Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The traffic constable ordered the auto driver to move his auto off the zebra crossing.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → The traffic constable said to the auto driver, “Move your auto off the zebra crossing.”
Changing an order from indirect back into direct speech:
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | ordered the auto driver | said to the auto driver | “Ordered” goes back to “said to” before the spoken words. |
| To + verb | to move | “Move | “To” is dropped. A spoken order begins with the plain verb, so “to move” becomes “Move”. |
| Pronoun change | his | your | The constable speaks to the auto driver. So “his auto” becomes “your auto”. |
| Full sentence | The traffic constable ordered the auto driver to move his auto off the zebra crossing. | The traffic constable said to the auto driver, “Move your auto off the zebra crossing.” |
“Not to” goes back to “Do not” in the same way. Example: Mother told me not to touch the stove. → “Do not touch the stove,” Mother said to me.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: The traffic constable said to the auto driver, “Move his auto off the zebra crossing.” — Incorrect. “His” is not changed. The constable speaks to the driver, so it must be “your auto”.
Option 2: The traffic constable said to the auto driver, “To move your auto off the zebra crossing.” — Incorrect. “To move” keeps “to” inside the quotation marks. A spoken order begins with the plain verb “Move”.
Option 3: The traffic constable said to the auto driver, “You moved your auto off the zebra crossing.” — Incorrect. “You moved” is a statement about the past. An order is spoken as a command that begins with the verb: “Move your auto”.