In the following question, a sentence is given in Indirect speech. Out of the four alternatives, select the option that correctly expresses the same idea in Direct speech: They told me that they had been befooled by those men.

Introduction / Context:
This question requires you to convert an Indirect narrative sentence back into Direct speech. The Indirect sentence is: They told me that they had been befooled by those men. You need to select the Direct sentence that most naturally corresponds to this reported form, taking into account tense changes and demonstrative pronouns such as "these" and "those".

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Reporting verb: told (past tense). - Listener: me. - Reported idea: they had been befooled by those men. - Tense in reported clause: past perfect passive ("had been befooled").

Concept / Approach:
When a Direct past simple passive sentence like "We were befooled by these men" is reported from the past, it typically changes to the past perfect passive: "they had been befooled by those men". The subject "we" in Direct speech becomes "they" from an outside narrator's point of view, and the demonstrative "these" usually shifts to "those" to reflect the distance in time or perspective. Therefore, we should look for a Direct sentence with "We were befooled by these men." spoken by "they" to "me".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that "had been befooled" in Indirect speech often comes from "were befooled" in Direct speech. Step 2: Replace "they" (reported subject) with "we" in the Direct sentence, because the original speakers refer to themselves. Step 3: Use the past simple passive: "were befooled". Step 4: Change "those men" back to "these men", since the people are likely present or near in the original conversation. Step 5: Add the reporting clause: They said to me, "We were befooled by these men."

Verification / Alternative check:
Reporting the Direct sentence "They said to me, "We were befooled by these men.", we obtain: They told me that they had been befooled by those men. "We" changes to "they", "were befooled" changes to "had been befooled", and "these" changes to "those". This matches the given Indirect sentence very closely, confirming option A as correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B has "They had befooled us", which makes "those men" the subject and changes the structure from passive to active. Option C uses the present perfect passive "have been befooled", which would be reported differently and would not normally become "had been befooled" with the same nuance. Option D uses the present simple passive "are befooled", again not matching the past perfect passive used in the Indirect sentence.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes ignore whether a sentence is in the active or passive voice when moving between Direct and Indirect speech. They also forget that demonstrative pronouns like "this" and "these" often become "that" and "those" in reported form. Another typical error is to mix up tenses, for example reporting "were" as "were" instead of "had been" when the reporting verb is in the past. Always check whether the event clearly occurred before the time of reporting, in which case the past perfect often appears in Indirect speech.

Final Answer:
They said to me, "We were befooled by these men."