Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.

The little girl said that those butterflies were very colourful.

The little girl said, “These butterflies are very colourful.”

The correct direct form of the given sentence is:

The little girl said, "Those butterflies were very colourful."

The other options are incorrect:

• The little girl said, "Are those butterflies very colourful?" This is incorrect because the reported speech is a statement, not a question.
• The little girl said, "These butterflies are very colourful." This is incorrect because the speaker is talking about those specific butterflies, not the butterflies that are nearby.
• The little girl says, "How colourful were these butterflies!" This is incorrect because the reported speech is in the past tense, not the present tense.