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: Select the correct change of narration.

He said to me, “Do I sing a song now?”

  1. He asked me do I sing a song then.

  2. He said me did he sing a song then.

  3. He asked me if he sang a song then.

  4. He asked me did I sing a song then.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In interrogative sentence reporting verb “said to’ is changed into asked. And in reported speech simple present tense is changed into past tense, ‘Do’ is changed into if.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

He said to me, “Had you broken my spectacles?”

  1. He asked me if I had broken his spectacles.

  2. He told me if you broke my spectacles.

  3. He said to me that I had broken his spectacles.

  4. He asked me that I had broken his spectacles.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In interrogative sentence reporting verb “said to’ is changed into asked. And in reported speech past perfect remains unchanged.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

He said to me, ”Do I not accept your proposal?”

  1. He asked me if she do not accept my proposal.

  2. He asked me if she do not accept my proposal.

  3. He told me that she did not accept my proposal.

  4. He asked me if she did not accept my proposal.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In interrogative sentence reporting verb “said to’ is changed into asked. And in reported speech simple present tense is changed into past tense,

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

She said to me, “Why are you disturbing me?”

  1. She asked me why you are disturbing her.

  2. She asked me why I was disturbing her.

  3. She told me if I was disturbing her.

  4. She asked me that why I was disturbing her.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In interrogative sentence reporting verb “said to’ is changed into asked. And in reported speech present continuous become past continuous. No conjunction is used if why is used in reported speech.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

The teacher said to the boys, "Do not make a noise.”

  1. The teacher told the boys do not to make a noise.

  2. The teacher ordered the boys do not to make a noise.

  3. The teacher ordered the boys do not to make a noise.

  4. The teacher ordered the boys not to make a noise.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is a case of a giving order, and option 4 is the correct usage (ordered). And in reported speech ‘Do’ is eliminated.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

His mother said, "What will you have for breakfast, John?”

  1. His mother asked John what he would have for breakfast.

  2. His mother asked John what you would have for breakfast.

  3. His mother asked John what he will have for breakfast.

  4. His mother asked John what you will have for breakfast.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In interrogative sentence reporting verb “said to’ is changed into asked. And in reported speech in future tense will/shall become would.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

She said to Shalini, "How was she returning home?”

  1. She told Shalini how she was returning home.

  2. She asked Shalini that how she was returning home.

  3. She asked Shalini how she had been returning home.

  4. She asked Shalini how was she returning home.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In interrogative sentence reporting verb “said to’ is changed into asked. And past continuous tense is changed into past perfect continuous.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

They said, “We shall have finished our work by 7 P.M.”

  1. They said that they would have finished their work by 7 P.M.

  2. They said that we would have finished their work by 7 P.M.

  3. They said that they will have finished their work by 7 P.M.

  4. They said that we will have finished their work by 7 P.M.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In assertive sentence like this ‘Said’ remains unchanged. And in reported speech ‘Shall’ becomes Would.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

She said, “If I were rich, I would help her.”

  1. She told if I were rich I would help her.

  2. She asked that if he were rich he would help her.

  3. She said that if he was rich he would help her.

  4. She said that if he were rich he would help her.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In assertive sentence like this ‘Said’ remains unchanged. If reporting speech is in imagined condition, its tense does not change.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct change of narration.

The beggar said, “Here I slept for four hours.”

  1. The beggar said that here he had slept for four hours.

  2. The beggar told that here he slept for four hours.

  3. The beggar asked that he slept here for four hours.

  4. The beggar said that here I had slept for five hours.

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In assertive sentence like this ‘Said’ remains unchanged. If this, here and now point towards thing, place or time which is at front at the time of saying that thing, and then indirect narration remains unchanged