Choose the correct option to change the following sentence into Direct Speech.
He commanded me to guard the door.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → He said, "Guard the door."
Command from indirect to direct speech:
A verb of command ("commanded", "ordered") + to-infinitive shows that the speaker gave an order.
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | commanded me | said, “ ” | “Commanded” becomes said (or “said to me”), and the spoken words go inside inverted commas. |
| Verb form | to guard | Guard | The to-infinitive becomes the imperative, the base verb at the start: “Guard”. |
| Full sentence | He commanded me to guard the door. | He said, “Guard the door.” |
"Me", the listener, is not named inside the spoken words. "The door" stays.
Example: The teacher ordered us to sit down. → The teacher said, “Sit down.”
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: He requested, "Guard the door." — Incorrect. "Requested" turns the order into a polite request. The original verb was "commanded".
Option 3: He said, "Guarded the door." — Incorrect. A command uses the base form "Guard", not the past form "Guarded".
Option 4: He told, "Guard the door." — Incorrect. "Told" must have an object ("He told me"). "He told" before quoted words is not correct.