirect speech using correct tense and pronoun changes.

Introduction / Context:
This question evaluates your understanding of the transformation from direct speech to indirect speech, also known as reported speech. The direct sentence involves Kabir speaking to the listener and mentioning an action that was already in progress in the past. When we convert such sentences into indirect speech, we must adjust the reporting verb, tense, and pronouns while preserving the original meaning. Mastery of these rules is important for accurate narration in both written and spoken English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The direct speech sentence is Kabir said to me, "I was waiting for you for a long time."
• The reporting verb is said to, and the listener is me.
• The reported clause uses the past continuous form was waiting.
• The time reference is in the past relative to the speaking moment.
• The options provide different tense and word order combinations for the indirect version.

Concept / Approach:
When converting from direct to indirect speech with a past reporting verb like said, we usually shift the tense of the reported clause one step back in time unless the statement expresses a universal truth. Here, I was waiting for you for a long time describes an action that had already been going on before Kabir spoke, so we convert was waiting to had been waiting in indirect speech. We also change the reporting verb said to me to told me and adjust pronouns, changing I to he and you to me. The connector that is commonly introduced between the reporting verb and the reported clause.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Change the reporting verb. said to me becomes told me in indirect speech, because told takes an object directly. Step 2: Introduce the conjunction that after told me, giving told me that, which is a common pattern in reported speech. Step 3: Change the subject pronoun I in the reported clause to he, because Kabir is a male speaker and now spoken about in the third person. Step 4: Change the tense of was waiting to had been waiting, because the action was already in progress before the time of speaking and must be shifted back under reported speech rules. Step 5: Change the object pronoun you to me, because Kabir was waiting for the listener, who is now referred to as me in the report. Step 6: Combine all these changes to get Kabir told me that he had been waiting for me for a long time.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check the final sentence for coherence and tense sequence. The reporting verb told is in the simple past, and the reported action had been waiting is in the past perfect continuous, which correctly indicates an ongoing action before a past reference point. The pronouns he and me correctly represent Kabir and the listener. The sense of having waited for a long time is preserved. This confirms that the construction is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option (b) Kabir had told that me had been waiting for me for a long time is ungrammatical due to the word order that me had been and incorrect tense in the reporting verb.
Option (c) Kabir told me he had been waiting for me for a long time omits that, which may be acceptable in informal speech, but the exam expects the more complete and explicit Kabir told me that he had been waiting for me for a long time.
Option (d) Kabir told that me he was waiting for me for a long time contains incorrect word order and does not shift was waiting to had been waiting.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often forget to change said to told when an object like me is present, or they neglect the tense shift from past continuous to past perfect continuous. Another frequent error is mishandling pronoun changes, leaving I or you unchanged and thereby confusing the roles of speaker and listener. Practising multiple examples and always checking subject, tense, and pronoun mapping can help avoid these issues.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is Kabir told me that he had been waiting for me for a long time.