In the following question, a sentence is given in Indirect speech. Choose the option that best expresses the same idea in Direct speech. He told his mother that he was starting in two days' time.

Introduction / Context:
This question deals with reporting a planned future action expressed in a sentence about time. The reported sentence shows a son telling his mother that he is going to start something after two days. The Direct speech version must correctly reflect the time expression and show that the action is planned for the near future using an appropriate tense.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Indirect speech: He told his mother that he was starting in two days' time.
• The reporting verb is "told" and the listener is "his mother".
• "Was starting" is a past continuous form used here to represent a planned future from a past viewpoint.
• "In two days' time" is a time expression whose Direct speech equivalent is usually "the day after tomorrow".
• We assume the speaker is talking about a journey, a job, or some significant activity starting soon.

Concept / Approach:
When converting from Indirect to Direct speech, we remove tense backshift and restore the original future plan expression. Past continuous "was starting" can become present continuous "am starting" in Direct speech when the speaker talks about a planned future event. The expression "in two days' time" becomes "the day after tomorrow" because that is how people naturally speak in Direct form. The reporting verb "told his mother" corresponds to a Direct speech pattern like ""..., mother," he said." with the word "mother" in vocative position inside the quotation.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
The sentence now expresses a clear future plan with present continuous "am starting", which is a common structure in English. The time phrase "the day after tomorrow" correctly corresponds to "in two days' time". The vocative "mother" placed before the closing quotation mark shows that he is addressing her directly. The sentence sounds natural and preserves the original meaning.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B uses "will start the next day" which does not match "in two days' time"; "the next day" usually corresponds to "tomorrow" in Direct speech, not the day after tomorrow. Option C uses "may start", which changes the certainty of the plan and makes it only a possibility. Option D uses "must start", which adds a sense of obligation that is not present in the original sentence. Only option A correctly reflects both the timing and the nature of the planned action.

Common Pitfalls:
Time expressions often cause confusion in reported speech. Learners may incorrectly map "in two days' time" to "tomorrow" or "next day" when converting. Another problem is overusing "will" in all future statements, even when present continuous is a better choice to show arranged plans. Practicing pairs of time expressions and understanding how they change between Direct and Indirect speech helps avoid these mistakes.

Final Answer:
The correct Direct speech form is "I am starting the day after tomorrow, mother," he said.