In the following question, a sentence is given in Direct speech. Choose the option that best expresses the same sentence in Indirect speech. Direct speech: Teacher said to children, "Have you prepared well for the finals?"

Introduction / Context:
This question examines your understanding of changing a question from Direct speech to Indirect speech. The original sentence is a yes or no question in the present perfect tense. You must select the reported speech form that correctly changes the tense and structure according to the rules of reported speech.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: Teacher said to children, "Have you prepared well for the finals?"
• Reporting verb: "said to" which becomes "asked" in Indirect speech for a question.
• The question is a yes or no question starting with "Have".
• Options offer different tense changes and structures.

Concept / Approach:
When reporting a yes or no question, we normally use "asked" followed by "if" or "whether". Since the reporting verb "said" is in the past, we backshift the tense of the original question. "Have you prepared" (present perfect) should become "had prepared" (past perfect) in reported speech. The pronoun "you" changes to "they" to match "children". Word order must also change from question form to statement form.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Change "said to" into "asked", since the sentence is a question: "Teacher asked the children".Step 2: Introduce the reported clause with "if" or "whether" for a yes or no question. Both are acceptable: "if they" or "whether they".Step 3: Backshift the tense. Present perfect "have prepared" becomes past perfect "had prepared" because the reporting verb is in the past.Step 4: Change the pronoun "you" to "they" to match "children". The question form also changes to statement order: "they had prepared well for the finals".Step 5: The final reported sentence is "Teacher asked the children if they had prepared well for the finals." This matches option D.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check other options. Option A uses "have prepared" instead of "had prepared", which fails to backshift the tense. Option B uses "have been preparing", changing the aspect of the verb and the meaning. Option C uses "did prepare", which changes the tense to simple past and adds unnecessary emphasis. Only option D correctly applies the rules of reported speech and preserves the original meaning.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A keeps the present perfect tense, which would only be correct if the reporting verb were in the present, such as "says". Option B changes the meaning to a continuous action, which the original question does not state. Option C uses "did prepare", which sounds unnatural in reported indirect form and does not reflect the perfect aspect of the original question.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often forget to backshift the tense after a past reporting verb or they try to preserve the auxiliary exactly as in the original question. Another frequent mistake is to keep the question word order instead of converting it into a statement. Remember the general pattern: reporting verb in the past usually triggers a shift one step back in tense, and the reported question uses "if or whether" plus normal statement word order.

Final Answer:
The correct Indirect speech form is "Teacher asked the children if they had prepared well for the finals.", so option D is correct.