Choose the suitable option to change the given sentence into the Dire…

The correct answer is Option (2) → "Where are you going?" said the security guard.

Note: The given answer is as per the official NTA Answer Key. However, more than one answer is possible here: Option (2) and Option (1) both give a correct direct speech, as explained below.

Option 1: "Where are you all going ?" asked the security guard. — Can also be considered as correct.

• The question is in the correct order: question word + are + you + going?
• Asked matches the reporting verb "enquired".
• "You all" suits the plural "we" of the reported sentence, since the guard was speaking to a group.

Option 2: "Where are you going?" said the security guard. — Correct (Answer as per NTA).

• Reporting verb: "enquired" introduces a question; in direct speech the guard's words go inside inverted commas, followed by "said" or "asked".
• Pronoun changes: "we" (the people spoken to) → you.
• Tense change: the past "were going" goes back to the present are going.
• Word order: the statement order "we were going" becomes question order are you going, and the question mark is put back.
  Example: She asked me what I wanted. → "What do you want?" she asked.

Option 3: "Where you all are going?" asked the security guard. — Incorrect.

• It keeps the statement order "you all are going".
• A direct question needs the verb before the subject: "Where are you going?"

Option 4: "Are you all going where?" asked the security guard. — Incorrect.

• The question word where is put at the end.
• In a normal direct question the question word comes first: "Where are you going?"