In the following reported speech question, choose the correct Indirect Speech form of the direct question: "Vaibhav said to me, 'Has your father returned from work?'"

Introduction / Context:
This item tests your understanding of reporting a yes or no type question in indirect speech. The given sentence is: Vaibhav said to me, "Has your father returned from work?" You must change it into indirect speech by selecting the option that correctly handles the reporting verb, auxiliary verb, pronouns and tense backshift from present perfect to past perfect.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Direct speech question: Has your father returned from work? - Reporting clause: Vaibhav said to me. - Reporting verb is in the past: said. - The structure is a yes or no question using present perfect tense.

Concept / Approach:
When reporting yes or no questions, we usually change said to asked and introduce the reported clause with if or whether. For present perfect tense (has returned) with a past reporting verb, the tense typically shifts to past perfect (had returned) in indirect speech. The pronoun your changes to my because the person being spoken to is the narrator. The word order changes from question format to statement format: subject plus auxiliary plus main verb instead of question inversion.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
To check the correctness, convert the indirect sentence back into direct speech. From Vaibhav asked me whether my father had returned from work, change had returned to has returned and my father back to your father, and reintroduce question word order and a question mark. The sentence becomes Vaibhav said to me, "Has your father returned from work?" which matches the original question. This confirms that the indirect form is accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A uses has returned instead of had returned, ignoring the tense backshift rule. Option C contains the incorrect construction has had returned, which is not standard English. Option D uses had been returning, which expresses a repeated or continuous process rather than a completed action. Option E wrongly uses would have returned, which introduces a conditional or speculative meaning that is not present in the original sentence. Only option B follows the rules of reported speech correctly for a present perfect question.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners forget to change the reporting verb to asked when reporting questions, or fail to introduce the reported clause with if or whether. Another frequent error is leaving the tense unchanged, especially in present perfect questions where the shift to past perfect is easy to overlook. Pronoun changes such as your to my can also be missed, leading to unnatural or incorrect sentences. Always identify the tense of the original question, the relationship between speakers and the correct statement word order for the reported clause.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech sentence is Vaibhav asked me whether my father had returned from work.