The Captain said to his men, "Stand at ease."
A. The Captain urged his men to stand at ease.
B. The Captain wanted his men to stand at ease.
C. The Captain told his men that they should stand at ease.
D. The Captain commanded his men to stand at ease.
Answer: Option D
Solution (By Examveda Team)
Original Sentence (Direct Speech):The Captain said to his men, "Stand at ease."
Step-by-step Conversion:
1. The sentence is an imperative sentence, which means it gives a command or instruction.
2. In indirect speech, imperative sentences are converted using verbs like ordered, requested, advised, commanded, urged depending on the tone.
3. Since the speaker is a Captain addressing his men, it clearly shows authority. So, the correct reporting verb is “commanded”.
4. The base verb “stand” is changed to the infinitive form: “to stand at ease”.
Correct Sentence:
The Captain commanded his men to stand at ease.
Correct Answer: Option D
Why other options are incorrect:
Option A: “urged” — ❌ not suitable for a military command, as "urged" implies a suggestion, not a command.
Option B: “wanted” — ❌ incorrect reporting verb for a direct order.
Option C: “told… they should…” — ❌ indirect and not appropriate for the strong tone of a command.
Final Answer: Option D – The Captain commanded his men to stand at ease.
This Question Belongs to Competitive English >> Direct And Indirect Speech
Kiran asked me, "Did you see the Cricket match on television last night?"
A. Kiran asked me whether I saw the Cricket match on television the earlier night.
B. Kiran asked me whether I had seen the Cricket match on television the earlier night.
C. Kiran asked me did I see the Cricket match on television the last night.
D. Kiran asked me whether I had seen the Cricket match on television the last night.
David said to Anna, "Mona will leave for her native place tomorrow."
A. David told Anna that Mona will leave for her native place tomorrow.
B. David told Anna that Mona left for her native place the next day.
C. David told Anna that Mona would be leaving for her native place tomorrow.
D. David told Anna that Mona would leave for her native place the next day.
I said to him, "Why are you working so hard?"
A. I asked him why he was working so hard.
B. I asked him why was he working so hard.
C. I asked him why had he been working so hard.
D. I asked him why he had been working so hard.
He said to her, "What a cold day!"
A. He told her that it was a cold day.
B. He exclaimed that it was a cold day.
C. He exclaimed sorrowfully that it was a cold day.
D. He exclaimed that it was a very cold day.
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