Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
“Please don’t leave me alone here,” the child said to her mother.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The child begged her mother not to leave her alone there.
Changing a "don't" request into indirect speech:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said to her mother | begged her mother | The child is scared and pleads with "please". So "said to" becomes "begged". Beg means ask very humbly. |
| Not to + verb | please don't leave | not to leave | A request with "don't" becomes "not to" + verb. "Please" and "don't" are dropped. |
| Pronoun change | me | her | The speaker is the child, a girl. So "me" becomes "her". |
| Time and place words | here | there | The words are reported later, away from that place. So "here" becomes "there". |
| Full sentence | "Please don't leave me alone here," the child said to her mother. | The child begged her mother not to leave her alone there. |
Requested, ordered, advised and warned also take a person + "not to" + verb. Example: Meena said to her brother, "Please don't touch my books." → Meena requested her brother not to touch her books.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: The child begs her mother not to leave her alone there. — Incorrect. The child spoke in the past ("said"). The present "begs" does not fit.
Option 3: The child begged her mother not to leave her alone here. — Incorrect. The place word is not changed. "Here" should be "there".
Option 4: The child begs her mother not to leave her alone here. — Incorrect. A past "said" cannot turn into the present "begs".