In this reported speech question, the direct speech sentence is: My father says, "Prices are shooting up alarmingly." Choose the option that best converts this into indirect (reported) speech while keeping the sense and tense appropriate.

Introduction / Context:
This question is from the topic of direct and indirect speech (also called reported speech). You are given a direct quote: My father says, "Prices are shooting up alarmingly." Your task is to select the option that correctly converts this direct speech into indirect speech. Such questions check whether you understand the rules for changing tenses, pronouns and word order when moving from quoted speech to reported speech, especially when the reporting verb is in the present tense.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: My father says, "Prices are shooting up alarmingly."
• Reporting verb: "says", which is in the simple present tense.
• The reported clause describes a general or continuing situation about prices increasing rapidly.
• You must choose one of the given options as the best indirect speech version.

Concept / Approach:
When the reporting verb is in the present tense ("says", "states", "tells"), the tense of the reported clause normally does not change. However, the structure changes from quoted speech to a "that clause". In the original, the present continuous "are shooting up" describes an action happening around now and possibly continuing. In indirect speech with a present reporting verb, we often keep the tense or shift slightly to a timeless description if we want to express a general trend. The option "prices shoot up alarmingly" uses simple present to express a situation seen as generally true or characteristic, which is acceptable in reported speech with "says".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the reporting part: "My father says" and the quoted statement: "Prices are shooting up alarmingly."Step 2: Replace the comma and quotation marks with "that" to introduce a reported clause: "My father says that ..."Step 3: Decide on the tense inside the reported clause. Since "says" is in the present tense, you are not forced to change "are shooting up".Step 4: Check the options and see that option A uses simple present "shoot up" to express an alarming price rise as a general trend, which is natural in English.Step 5: Reject options that unnecessarily shift the statement into the past or use inconsistent tenses with the present reporting verb.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare the meanings of the direct and indirect sentences. "My father says, 'Prices are shooting up alarmingly.'" can be understood as "He regularly comments that prices rise sharply and dangerously." The indirect version "My father says that prices shoot up alarmingly." still conveys the idea that, according to him, prices rise or tend to rise sharply. The time frame and sense of urgency remain similar. Options that move everything into the past ("was shooting up", "shot up") break this ongoing or general sense and are less suitable with "says".

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, "My father says that the price was shooting up alarmingly", incorrectly uses past continuous "was shooting up" and changes "prices" to "the price", which distorts both number and time reference. Option C, "prices shot up alarmingly", shifts the action to a completed event in the past, which does not fit well with the present reporting verb "says". Option D, "My father said that the prices were shooting up alarmingly", changes the reporting verb to past ("said") and the reported clause to past continuous, making it a completely different sentence from the original and therefore unsuitable as a direct conversion.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to apply backshifting rules mechanically, changing every tense to the past even when the reporting verb is in the present. Another pitfall is not noticing changes in number (price vs prices) or articles that alter the meaning. Remember that when the reporting verb is in present tense and the statement is still true or represents a general situation, it is acceptable to keep the present tense or use a simple present form that captures an ongoing trend.

Final Answer:
The best indirect speech version is My father says that prices shoot up alarmingly., which correctly preserves the sense of his present comment about sharply rising prices.