Convert the following direct speech sentence into indirect speech: Mother said to you, "When will you start from Pune?"

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of reported speech (indirect speech), specifically how to change a question from direct to indirect form. The original sentence is: Mother said to you, "When will you start from Pune?" You must choose the indirect version that preserves the meaning while following rules of tense backshift, pronoun change, and sentence structure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Reporting clause: "Mother said to you".
• Reported question: "When will you start from Pune?"
• The reporting verb "said" is in the simple past tense.
• The original question is in the future tense ("will start").
• We must remove question marks and change word order appropriately.

Concept / Approach:
When converting direct questions to indirect speech, we typically change "said to" into "asked" or "inquired", remove quotation marks, use a conjunction like "when", "if", or "whether", and shift the tense one step back if the reporting verb is in the past. For future tense "will", the corresponding backshift is usually "would". Also, the question word order changes to statement order, so we use "subject + verb" instead of "verb + subject". Therefore, "When will you start from Pune?" becomes "when you would start from Pune" in indirect speech.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Change the reporting verb "said to" into "asked", since a question is being reported. So, "Mother said to you" becomes "Mother asked you". Step 2: Keep the question word "when" as the connector in reported speech. So we add "when" after "asked you". Step 3: Change the question structure to statement structure. The direct clause "When will you start from Pune?" inverts to "you will start from Pune" when reported. Step 4: Apply tense backshift. Because the reporting verb "asked" is in the past, we usually change "will" to "would". The clause becomes "you would start from Pune". Step 5: Combine these elements: "Mother asked you when you would start from Pune." Step 6: Check that there is no question mark and that the sentence now reads as a reported statement.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine going back to direct speech. Starting from "Mother asked you when you would start from Pune," you can recover the original: Mother said to you, "When will you start from Pune?" The meaning and time reference remain the same. The tense backshift from "will" to "would" is a standard rule for reported speech when the reporting verb is in the past.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B uses "will" instead of "would". When the reporting verb is in the past, keeping "will" is usually incorrect unless the action is still guaranteed in the future at the time of reporting and the exam has signalled an exception, which it has not done here. Option C "will be starting" introduces a different tense (future continuous) and also fails to backshift. Option D "will have started" changes the meaning to future perfect, suggesting completion before another future point, which is not intended. Option E includes an unnecessary "that" before "when", which is incorrect structure for indirect questions in standard English.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often forget to backshift "will" to "would" or "can" to "could" when the reporting verb is in the past. Another common mistake is leaving the word order in question form, as in "when will you start" instead of "when you would start". Additionally, some candidates add "that" mechanically in all reported speech sentences, even before question words, which produces incorrect structures like "asked that when". Keeping a clear checklist for reported speech transformations can help avoid such errors.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is "Mother asked you when you would start from Pune."