Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
The ticket collector asked the passengers where their tickets were.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4, i.e., The ticket collector said to the passengers, “Where are your tickets?”.
Narration Concept: Converting from indirect to direct speech
Grammar Explanation:
Indirect speech: asked where their tickets were
Direct speech for a question: “Where are your tickets?” (present tense, matching the original question form)
Reporting verb asked changes to said to when using direct speech.
Correction:
The correct direct speech restores the question form: “Where are your tickets?”
Correct sentence: The ticket collector said to the passengers, “Where are your tickets?”
Conclusion: The correct option is The ticket collector said to the passengers, “Where are your tickets?”