Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.

The teacher asked the students if they could prepare for the debate by the following week.

The teacher said to the students, “Can you prepare for the debate by next week?”

The correct direct form of the given sentence is:

"The teacher said to the students, 'Can you prepare for the debate by next week?'"

This option accurately represents the original question posed by the teacher to the students.

Explanation:

• The sentence starts with "The teacher asked," indicating that the teacher is posing a question.
• The question is about whether the students can prepare for the debate by the following week, implying a request or inquiry about their ability to do so.

Now let's examine the options:

A. "The teacher said to the students, 'Are you prepared for the debate by next week?'": This option changes the original sentence to a different question. It asks if the students are already prepared, whereas the original sentence inquires about their ability to prepare by the following week. Therefore, this option does not accurately represent the original sentence.

B. "The teacher said to the students, 'Will you prepare for the debate by the following week?'": Similar to option A, this choice presents a different question. It asks if the students will prepare, which is more about their intention rather than their ability. Therefore, it doesn't match the original sentence.

C. "The teacher asked to the students, 'Could you prepare for the debate by the following week?'": This option uses incorrect grammar by saying "asked to the students." The correct preposition is "asked the students." Additionally, while the use of "could" aligns with the original sentence's conditional tone, the construction of the sentence is not entirely correct.

D. "The teacher said to the students, 'Can you prepare for the debate by next week?'": This option provides a direct question that closely mirrors the original sentence. It uses the word "can" to inquire about the students' ability, matching the original sentence's intent. Additionally, the grammar and structure of the sentence are correct.