In the following question, a sentence is given in indirect speech. Out of the four alternatives, select the direct speech sentence that best expresses the same meaning as: His mother reminded Gopal to take his wallet.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: "Do not forget to take your wallet Gopal" said his mother.

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question checks your understanding of how to convert a sentence from indirect speech to direct speech. The given indirect sentence shows a mother reminding her son about something important. You need to choose the quoted sentence that conveys the same meaning and tone in direct speech form.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Indirect sentence: His mother reminded Gopal to take his wallet.
  • Speaker: his mother.
  • Listener: Gopal.
  • Message: a reminder related to taking the wallet.
  • The mood is a gentle warning or reminder, not a question or simple statement of fact.


Concept / Approach:
When changing from indirect to direct speech, you reconstruct the exact words that could have been spoken by the original speaker. A reminder usually appears as an imperative sentence, often with expressions like do not forget or remember. The reporting verb reminded in indirect speech suggests a sentence that warns or prompts someone so that an important action is not neglected. The structure should be: reporting clause plus quoted sentence in double quotes, reflecting the correct person and pronoun use.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core meaning: the mother wants Gopal to take his wallet and not forget it.Step 2: Think of possible direct speech forms that match reminded: Do not forget to take your wallet or Remember your wallet.Step 3: Ensure that the speaker in the reporting clause is the mother and that Gopal is addressed by name inside the quoted sentence.Step 4: Check option B: "Do not forget to take your wallet Gopal" said his mother. This matches the sense of reminded very closely.Step 5: Confirm that tense and pronouns are consistent with the situation described in the indirect sentence.


Verification / Alternative check:
From the direct sentence in option B, we can move back to indirect speech: His mother told Gopal not to forget to take his wallet or His mother reminded Gopal to take his wallet. This is essentially the same as the given sentence, so the transformation is correct. The structure and sense remain stable through the round trip from indirect to direct and back.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: This is a question spoken by Gopal to his mother, not a reminder from the mother to Gopal. The speaker and listener are reversed, so it does not match the original sentence.
Option C: This sentence also represents a reminder, but it does not show that forgetting is the risk. Option B captures the full nuance of reminded more precisely by using the phrase do not forget, so option C is slightly weaker as an equivalent.
Option D: This is a simple statement indicating that the mother is handing over the wallet, not reminding Gopal to take it. The action is different, so it cannot be accepted as correct.


Common Pitfalls:
Students often focus only on the words inside the quotation marks and ignore the change in speaker and listener, which can completely alter the meaning. Another frequent mistake is treating any imperative sentence with similar words as equivalent, even if the tone or implied action is different. Always pay attention to the reporting verb in the indirect sentence, because it gives a strong clue about the mood of the direct speech, such as order, request, reminder, or suggestion. Here, the verb reminded clearly signals a sentence that prevents forgetfulness, which is why the expression do not forget is the best match.


Final Answer:
The correct direct speech version of the sentence is "Do not forget to take your wallet Gopal" said his mother.

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