Convert the following sentence from direct to indirect speech and select the correct reported version: Father said to Rahul, "Are you in such a hurry to cross the road?"

Introduction / Context:
Reported speech, also called indirect speech, is a very important area in English grammar. Examinations often test whether candidates can correctly transform a question in direct speech into its indirect form while keeping tense, pronouns, and word order accurate. In this question, the spoken words of the father addressed to Rahul must be reported in a grammatically correct indirect structure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

Direct speech: Father said to Rahul, "Are you in such a hurry to cross the road?"
The reporting verb is "said to", which usually becomes "asked" for questions.
The question is a yes or no question beginning with the auxiliary "Are".
The answer choices provide different patterns for indirect speech with slight changes in pronouns, tense, and connectors.

Concept / Approach:

When converting a yes or no question from direct to indirect speech, "said to" is commonly changed to "asked".

The auxiliary verb form is shifted from question order (Are you) to statement order (he was) in the reported clause.

We introduce the clause with "if" or "whether" instead of using a question mark.

Pronouns change from second person "you" to third person "he" to match the object "Rahul".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Change the reporting verb "said to" into "asked", because the father is clearly asking a question. Step 2: Introduce the reported question with the conjunction "if" or "whether" to signal an indirect yes or no type question. Step 3: Convert the present continuous question "Are you in such a hurry to cross the road?" into statement order in the past: "he was in such a hurry to cross the road". Step 4: Adjust the pronoun "you" to "he" because the person addressed is Rahul. Step 5: Combine the parts: "Father asked Rahul if he was in such a hurry to cross the road." Step 6: Compare this structure with the options given and select the one that matches exactly.

Verification / Alternative check:
Option a uses "asked", the correct connector "if", and the correct pronoun and tense: "if he was in such a hurry to cross the road". This matches standard grammar rules for reported questions and therefore is appropriate. No grammatical errors are present in option a, confirming it as the correct indirect form.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option b changes the wording "such a hurry" to "a big hurry". This alters the original meaning and is therefore not a precise transformation. Option c incorrectly includes the word "that" before "if", which is not standard in this structure and makes the sentence awkward. Option d uses "ask" instead of "asked" and so fails to maintain correct past tense in the reporting verb.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners may forget to change the word order from interrogative to statement form in the reported clause. Another common mistake is to leave the pronoun unchanged, writing "you" instead of converting it to "he" or "she" based on the context. Students sometimes insert extra words like "that" before "if" or "whether", which is unnecessary and incorrect.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is: Father asked Rahul if he was in such a hurry to cross the road.