Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
Nita ordered her servant to bring her a cup of tea.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Nita said to her servant, “Bring me a cup of tea.”
An order, changed from indirect back to direct speech:
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | ordered her servant | said to her servant | "Ordered" goes back to "said to". The order now shows in the words inside the quotation marks. |
| To + verb | to bring | "Bring | "To bring" goes back to the plain verb "Bring". An order in direct speech starts with this verb. |
| Pronoun change | her | me | Nita is talking about herself. In her own words "her" becomes "me". |
| Full sentence | Nita ordered her servant to bring her a cup of tea. | Nita said to her servant, "Bring me a cup of tea." |
Ordered, commanded and told all go back to "said to". The to + verb part goes back to the plain verb. With "not to", the direct order starts with "Don't". Example: The teacher told us not to make a noise. → The teacher said to us, "Don't make a noise."
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Nita told her servant, “Bring a cup of tea.” — Incorrect. The word "me" is missing. Without it, we do not know that the tea is for Nita.
Option 2: Nita said, “Bring me a cup of tea.” — Incorrect. The listener, "her servant", is dropped. The indirect sentence tells us who got the order.
Option 4: Nita told her servant, “Bring her that cup of tea.” — Incorrect. In Nita's own words, "her" would mean some other woman. She wants the tea for herself, so it must be "me".