In the following question on Direct and Indirect speech, convert the exclamatory sentence correctly: Pinky said, “What a beautiful vase!”. Choose the option that best expresses this statement in indirect (reported) speech.

Introduction / Context:
This grammar question checks your ability to change a sentence from Direct speech to Indirect speech, specifically an exclamatory sentence expressing admiration. Such transformations are frequently tested in English sections of competitive exams. Here, Pinky makes an exclamatory remark about a vase, and you must convert it to a correctly structured reported speech sentence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: “Pinky said, ‘What a beautiful vase!’”.
• The reporting verb “said” is in the past tense.
• The exclamation “What a beautiful vase!” expresses admiration or strong feeling.
• Options provide different indirect speech forms, using various reporting verbs and tenses.

Concept / Approach:
When converting exclamatory sentences to indirect speech, we usually change “said” to “exclaimed” to show emotion, and we convert the exclamation into a statement beginning with “that”. Since the reporting verb is in the past, the verb in the reported clause normally shifts one step back in tense (from present “is” to past “was”). We also remove the exclamation mark and exclamatory structure (“What a ...!”) and rewrite it as a normal descriptive clause like “that it was a very beautiful vase”.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Change the reporting verb “said” to a more suitable verb for exclamations, such as “exclaimed”. Step 2: Introduce the reported clause with “that”, giving a structure like “Pinky exclaimed that ...”. Step 3: Convert “What a beautiful vase!” into ordinary statement form: “it was a very beautiful vase”. Add “very” to convey the strong admiration implied by the exclamation. Step 4: Apply tense backshift from present “is” to past “was” because the reporting verb “said” is in the past. Step 5: Combine the parts correctly: “Pinky exclaimed that it was a very beautiful vase.” Step 6: Compare this form with all given options and select the one that matches exactly.

Verification / Alternative check:
The final indirect sentence “Pinky exclaimed that it was a very beautiful vase” correctly captures the emotion, uses the right tense, and follows standard rules of reported speech. It avoids grammatical errors and maintains the original meaning that Pinky admired the vase. This form is commonly recommended in grammar books and exam answer keys for such exclamatory sentences.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Pinky exclaimed that it is a very beautiful vase: Uses “is”, which is present tense. With a past reporting verb “said”, we normally shift “is” to “was” unless there is a strong reason to keep the present tense.
• Pinky said that it is a very beautiful vase indeed: Keeps “said” instead of “exclaimed” and also keeps the present tense “is”. While partly acceptable in conversation, it does not reflect the exclamatory nature and tense rules expected in exams.
• Pinky reported that it was an indeed a beautiful vase: This is grammatically incorrect due to the phrase “an indeed a beautiful vase”, which is not proper English word order.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often forget to change the reporting verb for exclamations or fail to adjust the tense correctly. Another mistake is to try to preserve the exact exclamatory word order (“What a ...!”) in indirect speech, which leads to unnatural sentences. It is better to restate the emotion through modifiers like “very” while keeping a clear and simple statement structure.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is Pinky exclaimed that it was a very beautiful vase.