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.

Harry said,” I will eat spaghetti for dinner.”

  1. Harry said that he will eat spaghetti for dinner.

  2. Harry said that he would eat spaghetti for dinner.

  3. Harry said that he is willing to eat spaghetti for dinner.

  4. Harry told that he will eat spaghetti for dinner.

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

In assertive sentences like this, 'said' remains unchanged and is followed by 'that'. If the Reported verb is in the past tense and the Reported speech is in the present, the reported speech (while change of narration) converts into the past. Subject 'I' becomes 'He'. Hence, option 2.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change direct speech into indirect speech.

Sonam said, “Alas! I have lost my tooth in the accident.”

  1. Sonam exclaimed with sorrow that she had lost her tooth in the accident.

  2. Sonam exclaimed with sorrow that she has lost her tooth in the accident.

  3. Sonam exclaimed with sorrow that she had been lost tooth in the accident.

  4. Sonam shouted with sorrow that she had been lost tooth in the accident.

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Case of exclamatory sentence: 'Alas' converts into 'exclaimed with sorrow', and reported speech will change to past tense because reporting verb is in past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the direct speech into an indirect speech.

Rita said, “Which of these roads leads to Delhi?”

  1. Rita said which of these roads leaded to Delhi.

  2. Rita said which of these roads led to Delhi.

  3. Rita asked which of those roads leading to Delhi?

  4. Rita asked which of those roads lead to Delhi.

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Reporting verb is in the past tense. So, the reported speech will also change from simple present tense to simple past tense. As a questions has been asked, so 'asked' will be used in an indirect speech.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change direct speech into indirect speech.

The mayor said to the citizens, “Your grievances will be addressed soon.”

  1. The mayor told the citizens that their grievances should be addressed soon.

  2. The mayor told the citizens that their grievances would be addressed soon.

  3. The mayor asked the citizens that their grievances would be addressed soon?

  4. The mayor told the citizens that your grievances would be addressed soon.

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Reporting verb is in past tense, so the reported speech will also be changed to past tense.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following is an example of indirect speech?

  1. “Be nice to your neighbours”, John said.

  2. “Where have you been?” he asked me.

  3. Rohan told Neetu not to waste her money.

  4. He said, “I always wake up early”.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In indirect speech, a speaker's words are reported in subordinate clauses governed by reporting verb, with changes in person and tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Change the narration of the given sentence.

Nalini said, “My friends gave me a party.”

  1. Nalini said that her friends had given her a party.

  2. Nalini said her friends gave her a party.

  3. Nalini asked that her friends gave her a party.

  4. Nalini said that her friends were giving her a party.

  5. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

If reporting speech is in past tense, past tense changes to past perfect tense in the reported speech.