Choose the suitable Direct Speech of the following sentence-
He enquired whether his name was not Ahmed.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → He said to him, "Isn't your name Ahmed?"
| Indirect | Direct |
|---|---|
| He enquired whether his name was not Ahmed. | He said to him, "Isn't your name Ahmed?" |
Indirect question back to direct speech:
- Reporting verb: "enquired whether" shows a yes/no question; the words go back inside inverted commas with a question mark.
- Word order: the question order returns, verb before subject (Isn't your name).
- Tense change: "was not" → isn't (past back to present).
- Pronoun changes: "his name" (the listener's name) → your name.
- Words of nearness (time and place): none in this sentence.
Example: She enquired whether I was not tired. → She said to me, "Aren't you tired?"
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: He said to him, "Your name is Ahmed?" — Incorrect. The negative "not" is lost, and the words keep statement order.
Option 3: He asked him, "Did your name Ahmed?" — Incorrect. "Did" needs a main verb; "Did your name Ahmed" is ungrammatical, and the negative is lost.
Option 4: He told him, "Are your name Ahmed?" — Incorrect. "Are" does not agree with the singular "name", "told" does not introduce a question, and the negative is lost.