Question:

Select the correct indirect narration of the following sentence:
“Beware, there is danger!” the commander said to the soldiers.

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When converting direct speech to indirect speech, always check for two key modifications: the reporting verb and the tense change.
An imperative warning like "Beware" should lead you directly to reporting verbs like "warned".
Eliminating options that do not apply past tense backshifting (changing "is" to "was") will quickly narrow down the choices.
Updated On: Jun 3, 2026
  • The commander warned the soldiers that there was danger.
  • The commander told the soldiers beware of danger.
  • The commander informed the soldiers that there is danger.
  • The commander exclaimed the soldiers about danger.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation


Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The objective is to accurately convert the direct speech sentence, which expresses an imperative warning, into its indirect speech counterpart.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

  • Analysis of the Direct Sentence: The direct sentence is: "“Beware, there is danger!” the commander said to the soldiers."
  • Identifying the Reporting Verb: The phrase "Beware" signifies an explicit warning. Therefore, the reporting verb "said to" should be converted to "warned" to reflect this tone accurately in indirect speech.
  • Tense Change Rules: In indirect narration, when the reporting verb is in the past tense ("said"), the verbs in the reported speech must undergo a backshift in tense. Therefore, the simple present "is" in "there is danger" must change to the simple past "was".
  • Conjunction Usage: The conjunction "that" is appropriate to connect the reporting clause with the reported statement in declarative conversions of exclamations or warnings.
  • Analysis of Option (A): "The commander warned the soldiers that there was danger." This sentence correctly uses "warned", applies the conjunction "that", and properly changes the tense from "is" to "was". This is correct.
  • Analysis of Option (B): "The commander told the soldiers beware of danger." This is grammatically incorrect and does not follow the standard rules of indirect speech formatting.
  • Analysis of Option (C): "The commander informed the soldiers that there is danger." This sentence is incorrect because it fails to change the tense from "is" to "was".
  • Analysis of Option (D): "The commander exclaimed the soldiers about danger." This is grammatically awkward and incorrect because "exclaimed" is not transitively followed by direct objects in this manner.


Step 3: Final Answer:

The correct indirect narration is Option (A), "The commander warned the soldiers that there was danger."
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