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 question back to direct speech:
| Change | Indirect | Direct | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting verb | enquired whether | said to him, “ ” | “Enquired whether” shows a yes/no question. The words go back inside inverted commas with a question mark. |
| Word order | his name was not | Isn't your name | The question order returns, verb before subject. |
| Tense change | was not | isn't | “Was not” becomes “isn't” (past back to present). |
| Pronoun change | his name | your name | “His name” (the listener's name) becomes “your name”. |
| Full sentence | He enquired whether his name was not Ahmed. | He said to him, “Isn't your name Ahmed?” |
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.