Select the correct direct form of the given sentence.
Mother ordered the children to stop playing then.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct direct form of the sentence "Mother ordered the children to stop playing then" is Mother said to the children, "Stop playing now."
The other options are incorrect:
- Mother said to the children, "Don't play then." This is incorrect because the tense of the reported speech should be "now" instead of "then."
- Mother said to the children, "Please stop playing then." This is incorrect because the tense of the reported speech should be "now" instead of "then."
- Mother said to the children, "Can you stop playing now?" This is incorrect because the reporting verb "ordered" indicates that Mother was giving a direct command, not asking a question.