In this reported speech question, you are given the direct statement "My mother says, \"I have often told you not to play with fire.\"" and must choose the indirect speech sentence that correctly reports what the mother says.

Introduction / Context:
This question examines reported speech when the reporting verb is in the present tense. The direct statement is "My mother says, 'I have often told you not to play with fire.'" You must choose the indirect version that keeps the meaning, tense, and time reference accurate according to standard rules of narration.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Reporting clause: My mother says.
• Quoted speech: I have often told you not to play with fire.
• Reporter and listener: the mother is speaking to her child.
• We convert this to one smooth indirect statement.

Concept / Approach:
When the reporting verb is in the present tense ("says"), we normally do not backshift the tense in the reported clause. Instead, we keep the present perfect form "have often told" because the statement is still true or relevant at the time of reporting. Pronouns must be adjusted: "I" changes to "she", and "you" changes to "me" because the child is now reporting the sentence. We also introduce the conjunction "that" after "says".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Keep the reporting verb "says" in the present, because the question uses it that way.Change the first person pronoun "I" to "she" to refer back to the mother.Change "you" to "me", as the child is the one being addressed.Retain the present perfect "have often told", because the habit of warning is still valid.Join the parts: "My mother says that she has often told me not to play with fire."

Verification / Alternative check:
The final sentence "My mother says that she has often told me not to play with fire." preserves both the idea of repeated warnings in the past and their relevance at the time of speaking. It also correctly reflects the role of each person with the right pronouns and fits the standard pattern taught in grammar books.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: "My mother has often told me not to play with fire." changes the reporting structure and omits "says", so it is no longer a direct transformation of the given sentence. Option B: "My mother said that I should not play with fire." changes the reporting verb to past and alters the meaning to a single piece of advice rather than repeated warnings. Option D: "My mother says that she often tells me not to play with fire." uses present simple "tells" instead of present perfect "has often told", which does not reflect the original perfect aspect exactly.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners frequently backshift tenses automatically in reported speech even when the reporting verb is present. Another common problem is to forget to change pronouns, leading to confusing or incorrect references. Always check the time of the reporting verb and adjust your tense changes accordingly. Present reporting verbs often keep the original tense to show that the information remains true.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect sentence is My mother says that she has often told me not to play with fire.