Select the option that gives the direct speech of the sentence.
He complained that the meeting had hardly started when the power went out.
आपने शायद यह सोचाWhat you probably thoughtदूसरा विकल्प सही लगा होगा क्योंकि दोनों clauses (उपवाक्य) में 'had' रखा गया है। पर 'when' के बाद का clause past indefinite में रहता है, इसलिए 'had gone out' गलत है।The second option seemed right because it keeps 'had' in both clauses. But the clause after 'when' is in the past indefinite, so 'had gone out' is wrong.
आपने शायद यह सोचाWhat you probably thoughtतीसरा विकल्प सही लगा होगा क्योंकि 'hardly' उद्धरण के शुरू में है। पर तब सहायक क्रिया कर्ता से पहले आनी चाहिए: 'had the meeting', 'the meeting had' नहीं।The third option seemed right because 'hardly' opens the quotation. But the helping verb must then come before the subject: 'had the meeting', not 'the meeting had'.
आपने शायद यह सोचाWhat you probably thoughtचौथा विकल्प सही लगा होगा क्योंकि 'Had the meeting' inversion जैसा दिखता है। पर इससे कथन प्रश्न बन जाता है, जो वाक्य का प्रकार बदल देता है।The fourth option seemed right because 'Had the meeting' looks like inversion. But it turns the statement into a question, which changes the type of sentence.
Answer और ExplanationAnswer and explanation
Answer: (A) He complained, “Hardly had the meeting started when the power went out.”
बताया गया वाक्य कथन (statement) है, इसलिए direct speech (प्रत्यक्ष कथन) भी कथन ही रहेगी। जब hardly उद्धरण के शुरू में आता है, तब सहायक क्रिया कर्ता से पहले आती है (Hardly had the meeting started), मुख्य क्रिया V3 लेती है, और when के बाद का clause (उपवाक्य) past indefinite (went out) में रहता है।
Hardly + had + S + V3 + when + V2
✓
He complained, “Hardly had the meeting started when the power went out.”
सरल अर्थ: उसने शिकायत की, “मीटिंग शुरू हुई ही थी कि बिजली चली गई।”
The reported sentence is a statement, so the direct speech must stay a statement. When hardly opens the quotation, the helping verb comes before the subject (Hardly had the meeting started), the main verb takes V3, and the clause after when stays in the past indefinite (went out).
Hardly + had + S + V3 + when + V2
✓
He complained, “Hardly had the meeting started when the power went out.”
बाकी Options उत्तर क्यों नहीं हैंWhy the other options are not the answer
Bदूसरा विकल्प सही लगा होगा क्योंकि दोनों clauses (उपवाक्य) में 'had' रखा गया है। पर 'when' के बाद का clause past indefinite में रहता है, इसलिए 'had gone out' गलत है।The second option seemed right because it keeps 'had' in both clauses. But the clause after 'when' is in the past indefinite, so 'had gone out' is wrong.
Cतीसरा विकल्प सही लगा होगा क्योंकि 'hardly' उद्धरण के शुरू में है। पर तब सहायक क्रिया कर्ता से पहले आनी चाहिए: 'had the meeting', 'the meeting had' नहीं।The third option seemed right because 'hardly' opens the quotation. But the helping verb must then come before the subject: 'had the meeting', not 'the meeting had'.
Dचौथा विकल्प सही लगा होगा क्योंकि 'Had the meeting' inversion जैसा दिखता है। पर इससे कथन प्रश्न बन जाता है, जो वाक्य का प्रकार बदल देता है।The fourth option seemed right because 'Had the meeting' looks like inversion. But it turns the statement into a question, which changes the type of sentence.
Source: SSC Steno 2026 · 12 Sep 2026 · Shift II। Solution: Prashant Sir, Ramban।Source: SSC Steno 2026 · 12 Sep 2026 · Shift II. Solution by Prashant Sir, from Ramban.