Concept:Direct speech quotes the speaker’s exact words, so verb tenses and pronouns are not shifted as they are in indirect speech.
Explanation:The original sentence is indirect: “The judge said that the defendant’s plea … had been a waste … as the evidence which had been presented … had clearly proven that he was guilty.”
In direct speech, the judge’s words are quoted inside quotation marks.
The reporting verb “said” is in the past, but the quoted part must reflect the original time of speaking.
The phrase “had been a waste” (past perfect) in indirect becomes “has been a waste” (present perfect) in direct because the judge is speaking now.
Similarly, “had been presented” changes to “was presented” (simple past) and “was guilty” changes to “is guilty” (simple present) to match the speaker’s current perspective.
Only option B correctly applies these tense changes while keeping the rest of the sentence unchanged.
Answer:"The defendant’s plea of not guilty has been a waste of the court’s time, as the evidence which was presented by the prosecution has clearly proven that he is guilty," the judge said. (Option B)