Change the sentence given below from Indirect to Direct speech :
Father ordered his son to run :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Father said to his son, "Run".
Indirect to direct speech (a command):
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | ordered | said to | The verb of command (“ordered”) becomes “said to”. |
| Verb | to run | Run | “To + verb” becomes the imperative: the base form of the verb with no “to”: “Run”. The spoken words go inside inverted commas after a comma. |
| Full sentence | Father ordered his son to run. | Father said to his son, “Run”. |
Example: The teacher told us to sit down. → The teacher said to us, “Sit down.”
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Father said to his son, "To run" — Incorrect. A command in direct speech has no "to". "To run" is not an imperative.
Option 2: Father ordered son, "To Run" — Incorrect.
- "To Run" is not an imperative.
- "his" before son is dropped.
Option 3: Father said, "I am ordering you run " — Incorrect. The father's actual words are a command, not a description of ordering. "Ordering you run" is also ungrammatical (it needs "to run").