Choose the option that is in the direct form of the sentence. Hitesh told me…

Solution: The correct direct form is

Hitesh said to me, "I couldn't pick your call as I was driving."

How this change is made (step-by-step):

• Replace the reporting structure: remove the conjunction "that" and introduce a comma plus quotation marks for direct speech (e.g., ...said to me, "...").

• Change pronouns to match the speaker's original words: the third-person "he" becomes the first-person "I" inside the quotation.

• Adjust possessives according to who is speaking: "my call" (from the narrator's perspective) becomes "your call" in Hitesh's direct speech addressed to the listener.

• Tense change: when converting indirect speech back to direct speech, the past perfect continuous "had been driving" is commonly rendered as past continuous "was driving" to reflect Hitesh's original utterance.

• Reporting verb choice: use a natural reporting verb form such as "said to me" or "told me." Both are acceptable; ensure the rest of the sentence matches the direct- speech perspective.

Final direct-speech sentence: Hitesh said to me, "I couldn't pick your call as I was driving."