Directions: A statement in reported speech is given below. Select the option that correctly converts it into direct speech.

The astrophysicist stated that light travels faster than sound.

The correct option is "Light travels faster than sound," the astrophysicist stated.

Key Rules for Converting Reported Speech to Direct Speech:
1. Quotation Marks: Direct speech represents the exact words spoken by the speaker, enclosed within double quotation marks ("...").
2. Removal of Conjunction: The conjunction 'that' used in reported speech is omitted when returning to direct speech.
3. Universal Truth / Scientific Fact Rule: If the reported statement expresses a universal truth or a scientific fact, its verb tense remains in the Simple Present tense regardless of whether the reporting verb (stated) is in the past tense.

Step-by-Step Conversion:
• Given Reported Speech: The astrophysicist stated that light travels faster than sound.
• Identify the Spoken Content: The clause "light travels faster than sound" is a scientific fact, so it remains in the simple present tense (travels).
• Punctuation and Formatting: Remove the conjunction 'that', put the statement inside quotation marks with a comma at the end: "Light travels faster than sound,"
• Add the Reporting Clause: Place the astrophysicist stated after the quoted direct speech.
• Combining these steps yields the correct direct speech statement: "Light travels faster than sound," the astrophysicist stated.