Problem with "sure"

[Ann Nguyen]

Hi everyone,

Could you please give me the correct answer of this MCQ and explain it for me.

Sara said she was sure it ……
A. Will rain B. rains C. would be raining D. was going to rain

The answer in the keys is "B. rains" but I don't know why.

Many thanks.

[Barb_D]

Either A or D works.

Even C could work with a few more words "it would be raining by the time we got home."

B is the least likely choice.

[Sureshvemuri]

Sara said she was sure it - will rain.
I have a question here, when we use SAID - we have to use WOULD or COULD.

Thanks,
Suresh

[Sajan]

[Solomon45]

ıt is a particular aspect of English. Foreign teachers of English lng cannot understand why the answer is "B rains" here. You must be an English man: Even not an ordinary man to answer this question in "B". You must have literary ability.

On the other hand this question has no use for a grammar teaching class. We should not aim to confuse the students' poor brains by such silly questions. It is very marginal.

[Solomon45]

The answer is B rains because all other answers fails. The writer of the questions thinks 'rains' to be in "....."