Select the correct indirect form of the given sentence.
Mrs Mehta said to her son, “Don’t forget to order sweets for Diwali.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Mrs Mehta reminded him not to forget to order sweets for Diwali.
A "don't" order in indirect speech:
| Change | Direct | Indirect | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | said to her son | reminded him | "Don't forget" asks the son to keep something in mind. So "said to" becomes "reminded", and "her son" becomes "him". |
| Not + to + verb | Don't forget | not to forget | A "don't" order is reported as "not to" + verb. |
| Full sentence | Mrs Mehta said to her son, "Don't forget to order sweets for Diwali." | Mrs Mehta reminded him not to forget to order sweets for Diwali. |
Other verbs for "don't" orders are told, warned, advised and forbade. Example: Dad said to me, "Don't touch the wire." → Dad warned me not to touch the wire.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Mrs Mehta scolded him for not to forget to order sweets for Diwali. — Incorrect. To scold is to speak angrily to someone about a mistake. The son had done nothing wrong yet.
Option 3: Mrs Mehta reminded them to dont forget to order sweets for Diwali. — Incorrect. She spoke to one person, her son. "Them" should be "him".
Option 4: Mrs Mehta reminded him don't forget to ordered sweets for Diwali. — Incorrect. "Don't" is kept from the direct speech. It must change to "not to".