Choose the option that changes the given sentence into a simple sentence without changing its meaning:
Meher spoke softly so that she would not wake the baby.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Meher spoke softly so as not to wake the baby.
Changing a purpose clause into “so as not to”:
- The given sentence has two clauses. “So that she would not wake the baby” gives the purpose of speaking softly.
- A simple sentence has only one main verb. So the purpose clause becomes so as not to + verb: “so as not to wake the baby”. The meaning stays the same.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Meher spoke softly because she did not want to wake the baby. — Incorrect. “Because she did not want” is still a clause with its own verb. So this is still a complex sentence, not a simple one.
Option 3: Meher spoke softly so as to wake the baby. — Incorrect. This changes the meaning. It says Meher wanted to wake the baby.
Option 4: Meher spoke softly so that not to wake the baby. — Incorrect. The option says “so that not to”. “So that” needs a full clause after it. Before “not to”, we use “so as”.