Point out the correct direct speech of the following.
I asked why he was looking through the keyhole.

Question

Point out the correct direct speech of the following. 
I asked why he was looking through the keyhole.

Accepted Answer

The given indirect speech is: "I asked why he was looking through the keyhole."
We need to find the direct speech that correctly converts to this indirect form.

Let's analyze the components of the indirect speech:
*   **Reporting verb:** "I asked" indicates that the direct speech was a question.
*   **Wh-word:** "why" indicates that the direct speech was a Wh-question.
*   **Subject:** "he" in indirect speech corresponds to "you" in direct speech.
*   **Tense:** "was looking" (Past Continuous) in indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in the past tense ("asked"), means the direct speech was in the Present Continuous tense.

Now let's evaluate each option:

**1. "Do not look through the keyhole' I said."**
*   This is an imperative sentence (a command or prohibition).
*   If this were the direct speech, the indirect speech would be something like: "I told him not to look through the keyhole."
*   It does not contain a "why" question and the tense/structure do not match the given indirect speech.
*   Therefore, this option is incorrect.

**2. "Are you looking through the keyhole?' I said."**
*   This is a Yes/No question.
*   If this were the direct speech, the indirect speech would be: "I asked if he was looking through the keyhole" or "I asked whether he was looking through the keyhole."
*   It uses "if" or "whether" in indirect speech, not "why."
*   Therefore, this option is incorrect.

**3. "Why are you looking through the keyhole ?' I said."**
*   **Wh-word:** The direct speech starts with "Why," which correctly corresponds to the "why" in the indirect speech.
*   **Subject:** "you" in direct speech correctly changes to "he" in indirect speech.
*   **Tense:** "are looking" (Present Continuous) in direct speech correctly changes to "was looking" (Past Continuous) in indirect speech when the reporting verb ("said" / "asked") is in the past tense.
*   **Reporting clause:** "I said" is appropriate for "I asked" in the context of a question.
*   This option perfectly matches all the rules for converting a Wh-question from direct to indirect speech.
*   Therefore, this option is correct.

**4. "You are looking through the keyhole ?' I said."**
*   While it has a question mark, the structure "You are looking..." is typically a statement, or at best, a statement phrased as a question implying surprise, but it lacks the explicit "why" element.
*   If this were a direct question, it would usually be "Are you looking...?"
*   If it were a statement, the indirect speech would be "I said that he was looking through the keyhole."
*   It does not contain the "why" that is present in the indirect speech.
*   Therefore, this option is incorrect.

Based on the detailed analysis, Option 3 is the only correct direct speech form that accurately converts to "I asked why he was looking through the keyhole."

The final answer is $\boxed{	ext{Option 3}}$