Should the correct option be A or C?

Well "cross the speed limit" is definitely incorrect English. Yet another exercise with errors set by low-quality teachers abroad. "Don't exceed the speed limit" is correct in meaning; however, it's a bit formal and more like something a lawyer or judge, or a news report, might say. In conversation, people would be more likely to say "break the speed limit," "go faster than the speed limit" or (widely used, but not very good English) "go past the speed limit".

Who is writing these assessments? I can't even tell what the test-maker thinks should distinguish A) from C). Aside from the fact that both employ the bewilderingly non-idiomatic "to cross \[the speed limit\]," they are equally acceptable, and both options communicate the same meaning as the original sentence. Original sentence is direct discourse; A is indirect discourse; C is abandoning the speech-reporting altogether and just communicating the result of the interaction with the policeman.

Every answer is wrong. "Cross" is the wrong word. I would use exceed, or more commonly break. In 43 years as a native speaker I have never heard someone say "cross the speed limit" A is the closest answer, but all of them are bad

I've never heard of crossing the speed limit. You go over the speed limit. A is reporting back what the policeman said, that makes sense.

Every sentence up there is incorrect

A is correct, C is incorrect. C should be "The policeman forbade me from crossing the speed limit". And yes, as others have said, "go over" is more idiomatic than "cross" here, but it makes perfect sense and I wouldn't question it at all if I heard it.

We say “go over” not “cross” a limit in general, especially speed limits. That said, A and C are functionally equivalent and I couldn’t tell you what the answer key would say.

Don't *cross* the speed limit? That's not the way we usually say it. You can exceed it or break it, but one does not normally cross it. A is the closest literal restatement. The cop told you not to, um, cross the limit. C is basically equivalent; he did essentially forbid you to cross it. But A is exactly what happened. B and D are obviously incorrect because the cop never asked you a question.

I feel like all the test questions I've seen on this sub are horrible. It's fairly clear that the person who wrote this test is a non-native speaker. Beyond that, both A and C are correct English. The teacher likely wants you to choose 'A', as "Don't" is the contraction for "do not." Thus, A is the most literal way of saying the same thing as the question prompt. In casual conversation, most people would likely say it like 'A.' 'C' is a much stronger sentence. If you were writing, whether you were writing creative fiction or some kind of article, option 'C' would be the better choice. It conveys more emotion.

This is stupid. C is just a more formal way to say A. Also who says "cross the speed limit"?

The question itself is poor form and native speakers would simply not use this particular phrasing in the first place. They'd talk about exceeding the speed limit, breaking it, going over it, ignoring it, even flaunting it, but not "crossing" it. The suggested basic phrasing puts the grammar that is proper or expected in a non-standard form to begin with. That said, 'A' is the most correct of all the presented options, but none of it is colloquial English.

They are all wrong

So ignoring that "cross the speed limit" is rather archaic and not used colloquially... A and C are both valid interpretations of the original sentence. You could only decide between them based on further context. If a police officer tells you not to do something, then it is often a case of them forbidding you from doing it. But it can also just be advice. In which case, you've been told not to do it, but not necessarily forbidden. In a real-life conversation, you would probably understand if you are bringing forbidden based on the tone of the officer's voice (and also because he is explaining a rather basic road traffic law). If the question maker wanted the answer to more evidently be option C, then I would suggest they first describe the officer telling the subject they "must not" cross the speed limit. 'Must' makes it a clear rule rather than just advice.

The cop said don't speed. (American Common) Now more formal. The traffic officer stopped me and told me to watch the speed limits on this street.

I’ve never heard of “crossing” the speed limit. Exceed is more usual. In the context of the question as shown, A would be the best one.

Well, in US English, all of them are wrong, since "cross" isn't used that way. More generally A and C are much better than B and D (which are just wrong). A would occur in natural conversation in the US. C is more interesting, since I might have said "The policeman forbade me crossing the speed limit", but the "forbade me to cross", while correct, doesn't sound natural (but "crossing" sounds unnatural in all of them anyway... "exceed" would be more typical). C could also be outright wrong, since Q18 doesn't say to whom the policeman was speaking. We're left to assume. That model would make A the only correct answer. This question is bad.

A or C. He’s giving an instruction “do not cross the speed limit”. I mean technically probably C because it’s a police officer and it’s an instruction but A would still work. (although I think it would be “do not go over the speed limit” rather than cross the speed limit. It does still make sense but doesn’t feel a natural way of saying it).

Although both answers A and C are correct, the most literal answer would be A. The real world answer would be C. Saying that you are "forbidden" comes from the extra layer of understanding what authority and power a policeman holds. Let me reformulate the sentence to illustrate my point : *The child said, "Don't cross the road"* Here, the reformulated answer A) would likely be the only plausible answer. It would be hard to imagine a child forbidding an \[insinuated\] adult from crossing the road. The extra context inferred bars answer C from making any sense in my reformulation. Answer A will always be correct as it disregards the context. It only reformulates the previous sentence. Answer C goes a level deeper and takes into consideration the context. It requires the understanding of the definition of "forbid" (as pulled from Merriam-Webster) : ***:*** *to proscribe (see* [*proscribe sense 2*](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proscribe)*) from or as if* ***from the position of one in authority*** ***:*** *command against* Is the policeman in a position of authority? Yes. C is accurate and more precise than A. Is the child in a position of authority? Not likely, so assumed not. Answer C would not apply. IN ANY EVENT, this is a poor selection of question/answer setup for what seems to be a "please reformulate" test. This combination should be used to test understanding of a situation and context. They should stick to the "Harry has three apples" type of questions... (and not include curve balls like dietary restrictions).

It should not be A. Technically C could work, but I'd argue it's not as good as A. Forbade it too strong and it doesn't match the tone of 'don't cross...' Forbade implies a strict prohibition...whereas the cop just said 'don't'.... where he's not exercising his authority... it's more a general caution (more fitting to 'don't...') '...not to cross' is the most appropriate 'tone' to match. Just my thoughts!

Crossing the speed limit does not make sense. You would say exceeding the speed limit or going over the speed limit.

No breathing English speaker would say any of these. It’s simply “Do not speed” I would say A is most correct.

C

Wow...

Wow

What is crossing a speed limit?

Is "Forbade" common/actually correct? Native English speaker and I don't think I've heard the word once in my life.

C feels like it's using the wrong preposition. A feels more correct.

C. It better indicates the imperative.

I've never heard any English speaker use the phrase "cross the speed limit."

Imo the correct answer should be A as it's the closest option in terms of changing the sentence from direct to indirect form.

Cross is the wrong verb, so none of these are correct. The premise of the question is weird. But if you change cross to "exceed". Then A is the most natural. Forbade would imply that the policemen was the one who created the rule.

C implies that you would need permission from the police officer to "cross" the speed limit. A is the only correct answer as presented.

One of those weird questions where an English speaker wouldn't really use any of those answers. I would say "The policeman told me not to exceed the speed limit" or "The policeman said not to exceed the speed limit". Maybe it's more US English than English, but I wouldn't consider a speed limit to be "crossed" - you cross a line, not a speed limit.

Whoever wrote this question doesn't speak English well enough to teach it, let alone write a test on the subject.

He forbade me from going over the speed limit.

I'm sorry but nothing about this makes grammatical sense, they're all wrong

The least wrong answer is A. It should read “The policeman told me not to exceed the speed limit. C is factually incorrect - the policeman did not forbid me, the law did. The law is set by parliament, the policeman’s job is to ensure that the law is followed. Whoever is setting this test does not know English very well.

They are all wrong. We don't 'cross' the speed limit. We 'exceed' it, or maybe, 'go over' it. A is the closest answer, because it is the closest pairing of direct and reported speech, but clearly this was not written by a native speaker.

The spirit of A and C both agree with the spirit of what the officer said. Therefore they can be the only two correct answers. But…1: the language in all of them is very unnatural - we would not use the verb “cross”, we would use “exceed”. We don’t think of the speed limit as a thing in the universe that can be crossed (even metaphorically). We think of it more as a mathematical value that can be met or exceeded. 2: of the two choices (A and C): grammatically speaking, both are compatible with what the officer said but A is more natural sounding than C.

I would think it's A, since the man did not explicitly forbade me to pass the speed limit

No one would say "cross the speed limit" ever. It would be "exceed the speed limit."

It should be A, because it's a simple direct vs. reported speech problem. With C, the 'forbade' makes it a much stronger thing, and a simple "Don't do that" won't suffice. So of course the answer sheet probably gives C as the answer.

I would have selected "A" as a native speaker. The word "forbade" is not in common parlance, if someone used it, I would think that they were trying to be fancy or old timey. While both are correct, A would feel like the more readily used of the two.

I'd go A. There's nothing in that quote that indicates who the policeman was talking to.

Fuck this pig I'll drive how fast I want

The correct answer is "The policeman doesn't speak English well and should not be used as an example on your test"

A. If C, that's the law forbidding it. The police just repeated with what it says

As a native english speaker, none of these are correct. Speed limits cannot be “crossed” they can be exceeded. If a cop told me “not to cross the speed limit” i would have no idea what he’s talking about. The proper phrase would he “don’t exceed the speed limit” or maybe “don’t go over the speed limit”

How come everyone’s saying ‘cross the speed limit’ is wrong? It absolutely ISN’T wrong! Everywhere I’ve lived people use it including myself and I’m 23. It’s not some “old archaic phrase”. People on this sub need to stop saying things are wrong just because you personally don’t know or use them. Say “well I’m from (X) and it isn’t used here but it may be common elsewhere, here we say (Y)” but when people say correct uses of language are wrong it damages learners AND their trust in teachers.

It really should be, "exceed," rather than, "cross," and even then, the police don't really ask, tell, or forbid anyone from speeding. Instead, they usually punish people who do, after the fact. These options are not only bad English, but they kind of subvert the whole idea of policing and traffic violations.

They are all wrong

I never heard "cross the limit" before. Is this even correct English?

Cross??

A police officer (not man, it's not the 1990's) gave an instruction. Since that is a person of authority, this would be a command. Therefore the answer is C. The officer forbade you from [exceeding] the speed limit. This would be the correct synthesis however the whole question is a shit show.

Correct answer is C. In the sentence "Don't cross the speed limit" it is being directed as a command. Since the sentence is a command this means it can not be answer A because answer A is stating the officer said the words without a directing it to a target recipient. Answer B is incorrect because the officer did not ask a question. Answer C is correct because the sentence "Don't cross the speed limit" is posed as a direct statement. Answer D is incorrect because the officer did not ask a question

No native speaker would say any of those sentences.

These are all wrong in different ways.

The reasoning behind C being the "correct" answer is in the authority of the policeman. "Forbade" is a demand, whereas "do not" is more of a request. That's the only thing I can come up with. Both A and C are grammatically correct. Also, at least in American English, no one would say "don't *cross* the speed limit", we would say simply "don't speed", or more formally, "don't *exceed* the speed limit".

I guess A? Forbid is a formal word and implies strict authority, that you are _forbidden_ from doing something. Depends how you view the police I guess? I will say "forbade me to cross" doesn't sound right. It should be "forbade me from crossing". Definitely not a native speaker making this test, lol.

B,C and D sounds like he was talking to you specifically, but in A it's more generic which matches the given question as he said that, but to who? and policeman can't forbid you anything he's just here for regulations as it's the LAW who forbids you stuff. my guess is A

A seems more correct than C, because A reference to "not do" and C doesn't reference "forbid".

It's usually "break" the speed limit

In English every one of them is wrong including the question, but I’m assuming in American the term really is “cross” rather than “exceed”.

The word cross is very wrong. If you changed the word “cross” to “break”, then I’d take answer A.

The answer is C. and "cross" is not a thing. For A to be correct it would need to be "The policeman told me not to cross *(sic!)* the speed limit."

Like everyone else has said cross is not the right word here, so take whatever your teacher says lightly. That being said, A is what most people would say in conversation. C is more...formal. Bordering on archaic at this point because I don't think I've ever heard anyone use the word "forbade" seriously. It's a real word, and the sentence is correct, but no one would actually say that unless they were trying to be funny or snarky.

I can’t believe how bad the tests that English learners have to take are. Like, no one talks like this. It’s crazy.

AmE here..I see some people saying it's C... Maybe people say that in other countries, but I have never seen or heard forbade used like that. Hell, I can't recall ever using it or hearing it used at all, period. The whole question is bizarre-as others have pointed out, you don't cross a speed limit. I run into people with vocabulary issues like this sometimes at my job, it's by an airport. Speakers from one particular country tend to make mistakes like this. I'll get what they are saying, but the word is not quite right, or it's an anachronism no longer used, etc. Also, people don't really use "policeman" anymore, in a sentence like this it would generally be "officer"

C? It lacks a lot of information on what the test/teacher actually wants.

Unless it’s regional to say “cross the speed limit,” this entire question is wrong. It’s certainly regional to say “forbid [person] to [verb]” instead of “forbid [person] *from* [verb]ing.”

"Exceed the speed limit", "Break the speed limit", "Go over the speed limit", or even just "Don't speed" would all work, but I have never heard anyone use "Cross the speed limit".

C is incorrect grammatically because of the word "to." The word in that place would be "from" if it was grammatically correct. And "cross" would change to "crossing." A is the only grammatically correct answer that matches the question, but it's very poor English.

The correct answer is A., but this is a very odd choice of words. The speed limit on a road or highway is not regarded (symbolically) as a barrier, but as a limit on driver behavior. Therefore, a speed limit isn't "crossed," it is "exceeded." The driver operates their vehicle at a speed that is in excess of the upper limit of the permitted range of speeds. Speeding (driving faster than the statutory limit on that road) is not something done by the car, but is done by the driver of that car. The automobile is not a headstrong animal that must be restrained by the driver in order to keep its speed from crossing the upper limit. Speeding is done when the driver ignores or disregards the posted limit and recklessly accelerates their vehicle to a speed that is above that limit and continues to operate it in that speed range.

"Cross the speed limit" is not a term I have ever come across in British English. I can guess what it means, but it is not what someone would say.

C is correct A is how normal people talk I have not heard someone use forbade unironically once in my life Also you dont ‘cross a speed limit’ you ‘surpass’ it And even then most native speakers say ‘you sped over the speed limit’

No one says “cross” the speed limit in any permutation!

Both A) & C) are correct. But, option **C) is more correct. So, go for it. This question is a tricky one.**

Bad question, A and C both mean the same thing.

"Cross"?? Shouldn't it be "exceed" more properly?

Although both are correct I would go for A on the basis that it has common language with the question ("said") and technically, it's the law that is forbidding you to cross the speed limit not the policeman. That being said, they're functionally the same.

A) he told you not to do it.

A sounds the best out of those options. C is incorrect because *forbid* takes the preposition *from*, as in "The policeman forbade me from crossing the speed limit". That said, the question itself is incorrect, because we don't "cross" a speed limit, we either *exceed* a speed limit (formal) or *go over* a speed limit (informal). Another small note-- we don't normally say "policeman" these days; we generally prefer the gender-neutral term *police officer*.

Both are correct but A is slightly more correct because it more precisely conveys the same meaning. C could indicate something like pointing at the sign and shaking their head, or just wildly different wording. A is a little more specific, just without using a quote so it gives you a better idea of what was said but also indicates that you may or may not know the exact wording that was used in order to use a quote.

I’ve never heard someone say “cross” when referring to a speed limit. Exceed is the word you’re looking for. The policeman said “don’t exceed the speed limit.” As for which of the answers is correct, A, C or D could all be correct but it really depends on the exact scenario. And, again, cross should be replaced by exceed.

A. It is not known who the police officer was addressing.

Cross in which direction?

I like both. **A** sounds more consistent, since he didn't say, "I forbid you."

Yes.

It’s A. Of course, he telling you not to do something may be forbidding you from doing something, but he mostly just tells you not to do it.

only a legislature, a lawgiver, a boss, or a parent can forbid such things as speeding

Being on this subreddit has led me to the conclusion that there is a lot of terrible English instruction around the world.

Q) My policeman dictated to me which I shan’t over-go the fastness margin

cross the speed limit is not typical english language. The typical english in this case is "exceed" not "cross". Cross typically means you are going past a certain point, such as crossing a threshold from the kitchen into the living room. If I replace cross with exceed, and forbade with the definition: "order (someone) not to do something" you get a situation like: A.) The policeman said not to exceed the speed limit. C.) The policeman ordered me not to exceed the speed limit. In this case, the difference here is clear, the answer is A. As C creates additional information about directing it towards a certain person which is not present in the original statement in bold. The original statement in bold DOES NOT tell you if the policemen is talking to an individual during a traffic stop or speaking to a crowd at a drivers safety class. C indicated it's a 1-on-1 interaction. A does not indicate any information about who the recipient of the instruction is.

"*Cross* the speed limit" is an odd phrasing because *cross* isn’t a directional verb. The policeman could be telling you not to speed, or this could be a *Speed* the movie situation where you're driving a bus rigged with a bomb, and if you drop below the speed limit, it explodes. A clearer way to phrase it would be: *"Don't exceed the speed limit."* That aside, I still think A is the better answer than C. Option A is a more direct and truthful restatement of the original sentence. The policeman said, *"Don't,"* which means *"do not,"* as in *"You are not to cross the speed limit."* Option C, on the other hand, implies that the policeman is forbidding you, which suggests he has authority over you. That might not necessarily be the case—he could be your off-duty son simply offering a piece of advice.

Only option is A

Both A and C are correct. Although I'd say A is probably more correct because the officer did not say "I forbid you to cross the speed limit"

None of the above. You don’t “cross” the speed limit, you exceed it. The police officer requested that I refrain from exceeding the speed limit.

Both are correct, but the more literal 1 to 1 is A. I have no idea why the Answer would be C over A. I'd make more sense to be C is the policeman quote was "You can't/shouldn't cross the speed limit", that would communicate the forbiddance more directly, instead of just "don't do that"

lol they should really get native english speakers to write these questions

Dude I got a perfect score on ACT English and I have no clue what the point of this question is...

It's 'a' because it's not clear if they're talking to you or someone else.

I've never heard the phrase "cross the speed limit" as a US native speaker. It may be a regional thing?

It's a bullshit question. You don't "cross" a speed limit; you break it.

This is why people whose first language isn't english are constantly having to apologise for being bad at it

Functional equivalence

None of the above. C or D are the closest to being correct but there is no chance that anyone would say 'crossed' the speed limit, the word used would always be 'break' or it's variants, if used at all because you might simply describe the act as 'speeding'. Policement also don't tend to tell you not to do things or ask you if you have done things, generally they expect you to know the things and then they tell you that you have done a thing. 'The reason I have stopped you today is because I have measured your speed as being 80mph in a 70mph limit'. Then of course when you actually come to say the sort of thing a real policeman might say cross, break and speeding aren't even used at all.. Also, although you could, no one says 'forbade' (maybe Shakespeare).

Everyone is saying C is as correct as A but C is blatantly nongrammatical to me. You can’t “forbid someone to do something*,” you forbid them from doing something. C makes no sense.

Strictly speaking, the correct answer is A, simply because it directly says the same as the direct speech version. Most exams/exercises ask you not to change the meaning. Besides, you don't say "forbade me to", the correct preposition is from.

The question is wrong. “Cross the speed limit” is not an expression used by native English speakers of any region.

Native speaker here.. all these options suck, but A sucks the least.  But only because it's not the police forbidding you from crossing the speed limit, the law is.  The policeman is just telling you not to do it. But this question sucks, and C would also be an acceptable answer, since the policeman didn't ask anything. Who's writing this shit anyways?

This is probably a translation. The correct answer is A. C is ungrammatical.

I would say A because it looks like it's looking for the policeman to actually speak the words. Forbidding something may not be done via methods beyond speech.

All of these are wrong. You would pass the speed limit, exceed it, or break it. Probably exceed if it was meant to be formal.

I'm not reading much other than you saying correct answer was C. The most correct of the two is A, but both are 100% correct

If this is to teach English it wrong. Who crosses speed limits? If a cop told me not to cross a speed limit I was ask for clarification.

The Q is wrong to begin with.

What the heck country is this test from? These options give me a headache.

A and C are both technically correct, C would be a little unusual in everyday speech as 'forbade' is typically considered more formal. Regardless, "don't cross the speed limit" is an unusual way of phrasing that sentence. It would be more common to say "don't break the speed limit" or "don't exceed the speed limit."

I think they're tryna be slick and be like, "Aha! You thought it was A, but it's a policeman so he's not just saying it! He's forbidding you from doing something!"

When understanding the intent of the test-maker is the real challenge. I even have a [meme](https://ibb.co/ksw7GxDC) for this.

Native English speaker here. Nobody I have ever heard says "cross the speed limit". I have heard, "break the speed limit." I think that I would say, "Don't go over the speed limit." Anyway, this is a bad test. It could be A or C. They are synonymous. And no one says, "cross the speed limit." I don't think whoever wrote that test is a native English speaker.

Never in my life have I heard “cross” the speed limit.

A and C are both correct. If it marks you wrong for either one, its a bad test.

None of these are actually correct because “crossing the speed limit” isn’t a thing. No English speaker would say that because it barely conveys meaning. The policeman told me not to speed or the police man told me not to go over/pass the speed limit would be used instead.

Why are all the natives saying C is correct? Forbid to is not fucking correct English. Hypocrites.

No native speaker would say any of these.

I don’t know any native speaker who would use the phrase to “cross the speed limit.” We say things like “went over the speed limit,” or perhaps “surpassed the speed limit.” A and C are both “correct,” I suppose, in a manner of speaking. But no one would ever say that.

None of these statements are correct. You exceed a speed limit.

None of those, really. We never say "cross" the speed limit. Maybe exceed, if you are being formal, or go over if not. Not cross.

I wouldn’t use sentence C in the way it’s worded, to me it would only make sense if it read as *the policeman forbade me from crossing the speed limit*.

C

Both A and C are correct, but A is a better answer. I know your answer key said C, which is technically correct, but the issue is that “forbade” is not a common word in everyday spoken English. That word is more common in formal literature. Therefore, while answer C is still correct, it is a little unnatural in common speech. Answer A sounds much more natural. Edit: Another Redditor said that your test may have been written by a non-native English speaker or British Indian. British Indian English is much more formal than American English and could explain the reason why C was given as the correct answer despite the formality of it.

None of these are correct. Native speaker. We do NOT use cross this way. We use Exceed.

it looks to be that A is what they said in a literal sence but C is what they meant but its all about tone if someone says it just casually I would take it as A but if it was more forceful it would be C, because this is coming from a policeman, I would take it as C as they have more authority.

He can only ask you not to do it. You can go 80 on a 40 road, but not recommended....

A is the correct answer. The policeman didn't give a reason and we don't have any contextual clues that it is forbidden to cross the speed limit. So option C relies on the assumption that it's forbidden because a policeman said it, while option A is entirely correct without relying on assumptions.

no one says “cross” the speed limit in america they say break the speed limit you “cross” the street this must be UK

A is better. You don't generally say, " forbid to".

What!! I’m so confused

Although both work, I guess the slightest difference between the two would be one is telling while the other is enforcing

"cross" is not really the right word. It's "break" or "exceed". A, C and D are all "correct"

I believe the intent is to learn “contemporary” English, and in that case it would be A. C is technically correct, but forbade isn’t a word people really use. Hope this helps!

Everything except D is equally correct, but no one “crosses” the speed limit, we break it

If you break "don't" into "do not", A is a more literal rewording he explicitly telling you to "[do] not cross the speed limit."

C - This is more "what it means" vs repeating the sentence back. Yes, the policeman told him not to cross the speed limit but the context is telling him it's not allowed because the person talking is a policeman. Forbade, which is a weird word, in this context helps to highlight the difference. "The policeman said" implies a suggestion and lack of consequences. "The policeman forbade" implies it's a law and there will be consequences.

I assume the prompt for answer C to be correct would've been The policeman said, "You **mustn't** cross the speed limit." and thus answer A is the correct answer in this case.

One can argue that "don't" isn't really forbidding anything and here acts more like a "shouldn't" which is a suggestion, leaving A to be correct.

It's all pretty stilted English that wouldn't be used in real life. The main difference between A and C is that A implies the police officer was speaking generally while C implies the officer was speaking directly to the reader as a warning. I'd rather say "the police officer warned not to break the speed limit".

I think it’s because the policeman is an authority on acceptable/unacceptable speed. Therefore when a policeman tells you “not to do something” they have the authority to literally forbid it. As opposed to say, a passenger in your car saying the same quoted passage. They can say it and you don’t really have to listen. There’s no weight behind it and even though it’s a demand “do not” — it can be treated as a request or ignored because there’s not a real consequence except for pissing them off or whatever fallout there might be.

What's the question though? 'The policeman said, "Don't cross the speed limit." is not a question. If it's asking which are true statements, it would be A and C. A is more direct - literally saying the same thing in different words. B is implied. So arguably A is most accurate.

The only correct answer is A. The rest make no sense. The question is also not how a native would speak.

It’s “C,” although the police in the US would say “don’t break the speed limit, and not “don’t cross the speed limit.” You know it’s not B or D because those would both be questions, and there’s no question mark. It could be A, except that this is a policeman saying it. It’s an order. So the policeman didn’t just say it; the policeman forbade it. For that reason, the answer is C.