Select the option that best expresses the given sentence in Indirect speech:
The interviewer said to the candidate, "Either perform or leave".
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The interviewer asked the candidate to either perform or leave.
Imperative sentence in indirect speech:
Kind of sentence: "Either perform or leave" is an imperative, a command.
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said to | asked | “Said to” changes to a verb of command or request: “asked”, told or ordered. |
| Verb form | Either perform or leave | to either perform or leave | The imperative becomes a to-infinitive: “to either perform or leave”. The inverted commas are removed. |
| Full sentence | The interviewer said to the candidate, “Either perform or leave”. | The interviewer asked the candidate to either perform or leave. |
Example: Mother said to me, “Close the door.” → Mother asked me to close the door.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: The candidate was asked to leave by the interviewer. — Incorrect. It drops "perform", so the choice given to the candidate is lost.
Option 3: The candidate was asked to perform or leave. — Incorrect.
- It is turned into the passive.
- It leaves out the speaker, the interviewer.
Option 4: The interviewer told the candidate that you should perform or leave. — Incorrect.
- The pronoun "you" is not changed. In reported speech it should become "he" or "she".
- A command is reported with a to-infinitive, not a "that" clause.