English Language

Direct and Indirect Speech

290 Questions
All Interrogative Sentences 64 Imperative Sentences 63 Tense Sequence Shift 30 Assertive Sentences 23 Exclamatory Sentences 23 Universal Truths and Habits 22 Modal Auxiliary Shift 19 Time and Place Expressions 19 Pronoun Shifts 18 Mixed Sentence Types 5 Question Tags 1

Direct and Indirect Speech Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

He said, “May the king live long!”

  1. He asked that the king might live long.

  2. He told that the king might live long.

  3. He prayed that the king might live long.

  4. He said that the king might live long.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

When we seek something from God for someone, we use the word 'pray'. 'May' changes to 'might'. Option (3) conveys this sense best. 

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

He said to me, “May you live long!”

  1. He said that I might live long.

  2. He prayed that I might live long.

  3. He wished that I might live long.

  4. He wished that I may live long.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence implies wishing well for someone. Also, in change of narration, 'may' is converted into 'might'. Hence, option 3 is correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

The stranger said to me, “Where do you live?”

  1. The stranger enquired that where I lived.

  2. The stranger enquired of me where I live.

  3. The stranger enquired of me where do I live.

  4. The stranger enquired of me where I lived.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is the case of an interrogative sentence. Here, 'said to' is changed to 'enquired of me'. Hence, option 4 is correct. Option 3 is grammatically incorrect.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

The son said to his father, “Pardon me.”

  1. The son told his father to pardon him.

  2. The son asked his father to pardon him.

  3. The son said his father to pardon him.

  4. The son begged his father to pardon him.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The speaker is asking for something earnestly or humbly, so 'said to' is converted to 'begged'. Hence, option 1 is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

Mother said, “Alas! I shall never be able to see him again.”

  1. The mother said that she would never be able to see him again.

  2. Mother exclaimed that she would never be able to see him again.

  3. Mother exclaimed with sorrow that she will never be able to see him again.

  4. Mother exclaimed with sorrow that she would never be able to see him again.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

'Alas' is used to express sorrow. 'Will' changes to 'would'. Hence, (4).

Multiple choice

Directions: Pick out the correct alternative that complete sentence which is changed into indirect narration:

All will say, “The people should not use Atom bomb”.

  1. All would say that the people should not use Atom bomb

  2. All will said that the people should not use Atom bomb

  3. All will say that the people should not use Atom bomb

  4. All would said that the people should not use Atom bomb
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Since the reporting verb will say is in the future tense, the tense of the reported speech remains should not use. The conjunction that is added to link the reporting verb with the statement.

Multiple choice

Directions: Pick out the correct alternative that completes the sentence after change of narration.

She said to me, “Are you going to market?” She enquired from me

  1. I am going to market

  2. I was going to market

  3. if I was going to market

  4. if I had been going to the market
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Third option is correct. The tense of the sentence changes into 'past' tense because the reporting verb in direct voice (said) is in past tense. As the reporting speech is in interrogative, the word 'said' changes to 'enquired'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Pick out the correct alternative that completes the sentence after change of narration.

Kerry said to me, “Why did you not change your clothes?”

Kerry asked me

  1. why I had not changed my clothes.

  2. why I did not change my clothes.

  3. why I would not change my clothes.

  4. why I have not been changing my clothes.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

First option is correct. The tense of the sentence changes into 'past'perfect' tense because the reporting verb in direct voice (said) is in past tense. As the reporting speech is in interrogative.

Multiple choice

Directions: Pick out the correct alternative that completes the sentence after change of narration.

I said to her, “It was very hot last night”. I told her

  1. that it had been very hot the previous night.

  2. that it was very hot the previous night.

  3. that it has been very hot the last night.

  4. that it had been very hot this night.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Third option is correct. The tense of the sentence changes from past to 'past perfect' because the reporting verb in direct voice (said) is in past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration.

She said to me, “I shall forgive you”.

  1. She told me that she will forgive me.

  2. She told me that she was going to forgive me.

  3. She told me that she will not forgive me.

  4. She told me that she would forgive me.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The fourth option is correct. The tense of the sentence changes into 'past' tense because the reporting verb in direct voice (said) is in past tense. As the reporting speech is in assertive, the word 'said' changes to 'told'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Pick out the correct alternative that completes the sentence after change of narration.

I said to him, “Let us go to school.” I told him

  1. that we will go to school.

  2. that we shall go to school.

  3. that we would go to school.

  4. that we should go to school.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Fourth option is correct. As the reporting speech is in interrogative, the word 'said' changes to 'told' and the word 'should' is added to the sentence.