Convert the sentence into indirect speech: She says, "I am playing tennis."

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your understanding of reported speech when the reporting verb is in the present tense. The direct sentence She says, "I am playing tennis." is a present-time report about an action happening now. When converting such sentences to indirect speech, we normally keep the tense of the reported clause in the present because the situation described is still current.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Direct speech: She says, "I am playing tennis."
• The reporting verb says is in the simple present tense.
• The reported clause uses present continuous: I am playing tennis.
• In reported speech with a present-tense reporting verb, tense backshift is usually not required because the information is still true now.

Concept / Approach:
When the reporting verb is in the present (says, tells), we normally do not change the tense of the quoted speech. Instead, we adjust pronouns and add that if needed. The pronoun I becomes she to match the subject of the reporting clause. The present continuous am playing remains is playing. Therefore, the correct indirect speech is She says that she is playing tennis. Options that use was playing or said would imply a past-time report, which does not correctly reflect the original sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the reporting verb: says, which is present tense.Step 2: Note that in direct speech the action is present continuous: I am playing tennis.Step 3: Replace I with she so that the pronoun matches the subject of the reporting clause.Step 4: Keep present continuous because the reporting verb is present and the situation is assumed to be happening now. Am playing becomes is playing.Step 5: Insert the conjunction that (which may be omitted in casual speech) to form She says that she is playing tennis.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check each option in relation to the original sentence. Option D She says that she is playing tennis keeps both the reporting verb and the action in the present, which matches the idea that she is currently playing tennis as she speaks. Option A She says that she was playing tennis changes the continuous tense to past, suggesting that the action was happening previously, which conflicts with the present says. Option C She said she was playing tennis uses past reporting and backshifted tense, suitable only if the original had She said, "I am playing tennis." Option B She was playing tennis is not a complete report because it drops the reporting verb entirely.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options A and C both change the tense in ways that are not consistent with a present-time reporting verb. Option B is incomplete as it does not show who is reporting the statement. None of them preserves both the reporting verb in the present and the correct continuous aspect of the action while adjusting the pronoun, which is required for accurate indirect speech in this case.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to backshift the tense automatically whenever converting direct to indirect speech, changing am playing to was playing even when the reporting verb is in the present. However, the rule of tense backshift mainly applies when the reporting verb is in the past (said, told). When says or tells is used, we normally maintain the original tense unless the context clearly demands a change. Remembering this distinction will help you answer similar questions correctly.

Final Answer:
The correct indirect speech form is She says that she is playing tennis., so option D is correct.