In this reported speech question, you must convert the direct exclamatory question "He said, \"How can a Zebra talk?\"" into the correct indirect form and choose it from the options.

Introduction / Context:
This question deals with reporting a question that includes a modal verb in the present tense. The original direct sentence is "He said, 'How can a Zebra talk?'" You must choose the indirect form that correctly represents both the meaning and the grammar of the original utterance in reported speech.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct sentence: He said, "How can a Zebra talk?"
• Wh structure: How can a Zebra talk?
• Modal verb: can, expressing possibility.
• The reporting verb is in the past: said.

Concept / Approach:
In reported speech, when the reporting verb is in the past, the modal "can" usually changes to "could". The wh word "how" remains at the beginning, but the clause switches to statement word order. So "How can a Zebra talk?" changes to "how a Zebra could talk" in indirect speech. The reporting verb "said" is often changed to "asked" in indirect questions in order to show that a question is being reported rather than a simple statement.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Recognise that the sentence is a question containing the modal "can".Change the reporting verb "said" to "asked" since a question is being reported.Change "can" to "could" because of the past reporting verb.Use statement word order after "how": "how a Zebra could talk".Combine the elements into "He asked how a Zebra could talk."

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the final sentence: "He asked how a Zebra could talk." It correctly expresses the same sense of surprise or doubt about the possibility of a Zebra talking but in standard reported speech form. The tense of the modal and the word order are both correct for English grammar.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: "He wondered how a Zebra talks." keeps "talks" in the present simple and does not follow the "can" to "could" pattern, although it is close in meaning. Option B: "He questioned a Zebra talking." is awkward, unidiomatic, and changes the structure entirely. Option D: "He was amazed how a Zebra can talk." introduces the verb "was amazed" and keeps "can", changing the original form and not strictly reporting the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often ignore modal backshifting and simply copy "can" into reported speech, or they forget to change "said" to a verb such as "asked" or "wondered" that better reflects the interrogative nature of the original. It is also common to keep question word order in the clause, for example "how could a Zebra talk", which is less acceptable in indirect speech.

Final Answer:
The correct reported form is He asked how a Zebra could talk.