Choose the option which best expresses the following sentence in Direct speech:
The speaker said that two wrongs do not make a right.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The speaker said, "Two wrongs do not make a right".
Indirect to direct speech:
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said | said, “ ” | “Said” stays. A comma follows it and the spoken words go inside inverted commas. |
| Conjunction | that | (dropped) | “That” is dropped. |
| Tense kept | do not make | do not make | No tense change. The reported words are a universal truth (a proverb), which keeps the present tense in both forms. |
| Capital letter | two wrongs | Two wrongs | The spoken words begin with a capital letter. |
| Full sentence | The speaker said that two wrongs do not make a right. | The speaker said, “Two wrongs do not make a right”. |
Example: The teacher said that the sun rises in the east. → The teacher said, “The sun rises in the east.”
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: The speaker said, "Don't make two wrongs right". — Incorrect. It turns a statement into a command and changes the meaning.
Option 3: The speaker said, "What wrongs ! did not make right". — Incorrect. It makes an exclamation, changes the tense to "did not" and loses the sense of the proverb.
Option 4: The speaker said, "Two wrongs and not to make a right". — Incorrect. It has no finite verb. It is not a sentence.