Select the option that expresses the given sentence in direct speech.
He ordered his soldiers to take that bird away. Its gilded cage reminded him of his father whom he had imprisoned.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. “He said to his soldiers, ‘Take this bird away. Its gilded cage reminds me of my father whom I imprisoned.’”
Step-by-step breakdown:
- Reporting verb: 'ordered' → becomes 'said to' in direct speech format.
- Imperative sentence: 'to take that bird away' → becomes 'Take this bird away'
'that' changes to 'this' in direct speech.
- Change 'reminded him' to 'reminds me'
In direct speech, the speaker refers to himself: 'reminds me'.
- 'Whom he had imprisoned' → becomes 'whom I imprisoned'
Again, in direct speech, the subject changes from third person ('he') to first person ('I').
Why other options are incorrect:
Option 1: “reminded him” and “whom I imprison” – tense mismatch and incorrect subject.
Option 2: “reminded me” and “I imprison” – incorrect tense (“imprison” should be “imprisoned”).
Option 4: “May this bird be taken away” – not the correct form for an order.