Question

Read the sentence. The doctor told his patient that he would need to step out of the room if the phone rang. Which of these best clears up the ambiguity in this sentence without changing its meaning? The patient was told by the doctor that he would need to step out of the room if the phone rang. Stepping out of the room, the doctor told the patient he would need to if the phone rang. The doctor said to his patient, "I need to step out of the room if the phone rings." If the phone rang, the doctor told his patient he would need to step out of the room.

Answer 1

The doctor said to his patient, "I need to step out of the room if the phone rings."

with the others you could not tell which person needed to step out of the room if the phone rang.

Answer 2

The answer to your question would be that the statement that clears up best the ambiguity in the sentence without changing its meaning is the following one: The doctor said to his patient, "I need to step out of the room if the phone rings".

By chosing the direct quotation, you clear up the ambiguity. When reading the other sentences, it is possible to understand that the one who needs to step out of the room is the patient not the doctor.