Select the correct direct form of the given sentence. He inquired whether the boy's name was Ahmed.

Question

Select the correct direct form of the given sentence. He inquired whether the boy's name was Ahmed.

1. A. He asked, “The boy's name is Ahmed?”
2. B. He asked, “Whether the boy's name was Ahmed?”
3. C. He asked, “Was the boy's name Ahmed?”
4. D. He asked, “Is the boy's name Ahmed?” (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — He asked, “Is the boy's name Ahmed?”

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is He asked, "Is the boy's name Ahmed?"

Key Points

• Converting indirect to direct reverses the usual changes: the reporting conjunction whether disappears, the word order returns to a question, and the tense moves forward.
• "He inquired whether the boy's name was Ahmed" becomes He asked, "Is the boy's name Ahmed?"
• Note three things at once: quotation marks, a question mark, and the auxiliary moving to the front for interrogative order.
• Option B wrongly keeps *whether* inside the quotation, and C keeps the past-tense *was* instead of restoring the present.

Additional Information

• Whether and if are the markers of a reported yes/no question; a *wh-* question keeps its question word instead.
• Backshift reverses on the way to direct speech: past simple → present simple, past perfect → present perfect or past simple, *would* → *will*, *could* → *can*.
• The reporting verb signals the sentence type — *asked/inquired* for questions, *said* for statements, *ordered/told* for commands.
• Restoring interrogative word order is what most candidates omit; a direct question needs both the inversion and the question mark.