Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.…

The correct answer is Option (1) → The lifeguard said to the children, “Don’t swim beyond the red buoys.”

Changing a negative order from indirect back into direct speech:

Change	Indirect	Direct	Why
Reporting verb	forbade the children	said to the children	Forbade means told someone not to do something. Going back, it becomes “said to” before the spoken words.
To + verb	to swim	“Don’t swim ...”	The spoken words are a negative order, so they begin with “Don’t” + verb. “To” is dropped. Buoys are floating markers in the water.
Full sentence	The lifeguard forbade the children to swim beyond the red buoys.	The lifeguard said to the children, “Don’t swim beyond the red buoys.”

“Told ... not to” goes back to “Don’t” in the same way. Example: Mummy told Tia not to touch the hot iron. → “Don’t touch the hot iron,” Mummy said to Tia.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect?

Option 2: The lifeguard said to the children, “Don’t to swim beyond the red buoys.” — Incorrect. “To” is kept inside the quotation marks. An order begins with the verb itself: “Don’t swim”.

Option 3: The lifeguard said to the children, “Swim beyond the red buoys.” — Incorrect. “Not” is dropped, so the order tells the children to swim beyond the buoys. “Forbade” means the lifeguard told them not to.

Option 4: The lifeguard said to the children, “You did not swim beyond the red buoys.” — Incorrect. “You did not swim” is a statement about the past. “Forbade” reports an order, so the spoken words must be an order.