Choose the correct indirect transformation of the following sentence from the given options:
Avik said to Sumit, “Do not come here again or you will get a beating.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Avik warned Sumit not to come there again or he would get a beating.
Direct to indirect speech (a command given as a warning):
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said to | warned | “Said to” changes to a verb that shows the speaker’s purpose. Avik threatens Sumit with a beating, so the verb is warned. |
| Negative command | Do not come | not to come | “Do not come” becomes not to come (not + to-infinitive). |
| Words of nearness (time and place) | here | there | “Here” becomes there. |
| Pronoun change | you | he | “You” (Sumit) becomes he. |
| Tense change | will get | would get | After the past reporting verb, “will get” becomes would get. |
| Full sentence | Avik said to Sumit, “Do not come here again or you will get a beating.” | Avik warned Sumit not to come there again or he would get a beating. |
Example: The teacher said to us, “Do not talk.” → The teacher told us not to talk.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Avik told Sumit to do not come there again or he will get a beating. — Incorrect.
- "To do not come" is not English. The negative form is "not to come".
- "Will" is not changed to "would".
Option 2: Avik threatened Sumit that do not come there again or he will be beaten. — Incorrect.
- A command cannot follow "that" in its direct form ("that do not come").
- "Will" is not changed to "would", and "will be beaten" alters the original words.
Option 3: Avik told Sumit to not come there again or he will be getting a beating. — Incorrect.
- The usual reported form is "not to come", not "to not come".
- "Will be getting" changes the tense instead of shifting "will get" to "would get".