In this direct and indirect speech question, choose the best indirect version of the sentence "They said, \"We pray every day.\"".

Introduction / Context:
This question examines the correct use of tense in reporting a habitual action from direct to indirect speech. The original statement shows a group saying that they perform an action regularly: "We pray every day." When we report this speech with a past reporting verb like "said", we usually back shift the simple present to simple past, unless we deliberately want to emphasise that the habit is still true at the moment of reporting.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: "They said, \"We pray every day.\""
• Reporting verb: "said" in simple past.
• The habitual action: "pray every day".
• The subject of the reported clause is the same people, so "we" becomes "they".

Concept / Approach:
Standard exam rules for reported speech say that when the reporting verb is in the past, the tense of the reported clause is generally back shifted: present simple becomes past simple. Thus "We pray every day" normally becomes "they prayed every day". The pronoun "we" must also change to "they", because the reporting voice is no longer inside the group. The time expression "every day" remains the same because it is a general frequency indicator, not a time word like "today" or "now".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Change "we" to "they" in the reported clause to match the subject of "said". Step 2: Back shift the present simple "pray" to past simple "prayed". Step 3: Retain "every day" because it expresses frequency and is still appropriate in the reported form. Step 4: Introduce the reported clause with "that". Step 5: Form the sentence: "They said that they prayed every day."

Verification / Alternative check:
Option c) exactly matches the sentence constructed in the steps and follows the usual exam convention. Option b) uses present simple "pray", which may sometimes be acceptable if we want to express that the habit still continues, but such subtlety is rarely tested at this level and does not show back shift. Option a) uses present perfect continuous "have been praying", which significantly changes the meaning to focus on duration. Option d) incorrectly uses "we" instead of "they", confusing who is speaking in the reported sentence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a) "have been praying" introduces a sense of ongoing activity that was not expressed in the original simple present statement.

Option b) does not back shift the tense despite a past reporting verb, which exam patterns generally expect.

Option d) incorrectly keeps "we", suggesting that the reporter is still part of the group, which is not indicated by the original sentence.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes hesitate between preserving the present tense and back shifting it. In most exam situations, if no special context is given and the reporting verb is past, you should back shift. Also be careful with pronouns; always identify who said the sentence and who is reporting it. If "they said" introduces the speech, "we" usually changes to "they" in the reported clause.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect sentence is: "They said that they prayed every day."