In this Direct and Indirect Speech question, select the correct Indirect Speech form of the statement: "Pritam said, 'These pastries are yummy.'"

Introduction / Context:
This question tests how to report a simple present statement of opinion that contains the demonstrative these. The direct sentence is: Pritam said, "These pastries are yummy." To answer, you must know when to backshift the tense, how to change demonstratives like these and how to preserve the compliment in reported speech.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Direct speech: These pastries are yummy. - Reporting clause: Pritam said. - Reporting verb: said, in the past tense. - Demonstrative: these pastries refers to pastries near the speaker.

Concept / Approach:
In indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in the past, the simple present are yummy can change to simple past were yummy, especially in exam style questions that prefer tense backshift. The demonstrative these usually changes to those to show greater distance in time or place when reported later. The conjunction that introduces the reported clause after said. Because the statement expresses an opinion or description at that time, were yummy correctly reports what was said.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine reconstructing the direct speech. From Pritam said that those pastries were yummy, change those to these and were to are, and add quotation marks. The sentence becomes: Pritam said, "These pastries are yummy." which is the original sentence. This confirms that the indirect speech version is accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A keeps the present tense are, which does not fully reflect the standard tense backshift after a past reporting verb. Option B is awkward, adding this and disturbing the natural word order. Option D keeps these instead of changing to those and also uses are, making two deictic and tense mistakes. Option E uses had been yummy, which suggests that the pastries were yummy only in a more distant past and possibly are no longer, altering the nuance. Option C correctly changes these to those and are to were, which fits the usual exam rule for indirect speech.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often forget to adjust demonstratives like this, that, these and those during reported speech transformations. Another common mistake is leaving the tense in simple present even when the reporting verb is in the past. Although in everyday conversation it may be acceptable to keep present tense for universal truths, competitive exam questions usually expect consistent backshift. Always check for both tense and demonstrative changes in such items.

Final Answer:
The correct reported speech form is Pritam said that those pastries were yummy.