Read the following direct speech sentence and choose the option that correctly converts it into indirect (reported) speech: My mother said to me, "You will regret your actions."

Introduction / Context:
This question checks understanding of reported speech when the reporting verb has a sense of warning or caution. The original direct speech expresses a future consequence, and the correct indirect form should preserve both the meaning and the tone of warning. Learners must correctly choose tense backshift, pronouns, and the appropriate reporting verb that best matches the attitude of the speaker, in this case the mother warning her child.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: My mother said to me, "You will regret your actions."
• The reporting verb "said to" can often be replaced by a more expressive verb like "warned" in indirect speech.
• The clause inside quotes uses "will regret," which is future simple.
• The sentence implies a warning about future consequences of current behaviour.

Concept / Approach:
In reported speech, when "said to" expresses a warning, advice, or order, it is common to change it to a more precise verb like "warned," "advised," or "ordered." When the reporting verb is in the past tense, future "will" in the reported clause usually changes to "would." Pronoun "you" must change to "I," because the listener in the direct speech is the speaker of the report. The phrase "your actions" remains unchanged in meaning, but we must keep the tone of warning clear and grammatically consistent.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify the reporting part: "My mother said to me". Because the sense is clearly a warning, we can convert "said to" into "warned". Step 2: Introduce the conjunction "that" after the reporting verb to link to the reported clause. Step 3: Change the pronoun "you" to "I" because the report is made by the person who was originally addressed. Step 4: Backshift "will regret" to "would regret" because the reporting verb "warned" is in the past. The final sentence becomes: "My mother warned me that I would regret my actions."

Verification / Alternative check:
The final sentence "My mother warned me that I would regret my actions" clearly shows the past reporting verb "warned," the conjunction "that," the correct pronoun "me" as indirect object, and "would regret" as the suitably backshifted form of "will regret." The meaning of a warning about future regret remains intact. If we read the sentence aloud, it sounds natural and formal, as expected in exam style English grammar.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option A: "My mother warned me that I will regret my actions." uses "will" instead of "would," which usually conflicts with the rule of tense backshift because the reporting verb is in the past. Option C: "My mother said to me that I will regret my actions." keeps "said to" and "will," so it loses the clear warning nuance and also fails to backshift the tense. Option D: "My mother said that I would regret my actions someday." backshifts "will" to "would," but it omits "to me" and changes the reporting verb from a specific address form to a more general one. It is less precise than the correct version with "warned me." Option E: "My mother told that I would regret my actions." is grammatically incorrect because "told" needs an object: "told me," "told us," and so on.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners forget to change "will" to "would" after a past tense reporting verb. Others either keep the weak reporting verb "said to" or use "told" without an object. It is also common to ignore the implied force of the sentence and not choose a verb like "warned" that better reflects the intention. Remember that sense, tense, and pronouns must all be adjusted together for correct reported speech.

Final Answer:
The correct reported speech form is My mother warned me that I would regret my actions.