A sentence has been given in Direct Speech. Out of the four given alternatives, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect Speech. Direct Speech: "Where do you come from?" asked the stranger.

Introduction / Context:
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) questions test a learner's ability to convert quoted speech into a reported form while maintaining meaning and applying the correct rules for tense, pronouns, and word order. The sentence here is an information seeking question, so we must use an appropriate reporting verb and change the question into a statement structure in indirect speech.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: "Where do you come from?" asked the stranger.
• Reporting verb: asked (past tense).
• The question word is "Where".
• Pronoun "you" will usually change to "I" when the speaker is reporting their own words.
• We assume the reporting is done later, so normal tense back shifting principles apply.

Concept / Approach:
When changing a question from direct to indirect speech, we normally:

• Use a reporting verb like "asked" or "enquired".
• Keep the question word "Where".
• Change the verb form from interrogative order to a normal statement order (subject before verb).
• Back shift tense if the reporting verb is in the past. "Do you come" becomes "I came".
• Adjust pronouns according to the point of view of the reporter.

The aim is to convert the question "Where do you come from?" into a reported clause starting with "where".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remove the quotation marks and start with the reporting clause: "The stranger enquired..." or "The stranger asked...". Step 2: Keep the question word "where" and link it directly after the reporting verb: "The stranger enquired where...". Step 3: Change "do you come from" into statement order "I came from". The auxiliary "do" disappears and the main verb shifts to past tense because "asked" is in the past. Step 4: Combine the parts: "The stranger enquired where I came from." Step 5: Check that there is no question mark in indirect speech and that the structure is a normal statement. Step 6: Match this with the options: Option B is exactly "The stranger enquired where I came from."

Verification / Alternative check:
Review each option briefly:
Option A: "The stranger enquired about my location." This changes the wording and does not report the original sentence exactly, even though it is similar in meaning. Option B: "The stranger enquired where I came from." This correctly uses the question word, back shifts the tense, and keeps proper word order. Option C: "The stranger says where do I come from." Uses present tense "says" and keeps interrogative word order "where do I", which is incorrect for reported speech. Option D: "The stranger asked where did I came from." Contains both incorrect word order "where did I" in indirect speech and wrong verb form "came" after "did". The proper and grammatically accurate indirect speech form is Option B.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: Although it conveys a similar idea, it does not follow the expected indirect speech structure and changes the original content. Option C: Incorrect tense and retains the direct question structure, which is not allowed in indirect speech. Option D: Double error: wrong word order and incorrect tense combination "did I came". It should be "did I come" even in direct questions.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often forget to change the question order to statement order in indirect speech and mistakenly keep forms like "where did I come from". Another common issue is ignoring tense back shifting when the reporting verb is in the past. Some learners may also make pronoun mistakes, leaving "you" instead of converting it to "I" when the reporter speaks about themselves. Regular practice with simple question forms and their indirect equivalents is the best way to avoid these errors.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is "The stranger enquired where I came from."